The task of designing the space station Deep Space Nine — which had to be a new, iconic and alien looking image that could be quickly recognized when seen on a small TV screen — was a long, involved process that took several different directions before evolving into the final design we now take for granted.

Production designer Herman Zimmerman was the man assigned to come up with this fresh and unique look that would be the centerpiece of the next Star Trek show to follow The Next Generation.

To say that the evolution of the Deep Space Nine station took some interesting turns is an understatement. In this exclusive video interview, Herman describes the creative process and the people involved, illustrated with examples of the different design concepts.

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