Last week, NASA hosted a live event with a discussion on the legacy of its iconic logo known as the “Worm.” As an enthusiast of astronomy, space travel, and science fiction, I couldn’t have been more excited! Together with the “Meatball,” its predecessor and successor simultaneously, they represent one of the most inspiring brands ever created.
And after this back-and-forth that more resembles an orbital movement, we arrive at a moment where the stars align, where both graphical representations begin to coexist harmoniously, without overshadowing each other, to symbolize the conquest of new worlds in the Solar System and beyond.
Oh, and let me say: what an amazing intro!
A bit about the history
The Meatball insignia was created in 1959 after NACA became NASA, and it gained prominence through its achievements in the Apollo missions in the 1960s. After the conclusion of the Apollo missions and from a new federal program, NASA adopted the Worm as its new logo in 1976, even though the old logo remained a favorite for many.
Conceived by Richard Danne, Bruce Blackburn, and their team, the new logo represents modernity, progress, and propulsion through a continuous line. Accompanied by a new brand usage manual, the visual identity program was well-documented, accessible, and provided numerous examples of the new logo in use.
The Worm logo marked the beginning of the Space Shuttle era but was retired in 1992, paving the way for the reintroduction of the previous insignia, already established in the public imagination of a whole generation as that of a strong agency with a rich history, experience, and ambitious aspirations.
Nearly 30 years later, the Worm logotype gained a second life upon its reintroduction, alongside the insignia, coexisting harmoniously. Although they are aesthetically very different, NASA managed to balance them complementarily: on aircraft, the insignia is placed close to the crew, in the front, as the official logo, while the logotype is applied at the back, where there is a larger surface, to provide support and readability. In the Space Launch System (SLS), the insignia is placed at the top, near the crew, while the logotype is prominently and legibly applied on the boosters. In vehicles, the insignia is applied to the front, smaller, and the lettering is applied in large proportions, often in a decorative and impactful manner. Thus, the insignia is always associated with people, while the logotype is always associated with the objectives and the means to achieve them.
How do such distinct visual identities reflect such a common grand mission?
It is necessary to understand the time, culture, and group that a particular design represents. NASA’s insignia reflects the idea that many people have come together to accomplish something immense. And when looking at the Air Force and other military branches, it is evident that NASA (and its predecessor agency) are offshoots of that military culture. So, the idea that this insignia, as a military identification, represents loyalty to colleagues and the mission being served is truly important.
On the other hand, considering what NASA specifically does — complex operations with cutting-edge engineering — when we recall the incredible feat that was Apollo 13, where scientific capabilities were taken to another level by solving complex problems with few resources and little time, then the concept guiding the brand derives from the reflection: how to achieve the goal using the least amount of energy, weight, and time? This reductionist thinking focused on efficiency also drives the logotype, resulting in an equally simple and efficient solution.
Hence, placing the insignia close to the team and the Worm close to technology makes a lot of sense and further reinforces the value that each design holds for its time and conceptualization.
Design is project
The insignia is laden with symbolism, but it is a complex image to be reproduced with the printing techniques of that time. Transitioning to a more streamlined and modern symbol was, above all, an improvement that only design-led thinking could provide.
Aesthetically, the logotype could refer to cutting-edge technology, propulsion, movement, but the practical gain would also come from the possibility of applying it anywhere, from a report cover to the side of a rocket.
Conceptually, the logo change also represents that space is not only for the military but also for scientists. People care about NASA’s logo because they care about NASA’s mission. People are not interested in empty shapes or lines; these shapes and lines need to represent something. And in this case, the symbolism here is so powerful, appealing that it becomes a channel for passion. Thus, both Worm and Meatball are passionately defended.
Design, public efficiency, and sustainability
Two arguments supported the Federal Design Improvement Program proposal. One was aesthetic, as expected, but the real gain was efficiency, modernization, and the generation of value and credibility. And in the public sphere, cost-efficiency is a very important goal to establish.
Often, design work does not overcome a certain phase in certain projects for certain types of clients (as in the public sector) because the solutions begin to require process restructuring, questioning both bureaucracy and decision-making centers.
In NASA’s case, there were immense bureaucratic problems that resulted in waste or rework. Just the redesign project of forms took a year and a half to be completed but with a surprising result, reducing them to up to a third of their original size, optimizing language, and significantly reducing paper costs. And there was still the aesthetic factor, to be presented along with efficiency, as the icing on the cake. So, besides being more beautiful, more legible, it’s easier, simpler, and cheaper.
Designers need rules
NASA’s graphic standardization manual has become an object of cult. With a simple and objective language, it managed to show how a design project can be complex, innovative, intelligent, and accessible. A true graphic design lesson for the curious. Furthermore, what could be cooler than a logo on rockets, jet engines, and astronauts?
This recognition made it possible for it to be reprinted a few years ago through a crowdfunding campaign that raised almost a million dollars. For a technical document from a government agency, we realize that this brand has built a lot of value over the decades, effectively capturing pop culture and the imagination of generations.
Revealing the nuances behind such success, what planning was done to achieve such consistency, is one of the reasons why content analyzing music, movies, books, is successful on the internet. And this manual fulfills that role, revealing the secret and dissecting the project.
A great step for humanity
“Design students in those days felt that they were enlisting in this great cause which was to modernize the world” — Michael Bierut
Design students at that time were committed to moving the world forward, in a more optimistic second half of the 20th century, heading towards the 21st century.
Meanwhile, ordinary people often reacted to the logo by wondering, “where is the crossbar of the letter A?” without necessarily realizing that such an ingenuous approach aims to refer to the rocket’s nose, for instance. It’s modern, with a single elegant and smooth stroke.
This ingenuity is an incredible characteristic: even a child can redraw it. And this is already sparking the imagination of the next generation, the children of those who watched the space race, introducing this excitement to children. It is something that creates a lot of salience due to its simplicity and audacity. It is very visible and dramatic.
In the design world, some say a logo is well done when it can be seen from kilometers away. Naturally, most logos don’t need to be legible from kilometers away… except for NASA’s. That one indeed needs to be.
Pop culture
Space exploration is an old and important theme in pop culture, envisioned in movies, series, songs, books, and in the last decade, perhaps due to technological advancements and the internet, being a “space nerd” has become cool (Greetings, astronomy enthusiasts worldwide!).
There is now a much more open effort on the part of NASA to collaborate with artists to spread the importance of the agency and space exploration as a whole, to sow the interest in space exploration in this new generation, and above all, to keep this topic alive. For example, when the Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021, artist Yungblud performed David Bowie’s hit, “Life on Mars,” live on NASA TV.
In 2018, fashion designer Heron Preston collaborated with NASA to commemorate the agency’s 60 years through a streetwear collection. Balenciaga itself had already launched products inspired by NASA, displaying the Worm — but it’s not about elitism: items featuring the Worm could also be found at Target or Walmart.
NASA does not license the logo but requires approval for its use in artistic productions to ensure correct usage aligned with the agency’s goal of popularizing and spreading culture and learning about space exploration.
See for yourself
The graphic standards manual for the “Worm” brand is available for reference here. It’s truly an excellent reference material for today’s designers, revealing that a consistent project can become timeless.
Here you’ll also find the official NASA brand guidelines page, with the application rules for both logos, Worm and Meatball, with a contemporary look.
You can also watch the complete video here and follow the discussion with important figures in this story.
