Origins of the Archaeopteryx
An Interview with Arc'teryx Logo Designer, Michael Hofler
The Outdoor Recreation Archive is the hub for the history of the outdoor industry. We preserve catalogs, magazines, documents, photos, and more from brands, gear innovators, and enthusiasts. This newsletter is a glimpse into our collections and the stories we find. Pull up a chair and flip through the pages of the archive with us.
A Conversation with Michael Hofler
The people behind the iconic logos we see on jackets, billboards, and on our screens are becoming more well-known. Whether it’s the creator of the Swoosh, Carolyn Davidson, The North Face logo designer, David Alcorn, or Hofler, known for his skeletal design with Arc’teryx, these iconic marks were made by humans, and people are becoming more aware of them. We caught up with Michael on the History of Gear podcast to talk about his work.
While working at a design firm in Vancouver, BC, Hofler had the chance to work with the technical apparel/fashion powerhouse when they were making equipment for climbers. The brief for the design, which included conversations about the origins of flight and the fossil of the archaeopteryx (what is commonly accepted as the oldest-known bird) didn’t include mention of the need for the mark to live on Gore-tex outerwear or any apparel for that matter, since clothing was still a few years off for the brand.
It wasn’t until 10 years later that Hofler saw his design in the wild being used on an Arc’teryx jacket that he knew his design had been implemented.
Logos like the Arc’teryx bird challenge minimalism and the recent push to simplify logos and branding. Hofler’s edgier design, as he admits, can cause challenges when used in various applications, but that uniqueness is ultimately worth it.
The simplification of many fashion brand marks, the controversy around the Jaguar rebrand, are just some examples of logos moving from complex to simple.
Other brands are embracing or reintroducing classic marks, including the Burberry knight.
For more on our conversation with Michael Hofler, listen to the whole episode on the History of Gear. Below are some of our favorite uses of the Arc’teryx logo in our catalog collection here at Utah State University.
Outside Archives
Thanks to some new friends, we recently received a major collection, a near-complete collection of Outside Magazine and its precursor, Mariah. We can’t wait to dig deeper into this iconic publication. The donation even included some interviews with the founder and many of the early employees of the magazine!
Thanks to Nick Heil for delivering, to Alex Heard for coordinating, and to anyone who contributed materials to this amazing and important collection!
Press Corner
Honored to have our book, The Outdoor Archive, reviewed by Creative Review. Thanks for the kind words and for highlighting our work! If you haven’t picked up a copy, you can order here! US | Canada | International | Amazon
Thanks for reading! The archive is a collaboration between Special Collections & Archives at Utah State University and Outdoor Product Design & Development (@usuoutdoorproduct). It currently houses over 15k catalogs and magazines from 1000 brands with a growing manuscript and photo collection from outdoor brands and gear pioneers.
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This is incredibly well done 🙌💪