About the Symbol (LOGO)
The visual identity for the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) comprises a graceful and unique symbol. ARIES's renowned visual identity is inspired by the institute's legacy, which spans over seven decades in the city of Nainital, a Himalayan resort town in the Kumaon region of India's Uttarakhand state. Similarly, the visual identity of ARIES also depicts the fusion of rich cultural traditions and heritage with research and development in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and atmospheric sciences.
Depicting the colorful and unique Kumouni tradition deeply rooted in the city's long history, all ritual ceremonies involve women wearing pichora, a piece of muslin cloth traditionally handmade and dyed with vegetable colors, mainly saffron. Subsequently, these cloths are printed with the help of a coin wrapped in a cloth, forming a composite and are decorated with the Sun in the center as a design style.
The identity of ARIES is a construction acumen fused with the aesthetic of cultural traditions and the geometry and scale of Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Atmospheric sciences, which one can visualize in the identity and its hidden exquisite circle. The identity is accessible, expressing the involvement of the younger generation, those who nurture uniqueness and enable the transformation of ambitions into accomplishments.
The specific shade of orange or saffron in the logo represents the values of our tradition, combining the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics, representing enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and inspiration. On the other hand, the brand color blue is the color of the sky and sea, often associated with depth and stability, symbolizing trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, and truth. It also represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness. The balance of cool and warm colors synthesizes the organization's essence.
The two solid circles in the name and the derived patterns have been simplified to align with the core ethics of the ARIES brand vision, mission, and values. The identity for ARIES presents an integration of all three values of Education, Research and Development, and also serves as an abstract representation of the Naina of Nainital, the eye. It also represents the connections between the Sun and the Earth (space-weather), as well as the Earth and the Moon, which are orbiting or moving. The celestial spheres' orbiting movements are captured as a smile-like curve in the color orange, and the two solid circles also represent the primary mirrors of the telescope. The space between the letters "A" and "R" represents the observatory, and the letters "R" and "I" are abstract delineations of a human bending and looking through the telescope, exploring the Universe.
Visual Identity Design Team
Project Head & Designer:
Jagadish Kumar .V
Faculty and Discipline Co-Lead in Graphic Design
Dy Head - NID Printlabs.
Project Associate:
Sanket Shah
Integrated Design Services :
T G Shaikh
Special Thanks
Subir Das
Dipankar Banerjee
Shashi B. Pandey
Naresh Nagar
The Symbol
