Charles Rubinoff | Design + Marketing

You are viewing a single post

The Design of Politics

date:May 6, 2008

category: design

posted by: Charles

Let’s say you want to try your hand at the presidency. This election year is pretty well developed, so you shoot for 2012. You’ve collected the requisite thousands of signatures to put your name in the hat, somehow gained national prominence, and have a money tree waiting to be harvested. Great. Now before you bother yourself with defining policy stances and such, you’ve got to make some snazzy campaign signs. Alright, mix together some red, white, blue, maybe some stars and your name in a traditional typeface and you’re set, right? Well, actually….that usually is the case.

Until then, let’s take a look at the visual identity this year’s candidates are running, focusing on the logos. The magic campign logo formula above still applies, but even within those traditions, there is considerable room for expression. In such a tight race, even issues of design and typography are brought to discussion. When fonts can be considered the clothes words wear, what are these candidates messages wearing, and what does it say? This is not meant to be an endorsement of any particular candidate. This is simply a critique of the graphic design sported by the three presidential-hopefuls in the running as of this writing. I will be concentrating on the logo’s typography, imagery, and connection to the candidate.

Hillary Clinton

Typography

The choice for type on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign logo can be described as safe.

The typeface in use here is a twist on the transitional-serif classic Baskerville called simply New Baskerville. This version was created in 1930 and has been a favorite of publishers for years. It’s interesting that to note that only Clinton is using a serif choice as her campaign’s primary typeface. It may be all in the details.

British psychologist Dr. Aric Sigman wrote in his 2001 study “The Psychology of Fonts” that those little flourishes on serif typefaces “conjure images of trustworthiness”. Clinton also is using title-case format with her logo. In addition to increasing readability (albeit a negligible amount in this display use), I believe it lends an aura of gentle approachability and friendliness that all caps might not allow.

The sans-serifed website URL seems like an afterthought slapped on to the campaign sign. In an election where a candidates web presence is more important than ever (especially regarding donations), this line should have been given due stylistic treatment.

Imagery

A mini flag banner. Really? Once again, safe. I should add, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with playing it safe, I suppose I was just hoping to see something a bit more refreshing. While conspiracy-theorists may posit that the three stars are symbolic of a desired third Clinton term, I think that choice is more a matter of practicality than anything else. It’s a limited space, and three stars fill it nicely. The banner serves to underline the Clinton name and, perhaps more subtly, associate it with classic patriotism. The choice of background blue reinforces this idea.

Connection

In a campaign that’s been plagued with voter doubt on her honesty, those little serif curls-o-credibility are more than welcome. Clinton touts a theme of experience, and the familiar, old-style of New Baskerville serves quietly to reinforce that image

John McCain

Typography

McCain’s campaign designers took the classic, and centrist road with the use of the typeface Optima.

Optima was designed in the 1950s by Hermann Zapf, who coincidentally also served as a prisoner of war. It reflects classical Roman letterform appeal, while keeping the sans-serif modern appeal. Little flares at the ends of letters in this typeface hint at serifs and give it a slightly quirky feeling. Optima was used in the incision of names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

Imagery

If you got a military-vibe from the star logomark, it’s working. The nautical star with the gold wings/stripes evokes a sense of class and refinement the campaign hopes will match up to McCain’s commendable service record. It’s simple, yet sophisticated. I like the navy blue used, it compliments the layout well.

Although blue is used in the image above, many of MccCain’s graphics use a black background. This is a depature from traditional campaign desigin. It may register as too dark to some, despite its intention of neutral elegance.

Connection

While the logotype and logomark each have their merits, I feel like the overall design is somewhat lacking for a modern presidential campaign. It’s not a horrible design, it’s just somewhat bland. However, if the designers were aiming for adequacy, they succeeded. If they sought a logo that leaves the voter with a positive feeling and gives the McCain brand a breath of fresh air, there remains work do be done. The Optima selection is simply too dull for my taste. I think there could have been a more engaging typeface with either a bold modern sans-serif type, possibly even venturing into slab-serifs with caution. That this logo is not a great departure from established political design may be in tune wtih charges that McCain offers “more of the same.”

Barack Obama

Typography

The typeface used for “Obama ‘08″ appears to be Perpetua. This humanist serif is Eric Gill’s most popular Roman font and debuted around 1930. Though not revolutionary, I appreciate it for it’s sharpness and distinguished manner. The real typographical story of the Obama campaign is the use of the typeface Gotham. If you’ve seen his “Change We Can Believe In” signage, or most any other collateral, you’ve seen Gotham. It’s a geometic-based sans-serif typeface created by Tobias Frere-Jones in 2000. It has the sensibilities of Helvetica, but is distinctly American. This video shows the creator explaining the development of Gotham.

Imagery

The Obama logomark is the most conceptual political design I’ve seen yet. The one above is the solid color version, the gradient version is also seen readily. Alice Rawsthorn notes: Now the symbol. It’s a sunrise, with the red stripes of the U.S. flag at the base. “David Axelrod wanted an iconic mark that communicated hope, change and the dawn of a new era of political leadership,” explained Steve Juras, creative director of mo/de, which developed the original identity with the fellow Chicago design consultancy Sender LLC before handing it over to Obama’s internal design team. The sun rising at the start of a new day was an obvious choice for a candidate campaigning for “Change We Can Believe In.” That about sums it up.

The traditional colors work well for the logo. The dominance of blue is reassuringly soothing to those unaccustomed to such a relatively radical logo. I like the use of different shades of blue.

Connection

To create a consistent, memorable identity system is in itself a feat, and especially for a presidential candidate. To have that same consistency span the nation, as well as informational mediums, from prepared speeches online graphics to rallies is a remarkable achievement. The Obama design team have elevated political campaign design to new heights, now even rivaling commercial graphic design. What’s best is that the message suits the candidate well. His message of change is reflected in his refreshing logo and collateral appearances. His brand identity has been established and has resonated well.

__________

That about wraps it up as far as my look at the three candidate’s primary logo design. I realize I’ve given the Obama team a glowing review, but I think it’s well-deserved. Overall, in my limited time following politics (the past decade), I’ve seen political graphics progress and look forward to what the 2012 election year will bring. Politics can be an exciting topic, and the graphic design of politics can help put a style on that excitement.

In a future blog, I’ll take a look at the websites of the remaining candidates to analyze not only their design and brand consistency, but also look at the technical side of things with usability and features. As internet usage grows and politicians are realizing that their message must not only be transmitted clearly in print, but also in new forms of media.