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The US government announced the new passport like it was an iPhone. They had the huge screen on stage and the wood paneling… even those super close-up product shots they animate for big reveals.
Funny enough, OpenAI also had an event the same day and also used a bunch of wood paneling against a giant screen.
But the big reveal back in DC was mostly about America.gov . The US governments new service to search across all 29,000 government websites. And it also matches the design choices of Silicon Vally with serif fonts and warm tones.
But the public perception of tech has changed in recent years, and this style making its way all the way to the government sector tells me it’s on its way out. Although it was originally leaning into familiar and relaxing, if all the companies behind these brands don’t match that vibe, then the aesthetic drifts its association. I wonder what’s next.
#branding #uidesign #designtrends
Transcript
Long will Trump be on the passport? Will the review process actually have this crazy animation? Are border agents gonna be mad at everyone when they bend their passports to see the flip good? I've got design questions. They introduced a new design with these red, white, and blue illustrations of American history on each page. And during the reveal, they flipped through them with these subtle, snappy animations, but they didn't highlight that little Trump detail. They just flashed it up in little top corner. It was all announced this big tech inspired keynote complete with super close-up product shots as if the new passport were like a new iPhone launch. And they had this huge screen on stage and the wood paneling. It actually looks just like the OpenAI event that was held on the same day. They also showcased the government's prescription website and this new chatbot, america.gov. You're greeted up top with a hello best like Apple, Google, and Claude. They're using a serif typeface like every other tech brand and this warm off white background. The US looks like an AI company. You're meant to use this to search across all 29,000 US Government websites, everything from Medicare to joining the military. Dude, is your kid okay? We're at a weird point. When they were starting off, big AI companies chose serif fonts and warm colors to feel more human. But since then, they ballooned into these gigantic corporate entities that are, like, impacting international policy under more scrutiny than ever before. So when you combine that with the government hopping on board to the aesthetic, the entire vibe of the look changes. So where does design go from here?
