Though they did not achieve much commercial recognition during their main recording career, their work later influenced bands including Stereolab, Cornelius, Pizzicato Five, Beck and The High Llamas.

Their trademark sound involved complex harmonies, jazz-like chord progressions and off-beat time signatures, due to the classical training by Chris.

Bruce Dedrick produced the 1969 single "You're Never Gonna Find Another Love", a Mickey Nicotra composition for The Sermon,[1] which became a hit for the group.

Chris, Sandy and Ellen became the core members of The Star-Scape Singers in 1976, a classical vocal ensemble led by Dr. Kenneth G. Mills.

In 2000 the band re-grouped, after a nearly 30-year retirement, to record the song "Endless Harmony" on the Beach Boys tribute album Caroline Now!

In 2005, the label put out The Now Sound Redesigned, an album of Free Design remixes from established acts like Stereolab, Super Furry Animals and Peanut Butter Wolf.

[6][7] According to a message posted on his official site by his wife Moira, Dedrick died “after a week of increasing radiance, yet with rapid physical decline.”[8] On December 19, 2023, a new version of "Shepherds and Wisemen" was released with a 1968 vocal married to a new backing track produced by Fernando Perdomo with horns by Probyn Gregory of Brian Wilson Band.

The song is also the basis of the 2007 episode "I Love You" of the animated web series Julius and Friends, by Paul Frank Industries.

[9] "Love You" has been featured in TV commercials for Peters Drumstick ice creams in Australia (2007),[10] Freia Smil chocolate in Norway (2008),[11] mobile network operator Cosmote in Greece (2009), Toyota internationally (2009–2010),[12] DC Shoes (2010),[13] Delta Air Lines (2015),[14] Zillow (2022)[15] in the United States, and Canadian financial services company Tangerine in 2023.

It was also parodied in the Hulu Revival of Pinky and the Brain on Animaniacs "Kites are Fun" reached minor traction on TikTok in April and May 2020, and its sound was even used by singer-rapper Doja Cat.

The Free Design song "Bubbles" was covered by Dressy Bessy on the 2000 The Powerpuff Girls soundtrack, and performed live by LA power-pop band Wondermints in the late 1990s.