NBA x NIKE Redesign Project (MIAMI HEAT CITY EDITION added 1/2)

[iamdaviinci]

Now that I have had a few days to digest the Cavs' Icon Edition uniform leak, I have harnessed all of my outrage over it to hopefully create a better set of uniforms for the team. There are certainly some elements I liked from the leak, but a handful of things are holding them back.

 

The unnecessary side panels and collar trim have been removed -- this was a given. The side panels look especially careless, and the uniform would look significantly better if they were simply removed. I also made an effort to improve the font for the wordmarks and numerals. While I like the slight lower arch and the larger book-end characters in the wordmark, the lines and angles are too harsh, the slight serifs at the tops of the characters are too much, and the 'V' is downright awful. I actually ended up modifying the Justice League font, and while it is still very similar to their actual font I believe it corrects the aforementioned issues.

 

One thing I do really like from the Cavs' upcoming set is the increased emphasis on navy. I think it contrasts well with the lighter shade of wine as well as the yellow, adding a dimension that was missing from their previous set. The collar and armhole trim patterns receive a two-tone treatment, as I think the mostly single-color patterns from the leak are a bit dull. The emphasis on navy for this concept, however, is extended further to the numerals of the Association Edition uniform -- I really like the way this works, and I think it is a missed opportunity for Nike and the Cavaliers. The rest of the wordmarks and numerals stay fairly consistent, with a bold, single-color wordmark underscored by equally bold two-color numerals.

 

I am very interested in your feedback -- is this an upgrade, downgrade, or lateral move? Are they too similar, or should certain elements have been retained? Please let me know your thoughts....thanks!

 

Cleveland Cavaliers Icon Edition Uniforms

 

Cleveland Cavaliers Association Edition Uniforms

 

Cleveland Cavaliers Community-Inspired Edition Uniforms

[MJWalker45]

I'd swap colors on the numbers and add another thin outer line to them. I'd also add an outline to the wordmarks.

[Krz]

Agree^^, like these unis a lot more than what the leak showed I hated the swooshes

[iamdaviinci]

9 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

I'd swap colors on the numbers and add another thin outer line to them. I'd also add an outline to the wordmarks.

 

I appreciate the input! I'll take a look at outlining the wordmarks -- that might add a little more consistency to each jersey. What color would you have in mind for the additional thin outer line around the numerals?

[iamdaviinci]

Here is a quick update for the Cavs -- I squared the bottom of the '2' numeral on each of the jerseys, and fixed the angle of the 'S' in both the 'CAVALIERS' and 'CAVS' scripts on the Association and Community-Inspired Editions, respectively. 

 

Cleveland Cavaliers Association Edition Uniforms

 

Cleveland Cavaliers Icon Edition Uniforms

 

Cleveland Cavaliers Community-Inspired Edition Uniforms

[iamdaviinci]

The new uniforms unveiled by the Pacers last night are an obscure mix of clean and cluttered. I find the front jersey design weirdly lovable, albeit a bit dense both spatially and in color. The side panels are what bother me the most, because I like them in theory -- but the extraneous color blocks, angular cuts, and visual similarities to Marquette make the execution extremely poor. Also, inconsistencies across collar and armhole trim as well as (potentially?) the single-color numerals on the back lack purpose.

 

With the Pacers' re-brand seemingly focused on the state's rich basketball tradition, I think the uniforms should be clean, classic, consistent, and without clutter. There should be an evident level of uniqueness to make them interesting, but not so much so that extraneous elements are found all over the place. 

 

The color palette and fonts are retained, as is the entire front design -- with a single addition. I absolutely love the new 'WE GROW BASKETBALL HERE' seal that combines the state's seemingly endless rows of corn with its aforementioned rich basketball tradition, so it has found its way into the centered of the front jersey design as a sublimated graphic. I am typically quite averse to sublimation, especially with Nike taking over, but it is a more subtle way to incorporate the seal and the cornrows....plus their state of Indiana-shaped alternate logo contains similarly subtle cornrows.

