World Cup Shirt/Design Project
- Thread starter dirtynine
- Start date
Cameroon shield is AWESOME. Kinda wish you had done something with a bit more Red or yellow elsewhere on the shirt, but still a really cool shirt, my favorite of the group.dirtynine said:
dirtynine said:
Please do. I'm really loving the designs and as someone who bought one of your earlier US-inspired ones, I'm really looking forward to getting a couple more.
I'm passing these all around the office and to friends. It's great, everyone I show this to has a different favorite, but the shirts are universally loved. Great work.
You guys are great - thanks for sharing it around.
For Christmas: I can't get the actual shirt to you by then (we're taking pre-orders for a few weeks, then making each shirt in batches). However, anybody who orders a WC shirt will be sent a "coming soon" card that looks like this:
which can be stuffed in a stocking, etc. This is free and automatic with each order. Happy to personalize them if the purchaser would like. Order by the 20th and I can get that to you no problem.
For Christmas: I can't get the actual shirt to you by then (we're taking pre-orders for a few weeks, then making each shirt in batches). However, anybody who orders a WC shirt will be sent a "coming soon" card that looks like this:
which can be stuffed in a stocking, etc. This is free and automatic with each order. Happy to personalize them if the purchaser would like. Order by the 20th and I can get that to you no problem.
dirtynine said:
I hate to be the fly in the ointment but I don't like the Mexico shirt. Personally, I think the lucha libre thing is a little passe (I roll my eyes every time I see some knucklehead in the stands with one of those masks on). I don't have an artistic bone in my body so I couldn't say what I would have done differently - maybe an Aztec reference would have been too cliche - but something like a Quetzalcoatl would get my attention more. Though that's probably a tad ambitious for a project such as this. I do like the stripe that signifies the salute to the flag, though. That's a really nice touch.
For what it's worth, I am enjoying a lot of these (I LOVE the Cameroon shirt) and loved every one of the baseball-soccer crossover shirts, so it's not that I don't enjoy your work.
I really appreciate the honest feedback - especially from a legit MX fan. My goal is to design something that fans/citizens of each country would say has a mix of fun and pride to it. I know my soccer pretty well but I'm definitely not inside the head of every fan base - so some designs might lean on cliches just a little bit. In a way, though, that's what I love about being a USMNT fan - the chance to dress up like an Uncle Sam-loving, flag-waving fool.
(On the Mexico shirt the lucha angle came late in the process; I was playing with native patterns but not really getting to a good spot. The salute stripe was the main element of the shirt and it's still my favorite thing about the design.)
(On the Mexico shirt the lucha angle came late in the process; I was playing with native patterns but not really getting to a good spot. The salute stripe was the main element of the shirt and it's still my favorite thing about the design.)
dirtynine said:
I hate just about everything about Mexican Soccer, but love just about everything about the spectacular Mexican flag. The eagle murdering a snake is more than a little bit awesome and could be incorporated tastefully by someone of your talents.
These are great, btw and I really like both Brazil and Camaroon.
dirtynine said:
I probably have a stronger reaction to the lucha libre thing than most. Ever since the movie Nacho Libre dropped, that entire culture seems like it's viewed as a huge joke, much like wrestling here in the States. Growing up here has given me a different perspective on how that whole culture is viewed, so my opinion is likely in the minority of Mexican soccer fans.
Gunfighter 09 said:
I could definitely get behind that.
Bosoxen said:
As I researched lucha libre culture during the design process (I knew very little), I found out just how beloved the wrestling culture is in Mexico, and just how seriously the "mask" thing is taken. The masks are sacred. Early masked luchadors like Santo were revered - and would go out in public in their mask, it was such a big part of their character. Santo got buried in his mask. The whole thing seemed to have a reverence that I wasn't expecting, and that made me think it was worth pursuing. I get the impression that spiritual heroes play a big role in Mexican culture - that was what I was kind of getting at.
The eagle/snake thing is awesome, of course. (I love the Gadsden snake as a US symbol, but the Mexican flag is a great comeback to that idea.)
Just another ho-hum note of appreciation here. I'm really impressed with both the discussion of the design process you put on the site and with the way you're incorporating hints of each culture into the visuals.
To me, it seems like the biggest challenge is incorporating your Clean Sheet logo with the design--too much and people wonder WTF that shield and star are there for, too little and there's no continuity across designs (and people won't recognize your brand). Regardless, following the process as you create these is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
To me, it seems like the biggest challenge is incorporating your Clean Sheet logo with the design--too much and people wonder WTF that shield and star are there for, too little and there's no continuity across designs (and people won't recognize your brand). Regardless, following the process as you create these is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
Your design work is ridiculously good. The USA/Mexico poster is one of the best pieces of design I have seen in a long time.
Thanks guys. The shield/star logo is something I'm trying to build some equity with, and it also helps me anchor the design around something. I hate a blank slate; I work a lot better when I'm pinging off a pre-existing challenge (like how to incorporate the logo into each design).
Group C is up now. A slightly plain/minimalist group, but fun.
Group C is up now. A slightly plain/minimalist group, but fun.
