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Designing for Sports

Erin Collins
“Sports fans are the most passionate brand loyalists on earth.”

In his opening statement at Big Ditch Brewing on April 11, Todd Radom not only spoke to his audiences nationwide, but to his own identity – a loyal fan who grew up to design the logos of the teams he always loved.

Everyone’s heard that kitschy phrase – “love what you do; do what you love.” While that’s surely what we all aim to get to, let’s be honest – work is work, generally speaking. Todd Radom, on the other hand, might be part of the 1% who landed his ultimate dream job: designing logos for every team in Major League Baseball, along with numerous projects for the NBA, NFL, and other major league sports.

Radom’s presentation spanned all of his self-acclaimed roles: designer, writer, researcher, illustrator, and fan. Scrolling through pictures of the first decorated football helmets created for the rise of televised games, his own early sketches (work he drew by hand before Adobe changed the lives of designers everywhere), and various logos he’s created (including his lifetime accomplishment, Super Bowl XXXVIII), Radom spoke of the numerous design trends he’s seen come and go in a $14+ billion industry – including the Buffalo Sabres’ own blue and gold to red and black to blue and gold changeup throughout the years.

Referring to a sentiment local fans know all too well, Radom said he measures the creative variation and subsequent acceptance of a new logo based on the status of a sports team – if they’re doing well, don’t kill a good thing; if they’re down, take a leap and revamp while people are looking for something to hold on to. He went on summarize the fundamental inspirations behind his logos: locations, experiences, fan bases, communities, numbers, and traditions. In one word, the “celebration” that is watching your favorite sports team play.

Aside from showing a jaw-dropping portfolio, Todd Radom’s presentation stirred a familiar affection in many: the unique sense of accomplishment that comes with successfully capturing the very essence of something so beloved, in one design. He also discussed a variety of design elements – from the future of team logos at the center of longstanding controversy, to how designers must think differently about how the identities of a brand are perceived in their most distilled, purest form as the world around us continues to change with overwhelming amounts of content being consumed daily.

More than a great learning experience, ‘Design For Sports’ showcased the blending of art and business that is intrinsic to the advertising industry which we love so much.

The 2016-17 Spotlight Speaker Series wraps up May 9 with “Nightmare Marketing: How to Create Great Content for “Boring,” Complex and Undifferentiated Products.”