On the Feb. 28, Washington's branch of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, or AIGADC, held an event called "Good Design is Smart Sports Business." Sponsored by America Online and Neehan Paper, and held at the decadent Carnegie Institution in Dupont Circle, the event showcased two prominent figures in the world of sports design - Todd Raydum, a freelance sports logo designer, and Marcus Stevens, creative director of Under Armour, Inc.
Moderator and University of Baltimore professor Ed Gold began with an opening "lecture" on the current national state of graphic design. He expressed concern that cheap clip art-like logos can be procured on the Internet, and that more importantly, the public cannot be convinced that a design is worth something in and of itself. To rectify the situation and bring design into the public eye, he suggested a design award show not too dissimilar from the Academy Awards. Then he introduced Todd Raydum as the first speaker.
Raydum, a "solo practictioner," described the challenges of creating logos for teams and events. "Sports matter," Raydum said. "Sports fans are exposed to logos every hour of every day." He stressed the importance of understanding current fashion and color trends, while being careful to appeal to the young without alienating the older base of fans. And unlike many other areas of design, Raydum must consider the plethora of mediums his work could be adapted to: wood, glass, grass, plastic, television, T-shirts, footballs, etc.
Besides being a self-described fan and historian of sports in the District, Raydum also designed the look of the current Washington Nationals. He gave a slideshow showing the evolution of D.C.'s different teams as well as their uniforms. Raydum's presentation featured all of major sports teams - the Nationals, the Wizards, the Redskins and the Capitals - as well as the teams and designs that came before. This included Washington's team in the Negro League of the 1940s, the Homestead Grays. Interestingly enough, logos in baseball did not become "professionalized" until after the Second World War, and the Nationals did not have their first real logo (the Capitol building with a baseball cap on bursting through a baseball with a bat behind it) until 1954. Raydum also showed a baseball program from the fifth All-Star game in 1937, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt holding a ball triumphantly up in the air.
After his history slideshow, Raydum showcased some examples of his own work, including his logos for Superbowls XXXVIII and IX. He went on to explain that while creating a logo for an event like a Superbowl requires very different talents than creating a logo for a city's baseball team, those skills can be sometimes be used in tandem to create commemorative logos; a niche within a niche that will forever hold a place in Raydum's heart. One of his favorites of this variety was a Joe Namath tribute in the style of design guru Milton Glaser's famous Bob Dylan poster.
It was then Marcus Stevens' turn to present. Stevens, who joined Under Armour as a fledging new sports company with a revolutionary product (breathable and sweat-wicking underclothing), traced his interest in advertising based to kindergarten.
"Brand matters. Not only brand name, but brand design and aesthetic," Stevens said. When he joined Under Armor's small in-house art team, he brought a simple message that he would use to help compete with the national powerhouses of Nike and Reebok. "[We needed] to communicate that all products bearing the Under Armour logo make you better."
Stevens was directly responsible for the extremely successful "Protect this House" campaign, featuring Eric Bagu as "Big E." The company received over 70,000 e-mails and letters the first year the famous "Breakdown pt. 1" ad ran on television. Stevens described "Protect this House" as starting a cultural phenomenon, with celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to David Letterman invoking the mantra. "The UA logo will forever be associated with athletic performance," Stevens said.
In the discussion section, Raydum elaborated on specific teams' designs. For instance, he explained that the New York Yankees conform to the business image of the big city: they even look pinstriped.
He also warned against designs done by giant corporations. While looking closely at the Denver Bronco's logo, one can see a definite telltale "swoosh" in the horse's nostril. Stevens, on the other hand, talked about Under Armour's expansion into Europe and women's clothing, two markets that will require new creative approaches for the company.
Both Stevens and Raydum had a final message on how design affects business. Raydum: "Good design enlightens all of us." Stevens: "We're not artists, we're communicators"
