A New Look for the US Postal Service

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The United States Postal Service’s financial woes are well-documented and its relevancy often questioned. To turn that negative image around, the USPS turned to New York’s GrandArmy creative agency for help in modernizing their image. The agency worked to bring packaging, signage, and the USPS retail store experience up-to-date.

GrandArmy created a unified look to the in-store experience—from way-finding to kiosks to product and service signage. The combination of the Gothic and Knockout typefaces with the patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme creates a cohesive and sophisticated look. Borders of blue or red are used to distinguish between the different levels of mail services offered.

Shipping package design—which went through a rebrand just last year—has been further de-cluttered and takes clear advantage of all the whitespace a large packing box has to offer. The USPS mobile app underwent a similar face-lift, further unifying the look of the shopping experience, whether online or in person.

It remains to be seen if this visual overhaul will help keep this venerable institution relevant and modern. If snow, rain, and the gloom of night can’t “stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” let’s hope the insatiable need for faster communication won’t either.

Erica Gamet has been involved in the graphics industry for over 35 years. She is a speaker, writer, trainer, and content creator focusing on Adobe InDesign, Apple Keynote, and varied production topics. She is a regular presenter at CreativePro Week, regular contributor to CreativePro Magazine, and has spoken at Canada’s ebookcraft, Adobe MAX, and Making Design in Oslo, Norway. Find Erica online at the CreativePro YouTube channel, CreativeLive.com and through her own YouTube channel. When she isn’t at her computer she’s probably daydreaming about travel or living in a Nordic noir landscape.

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  • tim musial says:

    The USPS financial woes are not a result of its business model or how it does its business. They we harpooned by Congress and the ties it has to big contributors UPS and FedEX. Rules in place for the USPS to fund its pension program to exorbitant lengths and other measures designed to weaken the srevice while at the same time give commercial shippers, er, lobbyists, advantages are the hurdles that the USPS continues to fight against. This rebrand is a great step to get the look of the USPS more relevant. But they continue to be at a disadvantage as long as Congress and their commercial shipper bedfellows continue to dictate rules and measures that are meant to cripple it.

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