The Worm was born, a decision prompted by the 1972 launch of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Federal Design Improvement Program that aimed to improve visual standards across government agencies. Danne & Blackburn’s “cleaner, sleeker” design system—complete with a full Graphics Standards Manual—aimed to make the agency’s logo more universal and versatile. The Meatball was not retired with the introduction of The Worm, but appeared in more limited contexts. Although the “simplistic, yet innovative design” of The Worm logo was initially a hit... affection for the logo had soured less than a decade later. At the suggestion of Langley...
