Bruce Blackburn, Designer of Ubiquitous NASA Logo, Dies at 82

A bit of sad NASA-related news today, too:

Bruce Blackburn, a graphic designer whose modern and minimalist
logos became ingrained in the nation’s consciousness, including
the four bold red letters for NASA known as the “worm” and the
1976 American Revolution Bicentennial star, died on Feb. 1 in
Arvada, Colo., near Denver. He was 82. […]

In a design career of more than 40 years, Mr. Blackburn developed
brand imagery for clients like IBM, Mobil and the Museum of Modern
Art. But he is best known for the NASA worm, which has become
synonymous with space exploration and the concept of the
technological future itself.

I’m glad he lived long enough to see NASA re-embrace his wonderful logo. It’s such a perfect mark — one that will always feel like a symbol of the future.