Would you buy a manual regarding the NASA logo shown above? It appears many will based on a recent Kickstarter campaign, which collected approximately $636,000 as of earlier today. That is pretty good given the goal of the campaign was to collect only $158,000.
For your $79 contribution you get a copy of the original manual for a logo that lasted from 1974 to 1992. And why is this so important to the thousands of donors? The site tries to explain it:
As design nerds, we think the Worm is almost perfect, and the system behind it is a wonderful example of modernist design and thinking.
But for everyone, we think the Worm and its design system represent an agency whose goal is to explore space and push the boundaries of science. Where the Meatball feels cartoon-like and old fashioned; the worm feels sleek, futuristic, forward-thinking. All good things for a space agency at the bleeding-edge of science and exploration.
We think this manual and others like it—regardless of the organization—are a beautiful example of rational, systematic design. The NASA manual is one of those examples that sets the standard for design excellence—a document well worth preserving for the future as a learning tool, a gorgeous object, and a moment in design history.I guess there is something for everyone. I have no problem with the current "meatball" NASA logo, but tastes will differ. By the way, who is pushing the meatball manual?
Update: NASA has decided to issue the worm manual for free as a pdf file. I wonder how the thousands that paid $79 per copy feel about that.
Image Credit: The patch is from p. 9.2 of the manual.
