STAR Logo

STAR logo

Creating the logo for Space-Time Adventures at RIT (STAR) started with brainstorming and sketches everywhere—on notes, on scratch paper, and even on coffee cup sleeves. I wanted a logo that was simple, distinctive, versatile, and reminiscent of other sci-fi logos. Friends and I kept coming back to the idea of letters connected by a line, which is seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tron, and, of course, Star Wars.

Various sketches show brainstormed STAR logos with shooting stars, different ways of the letters being connected, and reference to sci-fi logos and alien icons, such as the Star Trek: The Next Generation logo and Reddit icon. Various sketches show further iterations on the STAR logo, including ones where parts of the word are incorporated into a circle, star, or other shape. A draft uses a pattern of congruent circles to define the curves and sizes of letters in the logo.

Over time, I simplified the concept down to a very simple, geometric version made entirely out of line segments and quarter circles. Variants involving a star or other shape connected to the “R” were dropped in favor of having lines extend horizontally from both ends of the logo, allowing it to span the width of a document, sit on a box border, or connect to another word (as in the STARfest logo). I also wrote a style guide on use of the STAR logo in advertising materials to ensure consistent branding while still allowing for variety in PR materials.

A header image has the STAR logo in black with glowing edges against a space background. The header of the STAR website has the line on the right of the STAR logo extended across the page to form part of the LCARS-inspired interface. A poster has the STAR logo on blueprint paper with congruent circles overlaid on the curves of the S and R and in the bottom half of the A. A heading has the STAR logo made out of brass. The lines on the end bend at right angles to form a box around the main content.

Posted with permission from the STAR Bridge Crew.