Yeah, I love the Japan shirt. Between the crow and the rising sun in the shield, it is an awesome shirt.
apologies if you've answered this before Dirtynine, but do you do this for a living or a hobby? Do you have a facebook page I can link your stuff to?
Love the designs so far. Might I humbly suggest accelerating release dates for Group G? I'm interested in two shirts (USA, Germany) whose designs won't be out until the 20th. It's a bit hard to recommend these as gifts to/from family members for Christmas without having a working link and picture of the design.
Just my $0.02.
Just my $0.02.
Clean Sheet is still a side project for me right now, but growing kind of quickly. And yes, I do: Facebook is here (& Twitter is here).
edit. and re. the timing, I hear you. I may have to move Group G up in the rotation... good point. I'm going to get through Friday (halfway point) and see how things look this weekend.
edit. and re. the timing, I hear you. I may have to move Group G up in the rotation... good point. I'm going to get through Friday (halfway point) and see how things look this weekend.
Any thought to sending out some of these to people that may end up giving you some pub?
I had a friend years ago that designed shirts and sent some out to some local celebs that hit it big (relatively) and once got a photo of this guy wearing one of his designs, which gave him a nice bump in sales. Maybe sending a box to the Australian team or something.
I had a friend years ago that designed shirts and sent some out to some local celebs that hit it big (relatively) and once got a photo of this guy wearing one of his designs, which gave him a nice bump in sales. Maybe sending a box to the Australian team or something.
Thanks Zomp. It'll be cool if that happens, and this board has played no small part of helping me get the word out.Zomp said:
DrewDawg said:
Yeah, I've been bouncing some ideas around on that. Most likely I'd start with prominent soccer bloggers & tastemakers. Of course, celebs would work too. So far my biggest get is Jeremy St. Louis (of the late, lamented Fox Sport Word Report). I miss those guys.
Many others have already noted it, but the Group C designs are phenomenal. I've been loving this project and am looking forward to seeing the rest. I will definitely be purchasing Japan.
As a slight aside, are you only selling the 4-Packs by group or is a mix-and-match option a possibility?
As a slight aside, are you only selling the 4-Packs by group or is a mix-and-match option a possibility?
The project is getting some love on Brand New today, which is very cool.
Right now they're group by group - it helps even out the numbers a little bit. Once all 32 are out, I will probably set up some kind of mix&match system if I can make my web commerce software do it.
Right now they're group by group - it helps even out the numbers a little bit. Once all 32 are out, I will probably set up some kind of mix&match system if I can make my web commerce software do it.
Bet you could sell a bunch of your Schenectady T to Union kids. It's my recollection that everybody was fond of the town in one way or another despite living primarily inside the college bubble. I think for a lot of students it's the first place they've lived that had any kind of character, assuming the makeup of the school population hasn't changed much in the last five years. I think they'd love a shirt like that.
FWIW, I have a friend of a friend in Denver who did this for both the Broncos and the Nuggets. She apparently sent them to the teams themselves as well as the local radio DJs that cover the teams and got some nice pics for her FB of the actual players wearing the shirts. I realize the logistics of doing the same thing for international teams is more complicated but it seems like a shoot for the moon strategy that worked for this person.DrewDawg said:
dirtynine said:
A lot of the younger generation of US pool players (and I'm sure those of other nations) are very sociable on FB & Twitter and the like. Shot in the dark, but someone like Luis Gil seems like the type of personality that you might target. These types of players are the type that would rep you in a picture in exchange for some free swag. Very interactive with fans.
I love 99 per cent of these. Chile, Spain and the Netherlands are very good.
But the Australian one is not awesome, sorry man - it is definitely the sort of thing people you'd make from afar. The boxing kangaroo thing is very 80's and pretty much purposely forgotten by everyone in this country. Those gloves on the shirt are cringeworthy... (A few other inconcisistencies in your otherwise excellent summary - it's Rugby League and not Rugby that's the other big sport). Out of interest, one of the big reasons we use Blue as secondary colour is one of our great local rivals in everything is South Africa and their colours are also Green and Gold though they favour the Green more than we do; we tend to favour the Gold. Though if you ask anyone they'll tell you "that's canary yellow my friend and don't you forget it".
But the Australian one is not awesome, sorry man - it is definitely the sort of thing people you'd make from afar. The boxing kangaroo thing is very 80's and pretty much purposely forgotten by everyone in this country. Those gloves on the shirt are cringeworthy... (A few other inconcisistencies in your otherwise excellent summary - it's Rugby League and not Rugby that's the other big sport). Out of interest, one of the big reasons we use Blue as secondary colour is one of our great local rivals in everything is South Africa and their colours are also Green and Gold though they favour the Green more than we do; we tend to favour the Gold. Though if you ask anyone they'll tell you "that's canary yellow my friend and don't you forget it".
Good feedback, Syd - I added the glove motif at the end of the process; without, the shirt was ok but missing something. Not certain I nailed it either TBH. The outsider thing definitely applies. Rugby vs Rugby League, I hear you; didn't realize the former term excluded the latter. Are there symbols of the soccer team specifically that people wouldn't cringe at? "Soccerroos" seemed kind of punchy and "punny" already. I get the sense that Aussies are kind of casual about their soccer, and are maybe more willing to treat it in a lighthearted manner - hence the gloves.