NPR’s Studio 360 is a weekly radio show with an eclectic approach to examining the arts and popular culture.
The show has a series on rethinking icons for the 21st century. They recently asked my design professor, Kate Bingaman-Burt, to be a part of their upcoming show redesigning July 4th, specifically redesigning Uncle Sam for the 21st century. Kate opened up the opportunity to several of her design students, myself included.
My investigations into the visual identity of America yielded more questions than answers. I struggled to reach any conclusions on how we might reduce the personification of our enormously diverse citizenship to one image.
To attempt to personify America through one personality ignores the multitude of perspectives present in our diverse culture. To redesign an antiquated image of our country is to remain rooted in traditions and struggles of the past. We need to define a new patriotism. We need to look forward.
Kid America is bursting with potential. Kid America looks toward the future with hope, with optimism, with an unrelenting determination to make things better. Kind-hearted, headstrong, full of good intentions, naive, fearless, makes bad decisions sometimes, willing to risk scraped-up knees to climb to the tip-top of the highest tree: the demeanor and outlook of a child propels us fearlessly into what lies ahead.
You can see all of our work on Kate’s flickr group.
I received the honor of runner-up in the design challenge! See my submission, along with the true blue winner here.
