AIT Logo
My goal was to create a logo for the Aggies in Tech program that not only looked good but meant something too. I wanted a logo that communicated what the program was and who was in it. I feel like I hit the mark.
Before Me
Preceding my attempt to create a logo, during the semester that Cohort 0 took its Aggies in Tech classes, there were two attempts to create one.
​​
The first attempt was from the students of the program. Tired of waiting, they took matters into their own hands. They produced nothing. They allegedly had one meeting to discuss the project but they quickly got distracted. They also failed to ask the only marketing student and person with design experience in the program for help (me).
​​
The second attempt was done by A&M and it was used exactly twice. I've also never seen it in full resolution as it was severely compressed at one point and nobody seems to have the original. The first time it was used it was for a profile icon for the program's unlisted LinkedIn group. The second time at VISA, on screens throughout the office, welcoming us while on our visit. The only rendering of this logo had a white background and the VISA person who made the welcome screen did their best to remove it. They missed spaces between letters and removed most of the detail. You can almost make it out in the picture below.
Scenario and Objective
A student in Cohort 1 wanted to create an Instagram account for the program. She was looking for a logo and was referred to me. A year before this, I had thought of a logo design but was too busy at the time to follow through with it.
​
The problem I had with the existing logo at the time was that it didn't have an important meaning. It was a bunch of random lines, dots, and dashes with no discernable meaning.
​
We were told that it was inspired by the design of Iron Man's arc reactor. I like Iron Man. I like Marvel Comics. Spider-Man is thebomb.com. However, I don't think a real organization that wants to make a real change in the world should have a fake role model embedded into its logo. ​
​
My objective was to use the idea I had and noodle with it until I came out with something that I thought was representative of what the Aggies in Tech program wanted to be.
I felt that if I didn't create a logo, the program would have eventually ended up with something generic produced in Canva. I really didn't want that.
This design follows A&M brand guidlines, unlike the previous logo.
Design Process
I opened up Adobe Illustrator. I put the existing logo in my workspace as a reference. I did like some aspects of it. My idea also had circles surrounding the A&M logo with text wrapping around the design.
​
My design was inspired by printed circuit boards (PCBs). It's what I thought of when I thought of technology.
Alternatives
Most of AIT is more involved with the software side of tech than the hardware side, but I couldn't think of a viable software-themed logo. I could have turned the A&M logo into binary, hiding a secret message in the digits. I had already produced something similar for the AIT Documentary. The problem with that idea is that it isn't scalable. A logo goes on pins, business cards, and other small places. It should also be recognizable from a distance.
PCB Design
I saw two possible routes. I could use PCB-looking traces to create a square or a circle. Because I liked the text wrap of the existing logo, I went with a circle. Generally traces on PCBs don't curve, but I felt like this was an acceptable artistic liberty. I kept the A&M logo in its own little bubble. Then I added four more circles around that. The traces were meant to come out of the innermost and outermost circles, implying the other 3 center circles. In each quadrant of the circular portion of the logo, there are 3 vias, making it a total of 12. Everything at A&M needs a nod to the 12th Man. Emerging outside of the circle are 2 traces that each split into 3 with vias at the end. They are perfectly asymmetrical.
​
Because the program expanded outside the business school, the text was changed. Aggies in Tech was on the top and its tagline, Turn Tech Maroon, was on the bottom. I thought about making the Aggies in Tech bolded, or spaced out better to cover more of the available space, but it didn't look right when I did that. The font is Tungsten.
Implanting Impact
EVERYTHING about this design was intentional. Well like pretty much, lol.
​
The nodes are called vias. More specifically, they are through hole vias which means that they travel completely through a PCB and are visible. There are 18 of them representing the original 18 students in the first Aggies in Tech Cohort. They are all traveling toward the outside of the logo because the goal of the program is to push students into the tech field. They are interconnected, building off each other, like its real-life members. Its asymmetricalness is representative of the personalities of the students in it. They share common goals but with different plans to achieve them. Even though they vary by major and skill, they all originate from A&M and are reaching for the field. It would be impractical to add a via for every student that enters the program so not pictured, are buried vias. Buried vias do not run through the entire PCB and receive less noise. This is indicative of the fact that these are receiving a more refined experience than those in the first Cohort.
​
You can see six circles in the design. Two for the innermost and outermost rings, three inner rings made by the traces, and one that guides the text. The five visible rings are meant to represent the four Aggies in Tech professors and Dr. Deer. The outermost invisible circle is the Aggie Network. The program would not be anywhere near as impactful as it has been without former students dedicating their time and resources toward the program.
​
Lastly, the font. There were a limited number of university-approved fonts to use. Tungsten was chosen because that is what is mostly used by the business college. The program may have started inside the business school but has already expanded outside of it. The font is a subtle nod to its origin.
​
I can't think of an instance for when the PCB color variant would be used but it just looks so cool.
Variation
5 variations of the logo were created. The two not pictured are a maroon and white logo with a transparent background. The green and gold variant is based on PCB colors.
Results
I think it looks great. It's the profile picture of the Aggies in Tech Instagram account. There hasn't been any swag produced with the logo on it yet, but hopefully, there will be soon.
​
Fingers crossed they don't throw out all my hard work as soon as I graduate.