 

Without a need for additional cornrow patterns, the disastrous side panels have been removed entirely. The collar and armhole trim have been made consistent, with the Association Edition flipping the navy and yellow to prevent the yellow from getting lost next to the white jersey, and the Icon Edition relying solely on yellow trim to contrast the navy jersey.

 

Thanks for looking....please let me know your thoughts!

 

 

 

Indiana Pacers Association Edition Uniforms

 

Indiana Pacers Icon Edition Uniforms

[Krz]

Like the removal of those terrible side stripes but you put their worst logo of their set (imo) on the jersey it just annoys me because their not the farmers or somthing, their the pacers and they should have a car theme

[iamdaviinci]

Haven't done much creating since things started leaking in July, but with all 30 Statement Edition uniforms being unveiled last week I've been thinking about what I'd tweak here and there on many of them.

 

The Statement Edition uniform I want to like to the most but don't belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their current and historically speaking only brand is boring and underwhelming, and despite an exciting color palette they've failed to produce any exciting home, away, or alternate uniforms. The alternate uniform unveiled by Nike last week is fun, and I think it will grow on myself and others as we see it in action, but there are some minor details to be sorted out that could make it not only an excellent alternate option, but also a workable template for an eventual full re-design. The color palette remains simple without losing any vibrancy, the wordmark font works well given the team's nickname, and the soundwave pattern is a unique tie-in that merits inclusion albeit in a different form. 

 

That being said, the color balance feels off because the orange accent only appears around the collar trim -- it has now been added to the armhole trim for the sake of consistency. The wordmark font has also been used to replace the previous numeral font, as it clashed with the theme and looked out of place. I'm honestly not sure how it would look for numerals other than Russell Westbrook's '0' here, but we'll roll with it. While you obviously can't see the back of the jersey, I think for the sake of maintaining a clean design the soundwave pattern needs to be relegated strictly to the jersey's side panels -- extending completely across the back is excessive and unnecessary.

 

These tweaks aren't monumental, and I certainly haven't created anything new here, but I believe they establish levels of consistency and attention-to-detail that Nike and the Thunder overlooked.

 

Please let me know your thoughts....thanks!

 

Oklahoma City Thunder Statement Edition Jersey

[iamdaviinci]

The Memphis Grizzlies' branding wasn't spectacular to begin with, and over time has completely worn out its welcome....at least in my opinion. I like the uniqueness of the triple blue color palette, but the way those colors are used make the uniforms feel muddled, nothing about them are pertinent to Memphis nor Grizzlies, and - perhaps worst of all - Adidas and now Nike have refused to bring back the in-lined typeface.

 

With Nike transitioning to Statement and Community-Inspired alternate uniforms, I expected every team's third (and fourth) uniforms to be fresh and exciting. That wasn't the case (so far) for Memphis as well as more than a handful of other teams, which was quite a letdown. Anyways, here's a concept that I've had in my head for months, but continued to struggle with in terms of actually executing.

 

The city of Memphis is where various types of blues, soul, and rock-n-roll music originated, and with that deeply embedded within the city's culture it makes sense to acknowledge it in a community-inspired uniform. Specifically, Beale Street is recognized as 'The Home of the Blues,' and the primary color of the Grizzlies' Statement Edition uniforms is even called 'Beale Street Blue.'

 

There's an iconic neon sign on Beale Street that reads 'Memphis music' in various bright colors, which serves as the foundation for this uniform. The jersey itself is black to create contrast with the neon characters, and the wordmark is set within a Beale Street Blue roundel just like the actual sign. The Beale Street Blue also finds its way to the collar and armhole trim as well as the numerals to establish some sense of consistency despite the neon rainbow lettering. It's interesting to note that each of the colors in the neon rainbow lettering has a place in the team's history -- blue is obviously part of their current color palette, green and yellow were the colors of the Memphis Tams, Red was the color of the Memphis Sounds, and Purple and Orange are the colors of FedEx, their arena sponsor. The in-lined numeral typeface returns and is placed within the roundel to maintain balance and complete the look.

