Quarantine Eighteen

[hkynik_55]

Okay so just to start off, 

I have no design sense whatsoever.

 

So now that that's out of the way, let's get to the concept.

 

I'm not really bored as much as I am lazy under the COVID-19 stuff, so I have forced myself to try to do something. I guess I'll try to design logos or something because why not. First, let's come up with a quirky and cool name. Under quarantine... what rhymes with quarantine... sixteen! Like a bracket! Because March! ..Right?

 

Anyway, I decided I'd make concept logos for each major league, four for the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL, but I also want to do soccer, so throw in two for the MLS, making it eighteen. You may be thinking, that doesn't work for a bracket, and you're smart and you know that's right. But I came up with this brilliant idea at one in the morning, and when I woke up, I had already made a logo and posted it on Instagram so oh well let's make it up as we go. 

 

 

(why is the process of uploading images so strange?)

 

Anyway, as you can see, I am very mature and professional. I tried to turn the toilet paper roll into a lowercase "q" (kinda like the Flyers with the "p"), but I don't think I really succeeded. I have mostly branded the series with just a single roll, and sports can be switched out by shoving them in the middle.

 

 

I compiled a list of 36 cities and took to my Instagram and polled the poop out of the 12 people that follow me until it was down to the 18 logos to be made (if I stay motivated that long)

[hkynik_55]

Okay, so I have made a logo, even if it is not good. I don't really care. I can do whatever I want. 

 

(C&C always appreciated)

 

The first poll was for the NBA which had eight cities (Seattle, Vancouver, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Austin, Columbus, Baltimore, and Montreal) condense to four. Of those four survivors, Vancouver was one I was really excited about.

 

 

Yeah, yeah, it's not the Grizzlies, but that name is already taken.

 

Vancouver has been known for its conservation and innovation in urban planning and expansion, setting the example for how to have a big, full city without destroying the ozone. So what better mascot than a native to the nearby Pacific Ocean, a Sealion (listen, I know its two words but pushing them together works better). The Lion is meant to look focused but cool, spinning that basketball and all. I tried to do the same thing as neighbor Canucks, shaping the Sealion like an "S", like how the Whale is shaped into a "C". I tried to pick a chill and watery color scheme, using the Grizzlies old teal matched with some navy. 

 

Overall, I'm not super excited about the result, but it's alright I guess. I've noticed that NBA teams like to have their name with the main logo. Personally, I hate this because its like saying "Hey, we're not popular enough for you to know us, so we'll tell you." You won't see the Cowboys slapping a circle around the iconic star that says "We're the Cowboys, yeehaw!" They don't have to because you know who they are just by looking at the star. Still, I will probably make word \marks for the logos that move on to the "next" round (idk I am making it up as I go like I said). As a logo moves on, it will get more and more stuff, like uniforms, graphics, alternate logos, etc. (if I feel like it).

 

Any little corrections or pet peeves you may have with the Sealions or anything else make sure to tell me because I want to make sure to truly perfect these designs as much as possible, especially since I'm trying to get them out quick. Once polling comes around, they probably will look a little different and a little better with more time. That's why its called a "concept" I guess.

 

You can tell me how bad I am too, if you want. Completely understandable. 

[sky1324]

This is a great start! The sea lion is very identifiable, and the colors are great. I think the one thing that could use some work is the separation between the front flippers. The position doesn't quite match the perspective the rest of the animal is at. Other than that, this is a very strong start, well done!

[Section30]

The images aren't loading for me

[mvk]

It looks a little like a teal banana that is partially peeled.  I think with some refinement of the shape, it’d be a very good logo.

[hallucinathan]

23 hours ago, QCS said:

This is a great start! The sea lion is very identifiable, and the colors are great. I think the one thing that could use some work is the separation between the front flippers. The position doesn't quite match the perspective the rest of the animal is at. Other than that, this is a very strong start, well done!

These are my thoughts exactly. Love the idea, just think the shape of the sea lion needs a little work, especially around the flippers.

