July 26, 2011
Welcome to the Department of Innovation
The Department of Innovation logo by Jamie Simon
Editor’s note, August 19, 2011: Read about our new name and logo here.
Seems a long time ago, but it was only back in January when Barack Obama told us that America had reached a “Sputnik moment.” He was referring to the competition with China to be the Big Dog of the 21st century global economy, but the subtext was that the country needs an attitude adjustment, that we need to start channeling Silicon Valley, a place where people may pledge to “Do no evil” but the true religion is innovation.
It made for one fine sound bite. But it hasn’t exactly inspired a bunch of innovation rallies and bake sales. So in the spirit of banging the drum for new ideas and fresh thinking, this blog will track all things innovative, not just in science and technology, but also in how we live, how we learn, how we entertain ourselves.
The Department of Innovation is about people and ideas that likely will shape the way we will live one day. Don’t hesitate to send in suggestions of subjects we should cover.
You can learn more about me on our About page.
Ed. note — Thank you to everyone for your comments about our logo. We have since shifted the gears and switched in a new logo.
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[...] has launched a new blog called Department of Innovation to track “all things innovative, not just in science and technology but how we live, how we [...]
For insight watch BBS’s “Yes, Minister” series
(That should read: BBC’s. Apologies.)
Your logo needs serious innovation. Three gears meshed together will not turn. Even a grade school student knows this.
Forget the logo, how about the Orwellian sounding name?
[...] Dept. of Innovation [...]
[...] has launched a new blog called Department of Innovation to track “all things innovative, not just in science and technology but how we live, how we [...]
Ah…let’s decree innovation into existence.
Kudos to Kevin and others for their observations on the total dysfunction of this design hopefully the designer will realize this mistake. Others are noticing this as well.
In plan view the gears are interlocked. The pitch isn’t even correct so the removal of one gear would not solve the problem.
Based on the logo, I would have to say this department will have no “teeth”. Let’s hope it won’t “grind” to a halt. But I certainly wish it success! There are a lot of people who have, and who will, come up with the ideas that drive the future- and they will need to be recognized!
Gridlock/gearlock.
Sure fits the current state of affairs…
About those “interlocking” gears… didn’t Sputnik teach us to think in more than two dimensions?
Quick fix! Now if only Washington could fix it’s gridlock as fast…
It looks like they have “solved” the locking gears issue as of this post. Someone has increased the tooth gap between the right and lower gear, undoubtedly because of the criticism. See Michelle Malkin’s link for the original logo. Now THAT is just typical cover up. What they should have done is openly admitted it was not the best design, then put it out there as a contest to the private sector to come up a worthy design!
They’ve modified the logo slightly, haven’t they?
I also love the innovative use of 19th century technology in the logo.
Don’t blame the logo designer too much: think of all the people who had to sign off on the logo before it could be approved. How many committees, and how many management/supervisory types didn’t catch the problem?
Systemic fail.
We see what you did there, Smithsonian.
Too bad Adobe Photoshop can’t fix the rest of the Federal Government, though.
Thanks for the suggestions on the logo. It’s good to see so
many people paying that kind of attention to detail. And you’re right about bureaucracy not fostering innovation. The title isn’t meant to be taken literally.
Marc M makes a good point. The logo had to be approved by a bunch of other people before it could be accepted. But the designer should have done accurate research first. It’s a fairly balanced system of blame.
Meshing gears as a symbol of innovation? How about something more modern, say a steam engine?
The Department of Redundancy Department signed off earlier today, in duplicate, with carbons to file, on the request to modify an approved departmental graphic display; to wit, a logo.
This request was requested to allow the modification, designated as a correction as in Subpart 496730(a)7, as distinguished from a major modification as per Subpart 496648457(b)666 which was approved in record time, thereby setting a record. We do keep records on records in order to establish better recordkeeping of our records. Thank you for calling this to our attention, thank you.
Sincerely,
Assistant Deputy to the Deputy Assistant of Recordkeeping Records and Modified Modifications
The Department of Redundancy Department
Washington, DC, in the Nation’s Capital
[...] Source: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/ideas/2011/07/welcome-to-the-department-of-innovation/ [...]
Nothing says “Information Age” like mechanical gears. Babbage would be proud.
This blog has been bookmarked, because even though the name is rather orwellian-sounding, and the logo makes my inner engineer’s eyes hurt, it is an interesting sounding concept, and the posts so far make me believe that the writer is much more competent than the graphic designer. Kudos!
@Marc M (#70) — best comment by far
The logo, even after being fixed, is still incorrect from an engineering standpoint. The teeth will not line up; the gears will not move each other.
To echo previous comments, aren’t gears a bit dated and non-innovative anyway? Why not MagLev or Rail-gun technology as a metaphor?
Also, by the way, I think it’s hilarious how the first nine or so comments are so praiseworthy. The bloggers friends, eh? A little transparent, made all the more obvious by the 60+ negative comments that follow.
But, again, I think it’s perfect. Government cannot influence innovation; innovation comes from individuals. Edison invented the light bulb. The government can’t even balance its checkbook.
ACTUALLY…if you look close, you see gear on the right and the gear on the bottom cannot meet…therefore THIS CAN TURN.
Our country’s problem: jumping to conclusions (all three gears meet) before closer inspection of issues?
To all you folks who claim to be engineers in respect to the first logo drawing – you all made the ASSUMPTION from a 2D rendering that the gears were all on the same plane and not located at different heights. Perhaps one was not engaged full-time and its sole purpose when engaged was to lock the other two gears in place? Learn to think outside the box before you criticize! Keep up the good work Randy, I look forward to reading your blog!
Even the new logo will not work…the smaller gear on the bottom does not have the proper distance between the teeth as related to the larger gear. The teeth will sheer off! Seriously, while the designer created an eye catching logo, if you are going to be in the Dept. of Innovation then do something that a) is innovative and b) works!
I really hope the US does something to get back on track. I believe that we as a nation are great innovators. Maybe Innovation is the very thing to save us! I just hope that the government doesn’t start a Department of Innovation… if it does it will probably end up like the Department of Education (wasting a ton of money and destroying the very thing it was meant to help).
[...] has fixed the logo of its new blog called Department of Innovation, which I (and many others) ridiculed. The graphics designer pulling two of the gears apart so the [...]
Well, the logo embarrassment is enough, and the fact that ‘innovation’ is represented by 3rd century gears is appropo, so not much else left to say. Well, there is one thing. The fancy innovative Prius with self-drive technology is illegal to operate on public streets in all 50 states.
When we run completely out of money(and we will, make no mistake about it), some idiot will disclaim ‘but, but, but it is the dept of INNOVATION!’ how did we ever live without it before 2011? Oh the huge manatee!
Two things. Again, there is no Department of Innovation. It’s simply the name of the blog, with irony intended. Second, in June Nevada passed a law allowing the driverless car on public streets.
Great site. Would like to see what kind of education, careers etc. would be needed in the near future.
Probably, we can see now that the true religion is innovation. It’s so good to know that there is someone ready to lead the change.