I searched for this but was unable to find this.
I seem to recall that the shapes and/or colors in the FIRST symbol represent something. Can anyone tell me what these may be?
From what I know, when FIRST first started it was US FIRST, so the Red, White, and Blue colors fit that well. I’m not sure about the Triangle, Circle, Square though.
I’m interested to know if there is more to it.
Seeing as the name of the program is FIRST, could the shapes be symbolic in the fact that they are literally the first shapes that we learn of?
I’m guessing the combination of shapes represents construction and engineering. Like m3rc1l3ss said they’re the first shapes we learn of, this might mean we’re continuing our education with all that we learn in the build season and beyond.
Whatever it represents, I know that those symbols sit on my desk on top of a trophy in which I see every day and reminds me how great FIRST is.
I think that the shapes are the three main elements that our robots have interacted with over the years.
Circle-the ball years
Triangle-tetras
Square-boxes (stack attack)
I could be wrong though…
The symbol was designed before tetras or bins were introduced, so the game elements didn’t influence the symbol…however it is believed that the symbols did influence the making of the tetra and bin game pieces.
I would agree with this… but the logo was created well before these games. I don’t see why the logo WOULDN’T have any symbolism.
I think you’ve got it backwards–many folks (too many, really) have speculated that the game pieces have come from the logo, not the other way around. If so, we’d have had tetras long before the fourteenth season of FRC.
Surely one of the old-timers knows the real origin. Baker? Copioli? Kamen? Bueller?
To me, the FIRST symbol always reminded me of building blocks…wooden squares that had shapes on them and you’d have to stack them together. To me, the symbol is both about both the building and growing aspects of FIRST.
Either way, there is no symbol other then FIRST’s and it’s very iconic for anyone who sees it.
The original FIRST logo was drawn by Dean’s late father, Jack Kamen. It was “re-designed” in 2005/2004? I’m not sure, by FIRST based off the original work.
The redesign was announced in the late part of 2004, just in time for the 2005 season. Technically, both logos were official that season to allow a transition. (That said, some old-logo items persisted, like the water bottles at the Championship or some of the lower-volume volunteer pins, for a couple more years.)
I always like to think of the interlocked shapes as a physical representation of the combined work and cooperation of the Sponsors (Triangle), Students (Circle), and Mentors (Square) to compete in FIRST… but maybe that is just me.
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It still is US FIRST. They dropped the "US’ from the logo and common usage now that FIRST has spread to so many other countries, but FIRST is still officially registered a 501© charity organization as US FIRST. Next time you’re on usfirst.org, look at the copyright info at the bottom of the page.
I can’t believe no one has brought this up yet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Electronic_Arts_historical_logo.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Electronic_Arts_historical_logo.svg
Huh, that’s sure interesting…
Triangle: 3 sides
Circle: 1 side
Square: 4 sides
Triangle, Circle, Square = 314
Pi = 3.14
314 = Area code for St. Louis, MO.
The FIRST logo has some very specific symbolism associated with the elements of the image. That symbolism is more than one layer deep, and intentionally designed to make you think. Start with the Championship fields, and proceed from there.
-dave
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Haha must you always screw with us dave 
But in all respects, what’s anybody got against a challenge? Go dave