[hkynik_55]

Okay fellow children, 

I'm back for another episode of "pretty colors and pretty shapes"

My name is Chris Creamer, and I am your host.

 

Thanks to all for the feedback. It's amazing how anyone can post anything on here, and there is an almost immediate response, even though I have no respect or track record at all. I did indeed see the responses, but then I promptly forgot until a few minutes ago, so here I am. It's about time I got back to you all:

 

On 4/5/2020 at 7:14 PM, Section30 said:

The images aren't loading for me

Hopefully it loads now. I used a different hosting service this time. To be honest, I just don't really remember which one I used for the first post, but I know I used postimage for this post because it was one of the few sites that could handle the my size and specifics. I think that these images are a little lower quality, but maybe that is just me. Make sure to tell me if they load this time!

 

On 4/5/2020 at 2:11 PM, QCS said:

This is a great start! The sea lion is very identifiable, and the colors are great. I think the one thing that could use some work is the separation between the front flippers. The position doesn't quite match the perspective the rest of the animal is at. Other than that, this is a very strong start, well done!

On 4/5/2020 at 11:56 PM, mvk said:

It looks a little like a teal banana that is partially peeled.  I think with some refinement of the shape, it’d be a very good logo.

On 4/6/2020 at 1:41 PM, hallucinathan said:

These are my thoughts exactly. Love the idea, just think the shape of the sea lion needs a little work, especially around the flippers.

Thanks for the constructive criticism guys. This is the kind of feedback you just can't get from the people around you or people you know, and I sincerely appreciate it. I am sarcastic a lot but I mean it.

 

So I've tried to refine the flippers time and time again, but I kinda just gave up. Nothing looked quite right without redoing the whole thing, so I just said who even needs flippers anyway? The peeled banana has turned into the sexy pablano pepper:

 

 

I mean really, in a lot of ways, it is worse than my first iteration. There's no fun ball, although that could be added, but it looked better without one I think. If someone had to guess what animal it is, maybe they'll say a sea( )lion before they guess a slug, duck, or beaver. There is no full body, which has become a bit extinct in the sports world as time progressed, but who even cares it is all a simulation and we are just living in it.

 

I mean, our slippery friend has gotten a little better, too. He's also gotten a little fatter, which makes him look more like a sealion and less like a seacat. The "S" shape is much easier to see, and it is less of a reach to point out. It looks more like it belongs in the NBA, setting up perfectly for the name-and-city-in-a-circle thing that can be seen all across the league. I know I said I don't like when teams do that, and I still don't, but there still has to be some sort of logo that displays the name. What is shown above would still be the primary.

 

I mean, I kinda just scribbled this out in a little less than an hour and called it an improvement, and it may just be that. It does kinda lose some of that "identifiable" look because if you replace the teal with gray and squint, you may just see a Timberwolf. It's clean and simple, though, which I learned in sports branding class. "Timeless, make it timeless you scum!" (I never liked that teacher). This is a little more within my realm of talent compared to a whole animal, which sounds like a pathetic excuse considering I should be able draw or whatever, but like my made-up teacher said, I can say that it is probably more timeless in this way.

 

The whole point of this series is to get logos out quickly and sorta half-baked in an effort to prepare myself for the speed of the upcoming season, where I run my school's athletics accounts, as well as get quick feedback from other people instead of always micromanaging projects. There will only be primaries for now, but as previously mentioned, when I finally finish all of these, I plan on polling them March Madness style via Instagram, and the logos that move on get alternate logos, wordmarks, and uniforms. If the Lions move on, I plan on returning the classic banana peel as an alternate. Hopefully, it'll look a little better by then.

 

 

Ever heard of this city called Pittsburgh? I heard the beaches are fine there.

