Written by TJ Laggis, Photos by Tucker Hemphill
For years, social media posts and travel blogs have inspired tourists to journey, across the U.S., to marvel at the natural wonders of the National Parks. However, in the advancements of a digitally oriented world, more traditional forms of media are disappearing and, with it, the legacy of the U.S. National Park Service.
In the newly announced book, titled “Parks,” [set to be released in March 2020] the Standards Manual seeks to recover and redeem the work of designers, that initially attracted thousands of people to explore the American wilderness, before the invention of the internet.
Since its creation, the NPS has hired talented artists to create ad campaigns, brochures, maps and mementos to draw visitors to the parks, each year. As time has progressed into a digital era, many of these National Park souvenirs have been long forgotten in the corners of dusty attics or basement storage.
The co-founders of the Standards Manual, Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth, noticed these historical treasures disappearing and decided to track them down.
“Our goal is to preserve graphic design history and we’re trying to do the best job that we can to do that,” Reed said, in an interview with Quartzy.
The result was the book, “Parks”: a detailed chronicle that charts and celebrates the history of the National Parks Service, through the decades of graphic design, from 1872 into the 1970s.
Their mission and efforts to revive the legacy of the National Parks, through graphic design, raises a question among the next generation of artists: is it important to reflect on the history of design?
“Looking back on previous design and art, in any field, is just as important as moving forward,” said Nick Thomsen, a third-year photography student. “Seeing a book like this [Parks], that is holding all this information about past design, allows us to reflect and create accordingly.”
Standards Manual is an independent publishing imprint, based out of New York City. Their extensive collection of published works all center around the one goal of archiving and preserving artifacts of design history. Standards Manual’s pursuit is praised and appreciated by many young artists, who are beginning to step into their desired fields.
“It’s definitely important to look at the history of graphic design, or any design for that matter. Understanding the roots of graphic design and seeing what worked back in the day is vital to progressing, as a designer. Inspiration is key,” said Luke Wittman, a third-year graphic design student.
In compiling and creating books that champion the decades of design, Standards Manual’s business model also produces another question many artists wrestle with today. In a tech-dominated culture is it still important to design for tangible items like books, posters or prints?
“It’s still, if not more, important to design physical, tangible items. Holding a beautifully designed and illustrated map beats staring at your phone, any day,” Wittman said. “It’s something that you can keep and cherish.”
“I believe creating for tangible items is one of the most rewarding things an artist or designer can do,” Thomsen said. “With all the digital noise we see every day, to get a print version of something that completely diverts our attention, and enables more than one sense, is an incredible experience.”
Standards Manual’s vision doesn’t praise one form of creative expression over another. Its takes great pride in its carefully composed visual anthologies but it also fully embraces its digital presence, via its curated website. This all-inclusive duality [when it comes to art] is a perspective at the forefront of modern, progressive artists. In having a balance, Thomsen sees the ability to reach a broader consumer base.
“Seeing it in both spaces can be beneficial, as well. I think creating something digital forces the artist to think more of the audience, and creating something physical, like a book, naturally lends itself to display its craftsmanship,” Thomsen said.
The work is never done at Standards Manual. It is constantly unearthing the mysterious, and often hidden, pastime of design in a wide array of fields and practices. From National Parks to NASA to the New York Subways, Standards Manual is looking everywhere to find design in disguise and share it with the world.
For more on “Parks” visit Standards Manual’s website.
