Our work started with the Foundation logo, created for the launch of the Foundation at The Royal Institution. Our brief was that Professor Hawking and the Trustees of the Stephen Hawking Foundation wanted a simple, unfussy logo that represented the values of the Foundation and could be used on invitations for a small event..
The event turned out to be a private dinner at the Royal Institution where Eddie Redmayne and Professor Hawking launched the Foundation to a select audience of founding members.
Our approach was indeed simple – a single thumbprint supported by a classic font and style. The logo was immediately used on the invitations for the event, printed white on a black background.
The thumbprint moon on the dark background of space is highly symbolic. Having lost the ability to write many years before, Professor Hawking authenticated decisions using his thumbprint. The print, (suitably altered for obvious reasons) has been trimmed and shaped to represent a moon; the background is the great void of space; light shining out of the dark.