They really don't want an NBA team there, but everyone that doesn't live in the city is not only oblivious to the beautiful beaches, they are also oblivious to how to pronounce "Monongahela" (which of course is the name of the river the beaches are on). But seriously, everyone is oblivious to the fact Pittsburgh doesn't really want basketball (from what I can tell), even though they can't even sell out the Oakland Zoo anymore over at Pitt.

 

I know all these things, but even I still want them to join the storied trio of the Steelers, the Pirates, and that one other team no one cares about. So, here's the rundown: The city has a deep history of people living and working in smog-producing factories, building stuff, and they even dabbled in mining. And as one voice-cracking, overdramatic Chris Martin once said, "Yeah, they were all yellow."

 

 

Look guys, it forms a "P"! Isn't that so cool? I just learned the alphabet.

 

The city of Pittsburgh has had three NBA basketball teams, the Condors, the Pipers, and the clear standout, the Ironmen. That Ironmen moniker far predated Tony Stark's birth too, just as an FYI. Those three names are shown respect with three stripes behind the hammer. Yellow and black is displayed proudly, and you can just taste the Mon-ah-ga-heel-a River looking at it.  An underpaid, immigrant Italian worker from when it was still "Pittsburg" would be proud... if he knew what a basketball was. 

 

I'm currently really happy with how this one turned out, and I can confidently say if the NBA put a team in the Steel City, and they came out with this... I would still complain. Because I am evil. It's a pretty simple logo with a decent idea, which is all you need in my opinion, and it keeps from what I usually do, which is oversimplify my ideas to be a crutch for talent. I am learning, and it's working out pretty well because I now know "S" and "P" are letters.

 

If you made it this far, I am so sorry. If you didn't, then how are you even here, bro? 

 

But wait, before you go look at someone more talented, answer me this question:

 

Can the Pittsburgh logo above pass with the moniker "Ironmen" attached to it, or is the hammer too unrelated for the name to work?

 

I'd love to know y'all's opinions. Tell me I suck. Tell me I'm unfunny. Tell me you didn't understand a lick of this entire post. I don't even understand a lick of this entire post. I'm going to wake up and reread this and then I will swiftly delete it. But for now, it is past my bedtime, so goodnight.

[mvk]

Decent logo but maybe too generic.  Possibly can be improved by putting the basketball lines on the business end of the hammer.

[hkynik_55]

On 5/13/2020 at 9:48 AM, mvk said:

Decent logo but maybe too generic.  Possibly can be improved by putting the basketball lines on the business end of the hammer.

I'm going to keep it the way it is for now. I want the logos to be relatively diverse, and as you will see, I have used and am planning on using heavy basketball-related imagery in the other designs. Besides, I feel like the greatest logos don't have to tell you what sport they belong to.. It is the same sort of thing as some teams adding their name and city to the main crest, like I whined like a kid about before. That being said, I am a hypocrite, but I am trying to only include a basketball in a logo if it really is detrimental in a design and really enhances it. I think that adding a basketball to the hammer would just distract from the rest of the logo. Thanks for the feedback though!

 

Hey, I know only a few people saw the last post but no one answered...

Hammers or Ironmen??

 

Alright onto the next city...

 

And this one @mvk does indeed include a basketball, but I think it really is integral to the design.

 

We got the much clamored for Seattle Supersonics:

 

 

Unlike Pittsburgh, I think everyone would agree that Seattle needs an NBA teams and while the city doesn't exactly breathe basketball, they certainly shout out like they do. At this point, there is pretty much no excuse, with an NHL team coming, funding supported by the city, and the state of the art arena being built. I think the city collectively prays every night that Oklahoma City would fall into the ocean or desert or whatever is in Oklahoma. 

 

The Sonics were actually named to help promote the Boeing-12633298374 Jet (I don't remember or feel like looking up the number). It would be really easy to just cash in on the 90s-esque logo everyone remembers, but that nostalgia wouldn't last too long past the team's first few games. Why not go back even further into the Sonics history to create something really prestigious, which I think was achieved with this logo. It's a jet flying low across Seattle, passing by the iconic Needle, and its trails form a basketball for yet another circular logo (whoops). The Needle pierces through part of the circle, showing its height, and it doubles as a Jets-like compass, celebrating Seattle as the would-be northernmost city in the NBA. I chose SuperSonics over just Sonics because I think it adds more to the aeronautic theme, and it carries more pride. Also, there's no confusion with a hedgehog.

