Star Trek Future combadge concept

YenChih Lin

Master Member
There are A LOT of future combadge concepts - more or less well designed. This one was a "old" concept from me, that I did around in 2008 - and not an easy task, since almost every form has been tried to make it actually look good. Even I did dozen of sketches with bad ones.

Critics are welcome.



Basically a combadge with integrated rank indicator. But I'd like the grooved version without the intended rank indicator function more.
 
Wow...these are really excellent indeed...all of them! I also love the idea of the rank bars embedded right in the badge.

The only thing I can see that would be a problem would be the very pointy bottom (and top) end. If someone were wearing one of these and bent over, the pointed end could stab them in the chest. Also if you moved your arm or hand the wrong way over it, you could gash yourself very badly. Maybe you could round that end just a bit to make it safer. Other than that, I LOVE THEM!
 
Excellent design. Combining the rank with the com badge is a great idea.
Thank you!

Wow...these are really excellent indeed...all of them! I also love the idea of the rank bars embedded right in the badge.

The only thing I can see that would be a problem would be the very pointy bottom (and top) end. If someone were wearing one of these and bent over, the pointed end could stab them in the chest. Also if you moved your arm or hand the wrong way over it, you could gash yourself very badly. Maybe you could round that end just a bit to make it safer. Other than that, I LOVE THEM!
Thank you also… But I think they are not pointier than the normal badges :lol
 
I like your design. As an artist I agree that it's very hard to come up with something new on something that has so many versions. Designing a batarang is hell, it's so iconic and there have been so many versions it's hard to come up with something cool and unique. Good work.
 
I like all of them! Personally, (thinking from a military point of view) I think the rank should be separate from the badge, and larger so it can be discerned from a minimum distance. Reason I say this is when the US Army switched over to the black berets, I (and I'm sure other soldiers) would have a hard time telling who an Officer was when they approached, since enlisted ranks wore their unit insignia on the flash whereas Officers wore their rank. I almost got in trouble for not saluting an Officer on many occasions because I couldn't tell if the shiny thing on the beret was a unit crest or Captain's bars... :facepalm
 
I actually like the last one best (I assume this is an ensign combadge?) but as a standard communicator, mainly because of its simplicity. Not really a huge fan of the rank/communicator.

Definitely like this better than the "Generations on" style communicator.


Kevin
 
like the gold background integration...

I think the 'rank' stuff is great too.. and it can also double as a speaker grill/holes in case these ever were made and needed electronics for the chip...etc..

form & function!

:)
 
I like all of them! Personally, (thinking from a military point of view) I think the rank should be separate from the badge, and larger so it can be discerned from a minimum distance. Reason I say this is when the US Army switched over to the black berets, I (and I'm sure other soldiers) would have a hard time telling who an Officer was when they approached, since enlisted ranks wore their unit insignia on the flash whereas Officers wore their rank. I almost got in trouble for not saluting an Officer on many occasions because I couldn't tell if the shiny thing on the beret was a unit crest or Captain's bars... :facepalm

I agree completely. In addition to a larger rank indicator, the other reason it would be a good idea to separate them is for pure re-use. With the current combadges (Future Imperfect not withstanding) a non-enlisted wears the same badge as an Admiral - Starfleet (and the prop department) has no problems re-issuing and mass producing the same com badge.

Having said that, from a pure visual perspective, they look nice! The important thing is that they don't look weird in the lower ranks (as the Future Imperfect designs do). I like that the right foot of the Delta shield has been brought up a little to counter-balance the back shield.

The back-shield actually reminds me of The Doctor's portable emitter.
 
I think these are great! I would change the "deep" background behind the rank to black or maybe a deep gray to set off the rank bars more.

That being said, the last one could be a standard issue one too. Nice design, something different for sure!

- - - Updated - - -

I like all of them! Personally, (thinking from a military point of view) I think the rank should be separate from the badge, and larger so it can be discerned from a minimum distance. Reason I say this is when the US Army switched over to the black berets, I (and I'm sure other soldiers) would have a hard time telling who an Officer was when they approached, since enlisted ranks wore their unit insignia on the flash whereas Officers wore their rank. I almost got in trouble for not saluting an Officer on many occasions because I couldn't tell if the shiny thing on the beret was a unit crest or Captain's bars... :facepalm

Short story on this, there is a unit on Ft. Bragg that the Unit Insignia looks almost exactly like a set of Captain's bars from anything beyond 5 feet... I don't know how many SGT's I almost saluted... At least we're back to the patrol caps... if they will only institute non-subdued rank for garrison, then we'll make it real simple!
 