 

My biggest uncertainty right now is how well the rest of the uniform fits with and balances against the focal point that is the neon sign. I'm not entirely convinced this is the best way to do it, but it's the best way I've designed so far. Any and all feedback and suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

 

Memphis Grizzlies Community-Inspired Edition Jersey

[MCM0313]

6 hours ago, Hoopladawg87 said:

The Memphis Grizzlies' branding wasn't spectacular to begin with, and over time has completely worn out its welcome....at least in my opinion. I like the uniqueness of the triple blue color palette, but the way those colors are used make the uniforms feel muddled, nothing about them are pertinent to Memphis nor Grizzlies, and - perhaps worst of all - Adidas and now Nike have refused to bring back the in-lined typeface.

 

With Nike transitioning to Statement and Community-Inspired alternate uniforms, I expected every team's third (and fourth) uniforms to be fresh and exciting. That wasn't the case (so far) for Memphis as well as more than a handful of other teams, which was quite a letdown. Anyways, here's a concept that I've had in my head for months, but continued to struggle with in terms of actually executing.

 

The city of Memphis is where various types of blues, soul, and rock-n-roll music originated, and with that deeply embedded within the city's culture it makes sense to acknowledge it in a community-inspired uniform. Specifically, Beale Street is recognized as 'The Home of the Blues,' and the primary color of the Grizzlies' Statement Edition uniforms is even called 'Beale Street Blue.'

 

There's an iconic neon sign on Beale Street that reads 'Memphis music' in various bright colors, which serves as the foundation for this uniform. The jersey itself is black to create contrast with the neon characters, and the wordmark is set within a Beale Street Blue roundel just like the actual sign. The Beale Street Blue also finds its way to the collar and armhole trim as well as the numerals to establish some sense of consistency despite the neon rainbow lettering. It's interesting to note that each of the colors in the neon rainbow lettering has a place in the team's history -- blue is obviously part of their current color palette, green and yellow were the colors of the Memphis Tams, Red was the color of the Memphis Sounds, and Purple and Orange are the colors of FedEx, their arena sponsor. The in-lined numeral typeface returns and is placed within the roundel to maintain balance and complete the look.

 

My biggest uncertainty right now is how well the rest of the uniform fits with and balances against the focal point that is the neon sign. I'm not entirely convinced this is the best way to do it, but it's the best way I've designed so far. Any and all feedback and suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

 

Memphis Grizzlies Community-Inspired Edition Jersey

Outside the context of the sign, those letters look very '90s...and I mean that in a good way. Fun to look at and to wear. 

[Jonesn08]

These are awesome. Anyway to get a psd of the template you used? Would love to recreate for the high school I coach at. 

[iamdaviinci]

Here's another concept I've been working on lately.

 

Minnesota's recent re-branding effort was very good in terms of the color palette, logos, and wordmarks, but left a lot to be desired in regards to uniforms. This particular concept doesn't translate to a full uniform set, but rather serves best as a singular Statement or Community design. 

 

Anyways, it's themed after the Aurora Borealis - the Northern Lights - that can be seen from Minnesota and many other northern territories. It also just so happens to kind of coincide with their new color palette. It's fairly simple, albeit a bit complex in terms of textures and effects, but it ties the team's geographical location to its color palette while retaining the the wordmark typeface and adopting a matching one for the numerals. Sure, it may approach the line of fashion jersey, but I think it works.

 

Please let me know your thoughts....thanks!

 

 

 

Minnesota Timberwolves Northern Lights Jersey

[CheeseBurger22]

I would buy this, and I'm not a T-Wolves fan. 

