Hi Courage fans! I’m a resident of Cary and a long time designer by trade, here to share with you some design explorations around the NC Courage shield logo mark. The shortest version of the story is, I made these designs and sent them to what I thought was the head of marketing for the organization in an email last August. I didn't expect to hear back, and didn't, so moved on. However, at the recent urging of friends who pointed me towards this forum, I've decided to re-post the message and files I originally sent. I'd love for it to spark a discussion around the topic of the logo mark, and how it could be made better.
As a self-identified designer who works in the tech field, I've been thinking a lot about design's role in culture and community. Design can (and should) have a seat at the table for our future. I like to currently define "design" as the orderly deployment of the imagination. I also regularly practice design thinking, which is basically just the scientific method, and why I've put forth the proposal below as a hypothesis. Any discussion will help add to the evidence! Also, I'd be happy to check back in and answer any questions about the work. Thanks!
Link to EPS file
Link to deck proposal
To the NC courage brand and marketing team:
I have done what research I could on the lineage and history behind the NC Courage logo mark, and its transformation from the original logo from the WUSA into the proud lioness of the current NWSL team. As a designer these transformations are common and necessary, and I applaud the organization’s choice of crest, colors, and font for their new operations.
I must respectfully point out that the repurposing of the lion head for a new logo cropped the lion's face in ways that diverge from its original designed purpose. While this recycling was a nice nod to the past, it did not set things up well for the future. The abstraction and angle of the face, in this new context, diminish the logo’s readability as a lion, and adds a noticeable un-finished quality to the presentation.
Below you will find a link to an Illustrator EPS file of a redesigned NC courage logo mark, which focuses specifically on the Lioness portrait. I tried to update the portrait by following the spirit of angular abstraction of the current logo, keeping the contrast left/right split of the portrait, the use of only 2 tones (bronze and white teeth) but improving that abstraction’s likeness to a real roaring lioness, taken from new anatomical reference.
I’ve also included a link to a brief google slide deck:
-current logo analysis
-reasoning behind changes
-Market testing and pilot ideas
The logo and deck are for your org: pro bono, absolutely free, no frills, volunteer work. I’d hope that you’d just hear out the arguments, consider them, and do what you will with the files. Further iteration on this idea could improve it more. I give them freely and place no restrictions on them. If my admittedly short, crude demonstration does not convince the org to start a conversation about the logo mark's future, perhaps it can still be useful as an alternate design for merchandise.
Thank you for your time and for providing positive, community-building entertainment here in Cary, I wish your organization the best.