Having said that, from a pure visual perspective, they look nice! The important thing is that they don't look weird in the lower ranks (as the Future Imperfect designs do).

I don't think they do at all, just black lines instead of gold. Simple, neat, and visible from a distance. :thumbsup
 
Thank you all for the compliments. I just wonder myself, how it wasn't noticed the first time :confused:lol. I do have some templates made with stryrene. I also had the prototype send to Scott Nakada, I wish USPS wouldn't have eaten my returning cast badges… :(

I actually like the last one best (I assume this is an ensign combadge?) but as a standard communicator, mainly because of its simplicity. Not really a huge fan of the rank/communicator.

Definitely like this better than the "Generations on" style communicator.

Kevin
The last one is the enlisted crew member, but personally spoken, it's a bit boring, missing the definite something.

Holy Necro Batman! :lol

Ya, and to this day it's one of my favourites. Very simple. :)

These are very nice YenChih Lin. :thumbsup
Holy Necro Batman indeed :lol

I like all of them! Personally, (thinking from a military point of view) I think the rank should be separate from the badge, and larger so it can be discerned from a minimum distance. Reason I say this is when the US Army switched over to the black berets, I (and I'm sure other soldiers) would have a hard time telling who an Officer was when they approached, since enlisted ranks wore their unit insignia on the flash whereas Officers wore their rank. I almost got in trouble for not saluting an Officer on many occasions because I couldn't tell if the shiny thing on the beret was a unit crest or Captain's bars... :facepalm
I know, these rank indicators aren't alone on the uniform. It should also complement it. But honestly, as a concept, I like the grooved bars only as a decorative element.

I like your design. As an artist I agree that it's very hard to come up with something new on something that has so many versions. Designing a batarang is hell, it's so iconic and there have been so many versions it's hard to come up with something cool and unique. Good work.
Then you know my pain, at last! Hallelujah! :lol

like the gold background integration...

I think the 'rank' stuff is great too.. and it can also double as a speaker grill/holes in case these ever were made and needed electronics for the chip...etc..

form & function!

:)
Never thought of that, "Interesting…" *in my best Burns voice*

I agree completely. In addition to a larger rank indicator, the other reason it would be a good idea to separate them is for pure re-use. With the current combadges (Future Imperfect not withstanding) a non-enlisted wears the same badge as an Admiral - Starfleet (and the prop department) has no problems re-issuing and mass producing the same com badge.

Having said that, from a pure visual perspective, they look nice! The important thing is that they don't look weird in the lower ranks (as the Future Imperfect designs do). I like that the right foot of the Delta shield has been brought up a little to counter-balance the back shield.

The back-shield actually reminds me of The Doctor's portable emitter.
As I mentioned before, it was concept with toying some functions and like the bars as decorative elements. As for the right foot, you're totally nailed my intentions, actually the back shield is counter-balancing the left delta foot. Any similarities to the Doctor's emitter is coincidencial. The sides of the back shield simply follows the curve of the Starfleet delta.

I liked the asymmetrical logo that I incoperated into the my howntown Trekdinner:



The round logo is not totally white, it's a light grey which serves as a plate, the blue border as the rims and the gold color was chosen to be more vivid, I've tried silver, but it didn't had punch; with a simple visual in-style star background like the offical Starfleet Command logo. I added the seal of Emperor Charlemagne aka Charles the Great (Charlemagne - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), since Aachen was his imperial capital.

I think these are great! I would change the "deep" background behind the rank to black or maybe a deep gray to set off the rank bars more.

That being said, the last one could be a standard issue one too. Nice design, something different for sure!

- - - Updated - - -

Short story on this, there is a unit on Ft. Bragg that the Unit Insignia looks almost exactly like a set of Captain's bars from anything beyond 5 feet... I don't know how many SGT's I almost saluted... At least we're back to the patrol caps... if they will only institute non-subdued rank for garrison, then we'll make it real simple!
naah! no changes… :D
 
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I'd actually like to see this one made. The balance makes this design more interesting than the Future Imperfect badge. If someone does actually do this, sign me up for a Captain's commbadge.
 
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