Criminal Minds is the name of a tv show, which was launched in the United States in 2005, and lasted for 15 seasons, with the 15th released in 2020. The series tells a story of a special FBI unit, which investigates crimes based on the psychological characteristics and peculiarities of criminals.
The Criminal Minds series premiered on CBS television on September 22, 2005. But during the work of the third season, unforeseen circumstances: the Screenwriters Guild went on strike, so they had to interrupt the production of the series. In April 2008, the series resumed its work.
The basis of the plot is that the behavioral analysis FBI unit helps criminologists solve dead-end cases. It is necessary to understand the motives of the criminal by delving into his every action and trying to think like a criminal. The team compiles basic characteristics of the perpetrator and victim using evidence, and facts from the case, and looks for correspondences of this information in historical precedents and psychological analyses. Such work is extremely time-consuming and requires knowledge of psychology. Not many special agents have been able to maintain a happy and stable family life in such a busy and dangerous schedule.
Criminal Minds is a procedural crime drama television series. It tells the story of a group of criminologists working for the FBI in the Behavioral Analysis Unit who use their knowledge of psychology to prevent crimes. The Criminal Minds series has received mixed reviews from viewers. It was criticized for the idea and its implementation, the pace of the narrative, the atmosphere, and the bloodthirstiness of events on the screen. But that didn’t stop project creator Jeff Davis from producing as many as 15 seasons and then making two more separate series, Criminal Minds: Beyond the Border and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.
What is Criminal Minds?
Criminal Minds is an American television series about the work of a special FBI unit that investigates crimes based on the psychological characteristics of criminals. The pilot episode of the Criminal Minds series was released in 2005, and by 2020 a total of 15 seasons were produced.
In terms of visual identity, during the whole time of the series’ existence, it has been loyal to the original logo, designed for the Criminal Minds in 2005. Based only on letters and a dark black-red-white color palette, the badge still looks timeless and strong.
The Criminal Minds logo, designed in 2005, features four-leveled lettering set on a solid black horizontally oriented rectangular banner and accompanied by a smaller solid red rectangle, which follows the inscription of the second level. The upper line of the logo comprises a red “Criminal” in the uppercase of a condensed yet bold sans-serif font, while the second line features “Minds” in the same type but white color, and a red rectangle on its right. The two bottom lines of the logo are set in small capitals of a lightweight and clean sans-serif font, with the “Behaviour Analysis Unit” in red, and “Quantico FBI” in white.
In 2022 Criminal Minds: Evolution was released, and a new logo was created for the series. The badge is set in the iconic red, black, and white color palette, and uses the same style and typeface as the original version. However, the composition was slightly changed, and now the main logotype is set in blurred red capital letters in one line, and is underlined by a small lightweight “Evolution” in white.
The uppercase “Criminal Minds” inscription from the primary logo of the tv series is executed in a bold and neat sans-serif typeface with its stable letters slightly narrowed. The two closest fonts to the one used in this insignia are, probably, DIN Condensed Variable and Gambler Gothic Regular. The characters boast distinctive contours and straight cuts of the lines.
As for the color palette of the Criminal Minds’ visual identity, it is set in a dark and dramatic black, red, and white scheme, with red and black shades prevailing. This combination evokes a feeling of danger and reflects the essence of the tv-show, pointing to its criminal character.