 

This turned out alright I guess. I kinda think that the proportions are off, but it was the best I could get while still depicting a ball I guess. Tell me what you think.

 

Also, Hammers or Ironmen? Tell meeee

[mvk]

Really like the Supersonics logo, even if the green is a bit muted.  I think a darker, richer green would help it out a bit.

 

Not really feeling Hammers or Ironman, I think Vulcans would be a pretty good name though, and the imagery would be similar.

[mbannon92]

Pittsburgh

Love this logo. Bold lines, not over-designed, and it does a good job of conveying motion. I like the addition of silver/grey too, I works well with the black and bright yellow. As far as your question, I prefer the name Hammers - Ironmen just congers up images of the super hero. 
 

Supersonics

I really like the general idea of this one, but I think the line work could use some tweaks. I would make the green inline and basketball lines thicker, and make the basketball lines an even weight. I would make the start of the vapor trail the same thickness as the other lines, and then taper it thinner as it gets closer to the plane.

[hkynik_55]

21 hours ago, mbannon92 said:

Supersonics

I really like the general idea of this one, but I think the line work could use some tweaks. I would make the green inline and basketball lines thicker, and make the basketball lines an even weight. I would make the start of the vapor trail the same thickness as the other lines, and then taper it thinner as it gets closer to the plane.

On 5/16/2020 at 1:23 AM, mvk said:

Really like the Supersonics logo, even if the green is a bit muted.  I think a darker, richer green would help it out a bit.

Alright, I got you dudes covered (I think). Thanks for the feedback a ton. This really helped a lot!

 

Presenting the new and improved (and strangely blurry) Seattle Supersonics:

 

 

We got some nice darker colors @mvk, which are actually closer to the 2000s Sonics than the 80s Sonics that I was originally going for. This looks a lot better.

 

The lines are now a little thicker @mbannon92, and there's less empty space. This really helped the proportion problem I was talking about, and even though its still not perfect, I am satisfied enough.

 

More to come...

 

[MDGP]

I'm gonna be honest, for someone with "no design sense whatsoever" you've got some pretty solid design sense. Seriously, I see a lot of potential in these designs.

 

I'm gonna run through the positives and negatives of each, sorry in advance if this post is really long.

 

Toilet Paper Logo -- This is fun. I like the tongue and cheek use of the toilet paper and the way you implemented the sports equipment into each is pretty elegant. It reminds me of how some college conferences try to incorporate the sport into the conference logo.

 

There are two main issues I have. The first, as you acknowledged is that it doesn't pull off the Flyers effect (to be honest, I don't really think the Flyers pull off the Flyers effect). I do think there's a simple remedy here, and that is to simply extend the loose part of the roll down below the bottom of the roll. As of now it looks more like an A.

 

The second issue is that the perspective of the roll itself is off. This is caused because you have the logo at a 3/4 angle, but the right side, the portion that is supposed to be farther away from the viewer, is taller than the left side, which throws off the perception, since the brain thinks it should be smaller. From what I see, this problem is caused by the bottom of the roll. While the top is a straight line between the two circular ends, the bottom curves giving the perception that it is at a flatter angle, thereby making it appear as though the shape gets larger towards the right.

 

 

Sea Lions -- Hmmmmmmm, that design looks pretty familiar. It's like something a reaaaaaally amazing designer did a few years back...

 

 

Don't worry, I'm not actually accusing you of anything other than maybe parallel thinking, haha. However, as someone who did an extremely similar design, I actually have a weird direct insight on your problem.

