Tuesday: Atlantic Duo

Hi folks, welcome back to HJC for the daily post from your friendly, neighborhood Tuesday writer. We have two concepts today, both are for NHL teams in the Atlantic Division. Coming up on the blog, look out for a new series I'll be writing. We're always looking to share new and original content with you, and I'll be sharing some of the fundamental principles of design. For those who don't know, my background in design is in architecture, and my understanding of design are forged from my experience in that creative field. Whether it's a house, a museum, a cathedral, or a hockey jersey, there are certain aspects of design that apply to all of them. I hope it'll be an informative and interesting series, and it can give you a hand with your own concepts.

Happening now, our current competition is for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. There are almost no limiting criteria for this one, so let your imagination run wild. Take your time, and send us your best by next Friday at noon. Also, don't forget about the COTW vote!

COTW Vote April 20-26 (ends Friday @ noon EST)

Wheeling Nailers Competition (entries due Friday May 11 @ noon EST)

Adam G.- Ottawa Senators

Our first concept is Adam's latest iteration for the Ottawa Senators in his De-Edge series. It's quite possible that there's only two acceptable tracts to go down for the Sens: barberpole or laurel. Adam goes with laurel, which is helped by the emphasis on gold over red. The gold stripes on the hem and arm help to ground the leaves in the design, as opposed to the leaves being the only gold and unnecessarily sticking out. The red stripes give this set a satisfying balance of color, though the away jersey is far more successful in this category than the home and alternate. The red and gold, being medium tones, look much better when they're separated by either the black or white, so the color has sharper, more distinct contrast. On the whole, the design ties in wonderfully to the Sens's excellent logo. The broad shoulder patches give this jersey just enough color at the shoulder to avoid needed a yoke or some other design element, to keep this look from being too dull. The same can't be said for the equipment, though, as both the pants and gloves could benefit from more colors.

Grade: B+

John E.- Tampa Bay Lightning

Our final concept of the day is John's take on Tampa Bay. Already, I like this look for the Bolts, that is, it looks like the Bolts and not the Leafs. I'm personally not a fan of black and blue color schemes; it looks like the other team beat them up in the parking lot before the game. Here, the color balance is off for several reasons. First, the black and blue are so close together, it's hard to distinguish them; it looks like something is wrong more than something was intentionally placed. While the dark colors blend, the white is popping out dramatically. This can both help the look, as the logos are fantastic, and hurt it, as on the yokes and stripes. The yokes are overpowering the rest of the design, and it's especially problematic on the white jersey, where the thick, dark yoke makes the jersey look top-heavy and unstable. On the black jersey, the white stripes are so sharply distinct, the blue stripes recede all the further into the black body. Aside from color, I do like how the pants and gloves were handled; the simple bolt in the pants stripe is much more subtle and less in-your-face than the current look, and the gloves fit well with the rest of the design. Lastly, John's execution is great, and from his presentation, he clearly gets across exactly what he wants to communicated.

Grade: D+

That'll do it for me today. My COTW nomination goes to Adam G.'s Ottawa Senators. I'll see you next week; keep your stick on the ice.