Sunday: Happy Easter

Hello everyone, happy Easter Sunday!

You guys probably noticed that there was no post yesterday. Ryan's son needed medical attention, and for obvious reasons that is more important than the blog. I hope they are all doing okay, and we should be getting the COTW vote dealt with soon.

So we're right in the middle of our big Pairs Competition. I'm more than excited to get back to creating concepts, it's been quite a while. How is everyone else doing with their designs? If you feel like your team needs an extension, then feel free to email and let us know.

Canada lost to the USA for the World Woman's Hockey Championship, again. There's a bunch of reasons why they lost, but I think the most important reason is the black yokes on Canada's jerseys.  Aesthetics is an important skill in any competitor, and those black yokes were simply not helping. Don't believe me? Check out Team Norway (who beat Canada twice) in their curling outfit. Seriously, right now, Google "Team Norway Pants", and tell me those aren't the pants of champions!

Alright I've blabbered too much, let's get to the concepts!

Rapid City Rush -  Griffin B.

 Yay: Let's start the day with some Rapid City Rush. I really like how they look in a more traditional jersey compared to a more modern style. The striping pattern is clean and pleasing to the eye, and everything here is executed nicely.

Nay: I'd say that the hem stripes go up too far on the jersey, taking up too much space and not giving enough "breathing space" to the back numbers. All of the logos are fairly pixelated.  I think I'd keep the black yoke on both jerseys.

Overall: Good concept to start us off. 7.9/10



Detroit Red Wings - Zach W.

 Yay:  Next is a new Detroit set by Zach. They haven't used a stripe pattern like this before, but even so it's extremely believable and fits perfectly within the Red Wings identity. Other than the stripes, not much has changed, which is a good thing for hardcore Detroit fans and hockey traditionalists.

Nay: One thing that has changes is moving the TV number down to on top of the stripe. If it was one solid thick stripe, it could work. But the way the stripes are here, the TV number is really hard to notice. I think the TV numbers should go above the stripes as they normally are, for clarity.

Overall: Only two changes to this concept from the original. Stripes = good, TV numbers = not as good. But good try adding some different elements to one of the untouchable jerseys.  7.4/10



Anaheim Ducks - Ben M.

 Yay: Ben gives us a new look Anaheim set, with an orange home jersey and original logo. Cue the celebration!  Aside from that, he also kept the diagonal sides, simplified the arms and squared up the yoke, all things the Nike would probably do. The main set is really good, and while I'll get to why I don't like the 3rd in a minute, I have to say that the recoloured logo looks really nice.

Nay: I don't like the 3rd simply because it doesn't offer anything new, besides the altered colours on the logo. A proper 3rd should have it's own style, and stand out compared to the main set. While it's a nice jersey and could easily work as the home jersey, it's just not a great 3rd.

Overall: This is a set that is believable and I think Anaheim fans would want to see this set in action. 8.1/10



Florida Panthers - Ben F.

 Yay: I have a lot of things to say on this concept, most are going to be bad. But I would like to say that despite all of the hate the baby blue look gets for the Panthers, a double blue look would be so good for them. They have a solid identity anyway, but a double blue 3rd done right would be a great addition to their set.

Nay: Alright here we go... The logo is too large, and really isn't a good choice considering it doesn't connect to "Panthers" at all. The name, number, and TV number are all too big, and a light blue outline on white text is a big no-no. The hem stripes aren't bad, but the arm stripes are lazy and don't fit the other stripes at all. Contrasting arms and yoke outline with no yoke are usually bad design choices. Having a 2nd template to display the equipment is fine, but a) don't put it right behind the other template and b) don't leave the jersey on that template blank. Those are just lazy mistakes.

Overall: I like the creativity and look you're going for, but execution and effort needs a lot of work. 5.5/10




Las Vegas Spades - David G.

 Yay: This is an expansion idea for Las Vegas by David. The Spades are a good yet predictable name. The curvy design is really unique, as is the rest of the design.

Nay: First, you need to include your name or ID on the concept. And no, the name on the back of the jersey doesn't count. The curvy stripe style is cool, but it conflicts with most of the jersey and really doesn't fit with the Spades theme. Also, double grey is a bad idea, just stick with one shade. The sock and pants design make no sense, and looks like a bad paint-fill job. The font isn't awful but not great for jerseys, the logo needs to stand out better, and those black side panels really aren't helping anything.

Overall: Can someone say Roller Hockey International? 5.5/10




Nevada Bombers - Dallas K.

 Yay: Great. One word: great. The idea is great, the presentation is great, the theme is great, the logos are great, the colours are great, the traditional style is great, the inside collar design is great, and the chances of this becoming an NHL identity is hopefully great, because I would absolutely love to see this look in the NHL.

Nay: The numbers and name could use a light outline on the dark jersey. Usually dark numbers on dark jerseys don't work at all. The contrast here isn't too bad, but an outline would make it work better.

Overall: A good concept needs good design. A great concept needs character. The Norwegian curling pants have character, and so does this set. Well done! 9.4/10


Dallas K's Nevada Bombers concept gets my COTW nomination today.

Effort, Execution and Presentation make up most of my rating when I rate concepts, and they are the easy ones to praise, judge and score accordingly. But some concepts have that "x-factor", "pizazz", "character", whatever you want to call it. It's hard to master as a designer and it's hard to spot as a reviewer, since character resonates with everyone differently. But without it, a design that is flawless is still missing something. With it, a flawed concept can have charm and do well. Master Effort, Execution, Presentation and Character, and you will succeed.

I don't know why I felt like going into zen mode there, but hopefully you can take this advice and run with it.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and happy Easter Sunday!