1967 | A Modern Identity Takes Form in Ancient Lettering

The New York Times has begun testing a new home screen design on a small sample of its audience. The goal is to “gather feedback from both the newsroom and readers while making further adjustments,” the staff was told in a memo this week.

One element will not be adjusted: the nameplate that has come to be the visual synonym of The Times. It was most recently redrawn in 1967 by the designer Edward Benguiat, working with Louis Silverstein, who was then the promotion director of The Times. (Mr. Silverstein would later become an assistant managing editor.)

The letterforms on which the nameplate is based, known as blackletter or Gothic, can be traced to the late 700s, long before Gutenberg ever put ink to type.

“We pride ourselves in preserving long held values while continually adapting to new technologies and media consumption behavior,” Tom Bodkin, the creative director of The Times, said this week. “We feel the nameplate continues to be a highly effective signifier for our company.”

“It is a highly recognizable representation of our brand,” he said. “While it has been transformed over the years into a cleaner, more modern presentation, it references a long and distinguished history.”