[joob]

On 2017-09-28 at 4:46 PM, CheeseBurger22 said:

I would buy this, and I'm not a T-Wolves fan. 

Same here haha, brilliant concept. 

[iamdaviinci]

Some of the discussion in over on the Sports Logos boards reminded me that I never posted my final concept for the Portland Trail Blazers.

 

It's nothing too radical or sophisticated, but rather just an even more simplified version of their new Nike Association and Icon uniforms. The single-color wordmarks look off above the stroked numerals, and the silver trim is inconsistent with their updated logo. This concept simply unifies the treatments of the wordmarks and numerals and removes the silver to create a minimalist design that cleanly and concisely captures the Blazers' identity.

 

Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks!

 

 

 

Portland Trail Blazers Association Jersey

 

Portland Trail Blazers Icon Jersey

[iamdaviinci]

As the new Nuggets set continues to grow on me every time I see it in action, I've thought about what direction they could go in with regards to the Community-Inspired Edition uniform. The rest of their set looks good in-game on TV, but some of the smaller details and subtle inconsistencies still irk me. With that in mind, I wanted to design a uniform that looks good from afar but is also cohesive when analyzed on its lowest levels.

 

The inspiration behind this design was two-fold: 1) the Denver skyline/mountaintop design from generations past; 2) the city of Denver's flag. The mountaintops from the flag design find their way onto the jersey as a very simplified version of the skyline/mountaintop design, and the alternate logo has been re-colored to mirror the rising yellow sun while including the pick ax and nugget imagery as well as the player number. The collar and armhole trim are simply the flag design repeating.

 

It's a bit much in terms of design elements, if not redundant, so I could see those being the main criticisms....but I'm curious to know your thoughts. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking!

 

 

 

Denver Nuggets Community-Inspired Edition Jerseys

[KevinJohnsonThaTruth]

I'd love to see what you could do with a Rainbow Nuggets jersey.

[Carolingian Steamroller]

Excellent simplification of the Blazers. The single color numbers match the wordmark and ditching the silver really cleans up the design. 

[iamdaviinci]

The informed mock-up @Conrad. provided for Utah's upcoming fourth uniform is polarizing to say the least. While it introduces a never-before-seen design style to the NBA, it seemingly does so at the cost of ignoring the team's entire identity and brand. I personally think I'll like the uniform when it's officially unveiled, but it could also very well be terrible -- either the first time we see it or when we look back on it years from now. It isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a fun and interesting concept regardless.

 

The sunset theme lends itself well to the inclusion of the Tequila Sunrise pattern, but yellow-orange-red transition is more suggestive of plain fire rather than a full sunset to me. The black side panels feel like oddly forced borders, while the white wordmarks on the yellow background lack contrast. Also, nothing about the entire design - from color to arrangement - feels reminiscent of Utah nor the Jazz.

 

The Tequila Sunrise pattern is retained in a slightly condensed space, still invoking the sunset theme while also creating the silhouette of Utah's mountains. The colors have been altered to somewhat coincide with this random picture of a Utah sunset I found on Google Images, while the black base is a coincidental nod to the Jazz being BFBS pioneers in the NBA during the late '90s. The mountains come directly from their logo - which also appeared on their home and away jerseys in the mid- to late-'90s - and the wordmark and numeral typeface comes from their recent green alternate jerseys. I want to include some non-sensicle jargon about how the white wordmarks and numerals are representative of snow in the mountainous regions of Utah, but to be completely truthful I just thought it looked best and didn't compete with the Tequila Sunrise pattern. 

 

Anyways, I'm just kind of rambling at this point, so here's my concept....please let me know your thoughts, criticisms, and suggestions. Thanks!

 

 

 

Utah Jazz City Edition Jerseys

[Bruins]

That looks amazing, what an improvement! Love everything about it including the subtle highlights on the mountains.

 

And I'm speechless over that Aurora Borealis uni. Wow.