Origin of the Enterprise Delta

[DestinyCaptain]

I have had this sitting in my hard drive for a long time. I thought I'd dig it out and see what everybody thinks about it. This was made in paint. I don't have a clue how to use Photoshop or any other art suite to make it look better, so if anyone wants to take a crack at, feel free.

Way back when Enterprise started, one of the many things that bugged me was the mission patch. It seemed to lack something special. I also think it was a missed opportunity to show the origin of the familiar Delta thingy. Course everybody has an opinion on it. and yes it was inserted in the UESPA logo in Voyager... But my thought was that if Enterprise was about exploration, then the Delta could have evolved from a compass rose. I saw one somewhere that had an arrow that looked kinda like a delta, so I played around with this idea and the result is this...

Now, I am no artist. My skills are below average at best. But I think this is closer to what the mission patch should have looked like. It just needs the name and number encircling the rose or something like that. Let me know what you think. Is the coloring right and so on.

 

[Kaiser]

I have had this sitting in my hard drive for a long time. I thought I'd dig it out and see what everybody thinks about it. This was made in paint. I don't have a clue how to use Photoshop or any other art suite to make it look better, so if anyone wants to take a crack at, feel free.

Way back when Enterprise started, one of the many things that bugged me was the mission patch. It seemed to lack something special. I also think it was a missed opportunity to show the origin of the familiar Delta thingy. Course everybody has an opinion on it. and yes it was inserted in the UESPA logo in Voyager... But my thought was that if Enterprise was about exploration, then the Delta could have evolved from a compass rose. I saw one somewhere that had an arrow that looked kinda like a delta, so I played around with this idea and the result is this...

Now, I am no artist. My skills are below average at best. But I think this is closer to what the mission patch should have looked like. It just needs the name and number encircling the rose or something like that. Let me know what you think. Is the coloring right and so on.

Looks cool to me and yes i can imigine this bing where we really get the Starfleet Delta symbol from

 

[sojourner]

Don't we already know what the Delta originated from:

 

[Kaiser]

Don't we already know what the Delta originated from:

i've heard its from that as well

 

[DestinyCaptain]

As I say, there are many opinions on the delta. Doesn't The Airforce Space Command have one also?

http://www.militaryplaques.com/Emblems/Air-Force-Space-Command.jpg

 

[B.J.]

The delta shape is common symbology in flight and space related logos.

 

[Ziz]

Yeah, it's not exactly original or unique. Remember "Asteroids"?

 

[DFScott]

I think you've got a good idea, DestinyCaptain, but it can be developed some. I like that you're going for an ancient maritime look. From a design standpoint, consider thinking a little more in 3D. For example, imagine the shapes of your many facets, where the light is coming from, and where the shadows are falling. If you were to imagine building a plaster relief with these compass point facets in 3D, then shining one light upon them from one direction, the light and dark sides of your triangles would not all fall on the same sides with respect to the triangles themselves.

Now, for context: I had expected, before Enterprise premiered, that the "A-ness" of the logo would be attributed to Capt. Archer, and that at some point in the series we'd see the genesis of that. Designs evolve for reasons, and with all due respect to Michael Okuda for his hybrid Starfleet/NASA logo, the story never explained (among the many things left unsaid) why, over time, the inverted checkmark starts pointing up like an "A."

You might want to check out two things, if you haven't already: 1) The logo of USS Enterprise CV-6, the greatest aircraft carrier of WWII. It's surprising how "mod" this logo is, almost as if it were designed for a '60s rock album cover. 2) The logo of Enterprise (CVN-65) Carrier Strike Group, which emphasizes what shipmates tend to call their ship: the "big-E." The series never told the story of why the ship is named Enterprise, and my thought is that there could be some historic ties to the great 20th century aircraft carriers.

DF "Why Does the 'Big E' Become the 'Big A?'" Scott

 

[DestinyCaptain]

I think you've got a good idea, DestinyCaptain, but it can be developed some. I like that you're going for an ancient maritime look. From a design standpoint, consider thinking a little more in 3D. For example, imagine the shapes of your many facets, where the light is coming from, and where the shadows are falling. If you were to imagine building a plaster relief with these compass point facets in 3D, then shining one light upon them from one direction, the light and dark sides of your triangles would not all fall on the same sides with respect to the triangles themselves.

Now, for context: I had expected, before Enterprise premiered, that the "A-ness" of the logo would be attributed to Capt. Archer, and that at some point in the series we'd see the genesis of that. Designs evolve for reasons, and with all due respect to Michael Okuda for his hybrid Starfleet/NASA logo, the story never explained (among the many things left unsaid) why, over time, the inverted checkmark starts pointing up like an "A."

You might want to check out two things, if you haven't already: 1) The logo of USS Enterprise CV-6, the greatest aircraft carrier of WWII. It's surprising how "mod" this logo is, almost as if it were designed for a '60s rock album cover. 2) The logo of Enterprise (CVN-65) Carrier Strike Group, which emphasizes what shipmates tend to call their ship: the "big-E." The series never told the story of why the ship is named Enterprise, and my thought is that there could be some historic ties to the great 20th century aircraft carriers.

DF "Why Does the 'Big E' Become the 'Big A?'" Scott

I see what you are saying on the shadows. I was trying to mimic several compass roses that I found online. Also, I am not much of artist, so if anyone can improve on it - I'd love to see it rendered by someone with some skills.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Compass_rose.svg/470px-Compass_rose.svg.png

I also referenced the current logo for the carrier Enterprise, that's why I put the big "E" in the center. I do think the Archer is interesting.

This image may be where my original idea came from. It's hard to say.

http://media.merchantcircle.com/14018717/Texas-Star_full.gif

 

[JarodRussell]

lol

 

[Kagan]

lol

After all these years we now discover that the Masonic "G" stands for: "Gene, the Great Bird of the Galaxy"...LOL