 

There are a bunch of issues that keep your logo from looking realistic. The first major one is that you're not getting the true shape of a sea lion, the basic idea is there, but the details wrong and it creates an uncanny valley problem. The second issue kind of goes hand in hand with the first in that your perspective is absolutely off. The head and the tail indicate that we're looking at a profile view of the sea lion. The flippers appear to be from a head on perspective however. So, there are two ways to fix this. The first would be to leave the competing perspectives, but take real care into separating the flippers and neck from the lower body by extending the outlines more (similar to how the neck extends on my concept). Currently it's all just one big blob of shape and it's difficult to separate the different parts of the body.

 

One thing I'd suggest that will help with both the realism and the perspective problems is to make reference images your best friend. I personally will drag multiple right onto my canvas and will constantly compare them to my designs. When I was first starting out, I'd even trace elements of actual pictures to get a feel for the shapes and the angles to really get a feel for them. Ultimately, it's not the easiest thing in the world at first, but with some practice it'll come much more naturally.

 

Sea Lion Logo Part 2 -- Your second Sea Lions logo works a bit better because it is more stylized than the first, and you can get away with a bit more of the abstract ideas. However, you've drawn the neck/throat area in such a way that it creates a big blob of blue outline. This is considerably larger than the rest of the outline and that inconsistently makes your line work appear sloppy.

 

I also don't think your use of shading brings anything to the table here. It's extremely subtle and really doesn't add any depth. To get shading right, you need to establish a single light source. Here, your shading is on the top of the head, the back of the neck, and the front of the torso, so there's not really a single light source that would correspond. I would guide you on how to fix that, but honestly I'm awful when it comes to realistic shading to the point where almost none of my designs feature it. Sorry I couldn't be more help there.

The final thing is minor, but the bottom of the eye is a straight line on a logo that features no other straight lines, so it sticks out like a sore thumb to me.

 

Pittsburgh Hammers -- I'm also aware, having lived in PA for six years while in school, that Pittsburgh has zero interest in basketball! The sheer apathy is pretty fascinating for a city that is sports crazy.

 

As for the logo? Pretty damn great. Your use of perspective is pretty spot on and I like the harsh lighitng on the handle. The not so hidden P is a really nice touch. If I had to critique anything, it's that the rounded bottom on the handle reminds me of plastic toys. But honestly, it's really not a big deal.

 

Seattle SuperSonics -- Any issues I had, you fixed with your update. This is a very professional, elegant logo. I do agree with mbannon that it would work better if the lines on the ball were an even weight, but it's certainly not bad at all the way you have it now. This would make a great secondary logo for the sonics.

 

Overall, I applaud your work so far. Definitely keep working because I really think you've got the potential to make something really special in the future.

[jbird669]

I'm digging the Supersonics! While I am not a fan of Pittsburgh's nickname, I love the logo!

[hkynik_55]

On 5/18/2020 at 2:01 AM, MDGP said:

Someone with no design sense whatsoever. 

 

Toilet Paper Logo - There are two main issues I have. The first, as you acknowledged is that it doesn't pull off the Flyers effect (to be honest, I don't really think the Flyers pull off the Flyers effect). I do think there's a simple remedy here, and that is to simply extend the loose part of the roll down below the bottom of the roll. As of now it looks more like an A.

 

The second issue is that the perspective of the roll itself is off. This is caused because you have the logo at a 3/4 angle, but the right side, the portion that is supposed to be farther away from the viewer, is taller than the left side, which throws off the perception, since the brain thinks it should be smaller. From what I see, this problem is caused by the bottom of the roll. While the top is a straight line between the two circular ends, the bottom curves giving the perception that it is at a flatter angle, thereby making it appear as though the shape gets larger towards the right.

 

 

Sea Lions -- Don't worry, I'm actually accusing you.

 

.

