MSI's New Logo

To honor its 70^th year, the University of Texas Marine Science Institute is unveiling a new, modern logo.

The new logo was designed by members of a graphics design class from the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin, under the guidance of Associate Professor Gloria Lee. The design team included Daniel Aranda, Rachel Brinkman, Sarita Damania, Michael Linan, and Robbie Polk.

The design is most inspired by the physical location of the Marine Science Institute on the gulf coast of Texas. The design team constructed the new logo from "two abstracted droplets which suggest the fluid motion of water. The points of the droplets converge at the name of the institute, emphasizing that MSI is centered at the intersection of land and sea, operating as an interface between the two. The lower droplet is textured with a pattern derived from the reflection of sunlight off of the ocean, displayed in white and blue. The upper droplet, in contrast, is a rich orange that references not only sand and sun, but also the University of Texas’ trademark color."

To develop ideas for a new logo, the graphics design class visited the Marine Science Institute for a couple of days in the Fall of 2010. That allowed them to develop a sense of the Institute’s mission, activities, location, and culture. The class divided into groups, and each group developed an independent design. The final selection was based on input from the Institute's faculty and advisory council members.