Creating the National Park Service Visual Identity

Join us for a presentation followed by a live discussion and your chance to ask questions to our expert panel.

The arrowhead, the flat-brimmed hat, and certain architectural styles carried the day for the National Park Service (NPS) visual identity for many years. See how this early identity grew during the 20th century. Witness the beginnings of the now-iconic black banner and park sign system and how they are used today. What other visual clues tell visitors they are in a National Park unit?

Explore these questions and ask your own during this presentation about the advantages and challenges of transforming a visual identity into a strong, holistic brand. It’s one of the many communications projects that the Harpers Ferry Center for Media Services is developing to help connect people with the National Park Service and its public treasures in the 21st century.

About the presenter:

Greg Aylsworth is a designer at the NPS’ Harpers Ferry Center and a member of the NPS Brand Management Team and Arrowhead Committee. He has over 25 years of communications experience with a specialization in brand identity strategy and design. Prior to joining NPS, he was founder and principal creative of the consultancy, Octoblend, and also served as senior designer and a brand leader for The Ohio State University Department of Athletics.

About the panelists:

Phil Musselwhite
Phil Musselwhite retired from the NPS in 2017, after serving 43 years in various capacities at HFC. He began as a staff designer in Publications and later moved to Exhibits where he eventually became Assistant Division Chief. Later he served as Chief of the Division of Wayside Exhibits, and creator and founding manager of the NPS Sign Program and the Office of NPS Identity. Phil is the father of four children and currently lives in North Carolina with his wife Dasha and son Max.

Betsy Ehrlich
Betsy Ehrlich recently moved into the role of Publications Production Manager at HFC. She has also served in a variety of other roles at HFC; designer for publications, exhibits, and waysides; and as an instructor for several courses in NPS publications and interpretive media. In each of these roles, she has been involved with the development and implementation of NPS identity.

About the Moderator:

Brendan Bray
Brendan Bray is the Director of the National Park Service's Harpers Ferry Center for Media Services (HFC), which is committed to enhancing the visitor experience in national parks through the use of relevant, compelling media. Prior to his arrival at the NPS in 2018, Brendan served as Chief Operating Officer for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at NOAA, served as Chief of Staff for NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, and was a member of the U.S. government's scientific support team during emergency response and natural resource damage assessment phases of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

For any additional questions, reach out to npsbrand@nps.gov

Видео Creating the National Park Service Visual Identity канала Harpers Ferry Center NPS