Burkey Belser was a graphic designer best known as the creator of the Nutrition Facts label mandated by the FDA, which adorns most food sold in the United States.
- Died: September 25, 2023 (Who else died on September 25?)
- Details of death: Died in Bethesda, Maryland, of bladder cancer at the age of 76.
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Burkey Belser’s legacy
Belser took drawing classes at the University of South Carolina when he was just eight years old. He spent much of his childhood making illustrations, but he eventually majored in English with a minor in art when he attended Davidson College in North Carolina. He briefly worked for the French magazine Avant Garde, then moved to the design studio the Righteous Apple in Washington, D.C., before starting his own firm.
As an independent designer, Belser won a Gold Award at the Art Directors Club of Washington, D.C., for the 18th century styled brochure he designed for the law firm McGuire Woods & Battle. His work helped change the way law firms presented and marketed themselves. Belser was also asked to design EnergyGuide labels for appliances sold in the U.S. Based on that success, he was drafted to create the now ubiquitous Nutrition Facts label found on all food sold in the U.S., a design that is now used across the world. This was quickly followed by the Drug Facts label, also in wide use.
When not creating, Belser wrote about design principles in such books as “25 Years of Legal Branding” and “Best of Corporate Identity Design.” He won a Presidential Design Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington, an American Graphic Design Award, and honors from American Corporate Identity, Creativity magazine, the International Engraved Graphics Association, the Society for Marketing Professional Services, the Webby Awards, and many others.
Notable quote
“My staff tells me I’m worse than any client in my demands for great work. But I know that our next job depends on the one we just finished.”—from an interview with Society 54
Tributes to Burkey Belser
Full obituary: The Washington Post