There are a bunch of issues that keep your logo from looking realistic. The first major one is that you're not getting the true shape of a sea lion, the basic idea is there, but the details wrong and it creates an uncanny valley problem. The second issue kind of goes hand in hand with the first in that your perspective is absolutely off. The head and the tail indicate that we're looking at a profile view of the sea lion. The flippers appear to be from a head on perspective however. So, there are two ways to fix this. The first would be to leave the competing perspectives, but take real care into separating the flippers and neck from the lower body by extending the outlines more (similar to how the neck extends on my concept). Currently it's all just one big blob of shape and it's difficult to separate the different parts of the body.

 

One thing I'd suggest that will help with both the realism and the perspective problems is to make reference images your best friend. I personally will drag multiple right onto my canvas and will constantly compare them to my designs. When I was first starting out, I'd even trace elements of actual pictures to get a feel for the shapes and the angles to really get a feel for them. Ultimately, it's not the easiest thing in the world at first, but with some practice it'll come much more naturally.

 

Sea Lion Logo Part 2 -- However, you've drawn the neck/throat area in such a way that it creates a big blob of blue outline. This is considerably larger than the rest of the outline and that inconsistently makes your line work appear sloppy.

 

I also don't think your use of shading brings anything to the table here. It's extremely subtle and really doesn't add any depth. To get shading right, you need to establish a single light source. Here, your shading is on the top of the head, the back of the neck, and the front of the torso, so there's not really a single light source that would correspond. I would guide you on how to fix that, but honestly I'm awful when it comes to realistic shading to the point where almost none of my designs feature it. Sorry I couldn't be more help there.

The final thing is minor, but the bottom of the eye is a straight line on a logo that features no other straight lines, so it sticks out like a sore thumb to me.

 

Pittsburgh Hammers -- As for the logo? that the rounded bottom on the handle reminds me of plastic toys. 

 

Seattle SuperSonics -- issues

(Sorry if some of your writing got deleted. I had to cut down some of the very rude comments you made. Trying to make myself look good here)

 

You basically pointed out everything wrong with the Toilet Paper logo that I was too blind to see. I remember when I designed it, I just kept poking at it, adding something then command+z over and over, but I knew there was something holding it back. It was definitely not really looking like a Q, and it looked a little too... clipartish, I guess? I think that is because of that perspective error that you mentioned. I will probably fix it before it goes on Behance or anything and maybe even before the next round. For right now, I'm going to stick with it until I'm done the 18 logos, since my social medias are already branded with the current flawed version.

 

Now, did I copy your Sealion? Yes... probably. I will tell you your logo looks incredibly familiar. Whenever I have a logo I want to make, I usually type in what company or team it is for into Google, for example "Vancouver NBA" for this, to get some initial inspiration. Then, I wait a few days in an effort to not copy something before I start designing. I guess that didn't work this time, and I think I may have subconsciously took your idea as well as a few other people's. I mean even a recent post by @BayBaseballFan uses that Sealion balancing a ball on its nose (only its done well unlike mine). As for the criticism, I completely agree with everything you said. Like the event logo, you pretty much opened my eyes up to what was making the design look off. I will probably never use the first Lion logo again though, but I think the second one can work just fine when I change some stuff, like the unnecessary shadowing.

 

Thank you so much for all of that! I mean, it's amazing how much help you can get from random people on the internet. Of course, I deleted some of your positive stuff in an effort to make a bad joke, but I really appreciate it. Love your work too (so much that I stole it). Definitely a better designer after reading that. Thanks again.

 

On 5/18/2020 at 4:59 PM, jbird669 said:

I'm digging the Supersonics! While I am not a fan of Pittsburgh's nickname, I love the logo!

Thanks so much! I think I'm going to settle on Ironmen for now, even though it doesn't seem like anyone loves any of the names brought up so far. It just speaks the most to me.

 

Alright you wild graphic designers, I know how to get this website turnt. Let's get some party poetry up in here:

 

"I like that juice box wet, she keep that juice box juicy"

 

That gets me right in the feels every time.

 

These are words that can be only written by a Florida Man. I'd like to thank him for giving me the inspiration to make this logo:

 

 

That Florida Man, by the way, is Pitbull. The best musician. Ever.

