.

[barnesdesign]

This has been a great topic to read. Nice insights not only in uniform design, but the field of sports design as well.

[BrandMooreArt]

i have to say, whats made this thread really special is all of you guys posting and asking some great questions. i've enjoyed reading Brian's responses to all of them. i thanked him a few pages back; i should thank the general board community as well. the design community is a pretty tight group, i mean we all follow each other on dribbble, behance, twitter, read the same blogs, etc. which i love, but its cool to actually see some interaction with the intended audience.

[gordie_delini]

Oldschoolvikings: As far as the "monochrome" look goes, here's how that works. We will design a uniform to have interchangeable components so that a team can do a monochrome look *if they choose*. What they wear on gameday is chosen by the equipment staff and sometimes the players themselves. All we do is provide them with options. How they put them together is not up to us. So in a way, it's driven by both us and the clients themselves, but it's typically driven by client requests. This includes things like adding black or anthracite alternates. Oftentimes that's a direct request. Boise State is a good example. As far as things like sublimated numbers, that's more coming from us. This is a relatively new technology, and for us it's about telling the story of the uniform in every detail, the numbers included. However, if the client decides they want to not include that, then we will drop it. And we only do that *when it's appropriate*. Not every team gets the sublimated numbers, it's only when we feel it adds to the story.

Coheed: I love the new Oregon uniforms head to toe. I feel like the Ducks are the first school to really put their mascot on their uniform, and the wing design is so iconic, I absolutely love it. And the more I've seen it, the more accustomed I've become to seeing the O on the back of the helmet. I love our O - Hayward Field surrounded by Autzen - but the wings feel like the next step in our brand evolution.

[kpbl_design]

i have to say, whats made this thread really special is all of you guys posting and asking some great questions. i've enjoyed reading Brian's responses to all of them. i thanked him a few pages back; i should thank the general board community as well. the design community is a pretty tight group, i mean we all follow each other on dribbble, behance, twitter, read the same blogs, etc. which i love, but its cool to actually see some interaction with the intended audience.

Why do we not do this more often???

[gordie_delini]

i have to say, whats made this thread really special is all of you guys posting and asking some great questions. i've enjoyed reading Brian's responses to all of them. i thanked him a few pages back; i should thank the general board community as well. the design community is a pretty tight group, i mean we all follow each other on dribbble, behance, twitter, read the same blogs, etc. which i love, but its cool to actually see some interaction with the intended audience.

Why do we not do this more often???

Generally because of non-disclosure agreements lol

[kpbl_design]

i have to say, whats made this thread really special is all of you guys posting and asking some great questions. i've enjoyed reading Brian's responses to all of them. i thanked him a few pages back; i should thank the general board community as well. the design community is a pretty tight group, i mean we all follow each other on dribbble, behance, twitter, read the same blogs, etc. which i love, but its cool to actually see some interaction with the intended audience.

Why do we not do this more often???

Generally because of non-disclosure agreements lol

Ah yes, I'm familiar with that term as well!

For real though, it's nice when everyone's just kickin' it, sharing ideas, and building this community.

[mattb6]

this is just a gread thread like bradmooreart said, thanks to everyone for the great questions and especially to gordie_delini for the great answers and insight!

[Gfonk04]

Okay, so how about training and resources? I know you mentioned a little about your career path to Nike a few pages back, but what about getting started in graphic arts and design? Is your degree in art or visual arts or something like that?

What would you recommend for amateurs like many on this board who might lack the time or resources to pursue a degree in graphic design?

Are there online or even particular courses possibly found at local colleges that might give a good foundation for hobbyists like me?

I think a lot of us on here have a passion for art and design but most of us never got past the doodles-on-notepaper-during-electrical-engineering-classes stage. I often feel like even though I enjoy drawing and creating a great deal, I lack some of the underlying science of art (if that makes sense).

Do amateurs or self-educated designers get much traction in the actual design business? I don't mean the lucky guy who designs the Senators third jersey or whoever wins the Brewers create-an-alt contest, but paid professionals who have little or no formal schooling?

Thanks for fielding all of these questions!

[UnclearInitial]

Congrats on getting your dream job, Brian!

Question: Do Nike designers sketch their concepts with pencil and paper before digitalizing it or do they skip that and jump on a program the moment they get the commission?

