Recently, I came across the Instagram account for Springfield Public Schools in Missouri. Much to my surprise, their logo looked just like Seattle Schools’. And after quite a few friends noticed this, I decided to do some digging.

First, I reached out to Springfield Public Schools. “Our logo was created at least 25 years ago so I do not have any background on the process used for developing it,” wrote Teresa Bledsoe, their Director of Communications.

Next, I emailed the Seattle Schools Archives department. “According to the Superintendent at the time, Joseph Olchefske, the “star” logo was created 2002 or so,” responded Meaghan Kahlo, an archivist. “A prominent branding company was hired to assist us with the development of the logo and provided several ideas but none of them resonated. Then, in a moment of serendipity, one of our leading parent volunteers sent a mock-up of a logo idea that his 12-yo daughter had drawn and it formed the basis for the star logo SPS has today.“

So basically, 5 years after Springfield made their logo, someone’s 12-year-old daughter magically sketched out the current Seattle Schools logo. It's possible that there was no foul play involved, but the timing of the creation of the Seattle Schools logo is definitely suspicious. Is the story of the 12-year-old a coverup for something more sinister?

One thing is for sure, though: both logos do look strikingly similar, particularly for two districts with the same acronym. Whether it was a case of theft or simple coincidence, the similarity between these logos is certainly interesting. Either way, the story of these logos raises some important questions about the ethics of logo design and intellectual property.

What do you think? Let us know on our Instagram.