National Park Service is an American governmental establishment, which specializes in the preservation of national lands and memorials. The NPS was formed in 1916 as a branch of the Department of Interior.
The National Park Service’s visual identity is ornate and impressive. The badge has a configuration and texture of an ancient arrowhead, made of Stone. The brown-green and white color palette of the NPS logo is a celebration of nature and its beauty.
The emblem depicts a mountain with a snow peak, a river or a lake, a big green sequoia, and a bison under it.
The original logo of the National Park Service was introduced in 1951 and featured a crest, drawn as a stone arrowhead, with the double contours, and the monochromatic color palette. The crest boasted a beautiful landscape with the mountain, and a bold black tree, accompanied by a contoured image of a bison with the two-leveled “Department of the Interior” inscription above it.
The redesign of 1952 has strengthened up the lines of the logo, making both inscription on the badge bolder and more stable, and creating a more ornate frame for the arrowhead, adding some small thin lines to the contours, which made it look more voluminous.
In 1968 the National Park Service badge was changed again, with the additional lettering being completely removed from the composition, and the image part gaining dark gradient shades, creating a more detailed and realistic landscape, but keeping the white bison flat and minimalistic.
All components of the insignia illustrate the main elements of nature and its system. The tree and an animal reflect flora and fauna in its wilderness, while the landscape stands for recreational activities, and the arrowhead-background itself is a celebration of history and archeology.
The National Park Service inscription in white is located above the mountain and executed in all capital letters sans-serif typeface. It is simple and neat and doesn’t overload the badge.
The National Park Service logo is authentic and unique, it is full of details and meanings, which shows the fundamental approach of the organization and its main values and policies.