[gordie_delini]

Gfonk04: From my previous answer - my degree is in Digital Art from the University of Oregon. I would recommend you start googling things like "graphic design inspiration" there are tons of sites out there. Hone your drawing skills - that's key. Being able to have a good concept is as important as much as executing it. Make sure you learn your software inside and out; there are free alternatives to the Adobe stuff that's perfectly adequate for amateur work. Plenty of designers have no formal training and make it in this industry, though that's becoming more and more of a rarity. You have to be an AMAZING designer to make that happen, and that kind of talent is rare, but it does happen.

anythinglogos: Thank you! Sometimes designers go to the sketchbook, sometimes it's straight into the software. It really depends what we're working on. Occasionally it does help to draw out on paper first before jumping into Illustrator.

[JPDesign]

I freelanced for a bit and then got a job working at a company called HereNow Creative Network, which does retail production work for Nike.

My sister worked at HereNow about that time as well! Did you ever know a Melissa Peabody?

[BrandMooreArt]

What would you recommend for amateurs like many on this board who might lack the time or resources to pursue a degree in graphic design?

Are there online or even particular courses possibly found at local colleges that might give a good foundation for hobbyists like me?

I think a lot of us on here have a passion for art and design but most of us never got past the doodles-on-notepaper-during-electrical-engineering-classes stage. I often feel like even though I enjoy drawing and creating a great deal, I lack some of the underlying science of art (if that makes sense).

Do amateurs or self-educated designers get much traction in the actual design business? I don't mean the lucky guy who designs the Senators third jersey or whoever wins the Brewers create-an-alt contest, but paid professionals who have little or no formal schooling?

Thanks for fielding all of these questions!

i think i can expand on Brian's answer here.

a career in the industry requires mostly time and hard work. if you're a freelancer, its more time and more work. i would suggest, if possible, pursuing a degree in graphic design if thats really where you want to go (of course i have to mention my alma madder Full Sail University but tuition there is steep these days). if not, you can get a lot out of online resources. tutorials, blogs, places like SmashingMagazine, Lynda.com, LogoDesignLove, ConceptArt.org can offer a lot.

there may be online courses you can take, but instead of going that route, i'd suggest gathering the resources yourself online. like i said, theres tons of info out there. designers love to talk about design and new things they've discovered or tested, many have their own blogs for such things. also, there are some books that i would recommend buying as well: Graphic Design Thinking, Art and Fear, The Brand Gap (if you're into branding), Design Basics for Creative Results, Vector Basic training (for Illustrator) Thinking With Type, and pretty much any similar ones that might come up on Amazon if you do a search for these. most importantly though, learn the basic elements (shape, color, type. . .), principles (unity, contrast, flow/direction, rhythm . . ), and theories (gestalt, golden ratio, Gutenberg diagram). those will never change and never steer you wrong

and yes, those self educated designers do well. many agencys/studios ask for a degree in the field, but your whole career will start with your online portfolio. thats what will get you considered for a job (not land you one, but considered) with either a studio or freelance client. and most of the self educated guys i know are freelancers. not because they cant get into a studio, but by choice.

[LETSGOBLUEBEATMSU]

We're you apart of the don bosco unis nike released tonight?

[PhlyBoy]

Gordie: Do you guys ever joke about the terrible ideas of the other companies like Adidas or Russell? Like "dude, you see those unis Adidas threw together that look like something they've done like 8 times already?" Or anything like that? You are a very professional guy from all your posts and Nike is a stand up company (my favorite), but there's got to be a little competitive fun out there behind the scenes.

[ONUV]

sorry if this has been asked. is this site well known at nike?

[Kevin W.]

sorry if this has been asked. is this site well known at nike?

No.

[davidpwoods]

Just want to say thanks for such an awesome thread. Incredible insight. Can't wait to see the 2013 stuff you worked on.

[Jezus_Ghoti]

Dunno anything about a redesign for the Titans.

This isn't a question, but you should really consider getting Nike to use those numbers you designed for the high school rivalry uniform you posted early in this thread (LINK). Would be a great fit.

[PhlyBoy]

oops

[nuordr]

Did you laugh when your boss first showed you those horribly designed Oregon uniforms? Can you tell us what Georgia actually thought of their Pro Combat uniform? Did they hate or love it?