 

The actual inspiration for the name is the fact that it has been brought up so many times for an NBA team, in name-the-team contests, rumors, leaks, but there's still not a team that has the guts to take it on. Can you believe they chose Magic, like the Mickey Potter nonsense (idk I didn't watch the movie), over the Orlando Juice? They chose the Miami Heat, when new fans were clamoring for the Juice (probably). This is the perfect name for a basketball team. It just makes me thirsty for some balls and backboards.

 

As for the actual logo, it's a bit of a thinker (and a bit of a stinker). The idea was a dude holding a basketball like he's about to dunk it, but also some juice and an orange, but also a J, because I know the alphabet. I have no idea if I succeeded, but at the very least it is an orange and red ripoff of the Jazz. I mean if the Bucs are too deaf to bring back the creamsicle colors, someone has to. I will say that those colors alone make the logo pop out, which is nice considering the actual logo doesn't really make sense.

 

Would Pitbull be proud?

 

Maybe I should DM him.

 

He'd probably just say "Dalé!" at me.

 

or leave me on read.

 

Welp it's worth a try. I'll get back to you all when I get a response.

[BayBaseballFan]

53 minutes ago, hkynik_55 said:

I mean even a recent post by @BayBaseballFan uses that Sealion balancing a ball on its nose (only its done well unlike mine).

 

Appreciate the kind words @hkynik_55, but I would politely disagree that my mark is better than yours. As I truly have no design skill, my design was just a transformed piece of free-use vector art. I do really like the subtle shading to achieve a polished look in yours.  

[Krz]

[hkynik_55]

Okay children, I'm back with another coolio logo. It's been a minute but I had online finals to take, NASCAR was back on, and there's tons of stuff going on in the world, so I just wasn't in the mood to create or post anything.

 

The NBA is done. I'll probably tweak the logos a bit more, but I am happy with the Vancouver Sealions, Seattle Supersonics, Pittsburgh Ironmen, and Tampa Bay Juice. 

 

So, now onto the league and sport closest to me, the National Hockey League.

 

When I polled NHL cities a million years ago on Instagram, it started with Quebec City, Hamilton, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Houston, Saskatoon, Halifax, and Cleveland. That shrined down to just Quebec City, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Cleveland as voted on by my followers.

 

I decided to start with Kansas City:

 

Alright so, it is literally the flag of the city flipped on its side.

 

But doesn't it look cool? It forms a B obviously, but all the "Blades" teams that have come to hockey over decades, from the Saskatoon Blades to the LA Blades to the Florida Blades to the Kansas City Blades (not this one but an old minor pro team), have this look to their logos. It's usually a skate or a stick or just a shape with some kind of trailing streak behind it. Even the Canucks skate kinda has that look. This logo kinda acts like the definitive emblem of all the Blades that has come before it. I tried to mess with the look to make it more of my own thing, but I just kept looking at the very first design, where I literally rotated the Kansas City flag ninety degrees and realized the perfect look just landed on my lap, so I might as well just pass it on as my own. I'm hoping it comes off more clever than it does a rip-off, but I mean it's probably the least effort I've ever put into any graphic design work.

 

I kept away from the "Scouts" name and logo for the probable offensive connotations they have, and I mean American Indian related names really just should not exist anymore. However, I kept the red, white, and blue colors of the city's old NHL team, which doubles as a patriotic thing kinda. The logo also has sort of a late 70s aesthetic, which also pays homage to the Scouts because that is when they existed.

 

Colors work similar to the Leafs' (Leafs's?) or Lighting's logos, so it can be displayed in any one color to fit the background it is on, whether that be red, white, blue, or black. I think that makes this crest have much more potential to be timeless, being so simple and only having one color. If you can sketch a logo with a pencil in a few seconds, like you can with the Yankees or the Whalers for example, it probably is a pretty iconic design.

 

What do you think? Am I a hack?