*Update* Raptors re-branding v.1 - Focus Group

[theSkinny]

No mention of Subway font??... are you sure thats you DH?

[Komodo]

So I've spent a few days working on a Toronto Huskies re-brand with main logo and two secondary logo's along with home and away uniforms. The designs are very rough around the edges (most of it is hand-drawn and yet to be properly vectored) but I've spent long enough staring at it and need to now throw it open to the opinion of you guys and get some feedback before further developing it.

Tell me what you like, what you don't like and your conversation can guide me some and hopefully a bit of collaboration will push through a finished set of designs that make everyone happy.

I am a graphic designer but I don't ever get a chance to do anything sports-related so little side projects like this can be a lot of fun. You never know, maybe someone takes notice once we're done putting together a polished branding package that gets fan approval.

So go for it, rip it or praise it, let me know your thoughts.

(p.s. Mods, I know there are a few Huskies related threads on the front page but please keep this one separate as I hope to keep returning to it as I progress with the project. thanks)

not an easy person to please but i **** with this.

design shows respect for history, appreciation for subtlety and overall a good sense of aesthetic.

this is the first jersey that looks like it was designed by an adult and dude is the only poster thus far who deserves to be recognized by MLSE.

respects but not going balls deep on this. all you artists need to get on this level and contribute more to the pool.

Holy crap that's amazing!

[TiKusDom]

Uh, shouldn't you call it the Toronto Direwolves?

You're using the sigil of House Stark from Game of Thrones.. which is.. a Dire wolf ... not a husky. It doesn't make sense.

[Double Helix]

Uh, shouldn't you call it the Toronto Direwolves?

You're using the sigil of House Stark from Game of Thrones.. which is.. a Dire wolf ... not a husky. It doesn't make sense.

That metal looks awesome! Let's switch to his Huskies logo just so that Toronto basketball fans can hang some awesome metal art like that in our man caves.

Only kind of kidding.

[goodjoey]

not an easy person to please but i **** with this.

design shows respect for history, appreciation for subtlety and overall a good sense of aesthetic.

this is the first jersey that looks like it was designed by an adult and dude is the only poster thus far who deserves to be recognized by MLSE.

respects but not going balls deep on this. all you artists need to get on this level and contribute more to the pool.

easy ballboy. why don't you step up to the plate and create a jersey so that all the people who you just put down can piss on your talentless trash?

so because he has a certain status you feel to disrespect him like this?

oh god. yes his status give him zero credibility on this forum, and that means that if the ballboy chooses to disrespect other posters who have been here for much longer than he has, he will get chewed the **** out. there are 30-40 other posters who have shared their ideas, not to please a ballboy, but to share in open discussion. Sharing your opinion or criticism is one thing, but when you step over the line and start to belittle other people's contributions without ANY effort of your own, i "feel to disrespect him" like that.

[Hyperglide]

Copied and pasted from HFBoards. Haters are hating over there on the Maple Leaf sub-forum.

I like the Huskies jersey posted they are sharp looking. Very clean, retro, minimalist, yet eye-catching and match Toronto's color schemes of white and blue with the Jays and Leafs.

I still think Raptors is okay as a team name, but make 'em birds if you're gonna keep that name.. That would be more badass. Getting sick of the lame cartoon dinosaur. And anyone who thinks this team has a history is deluded, it's been 18 years of failure.

[OakleyDokely]

Got this pick form google images. Maybe we can keep the Raps name, but go with the blue and white theme. Looks solid imo.

[Hyperglide]

Got this pick form google images. Maybe we can keep the Raps name, but go with the blue and white theme. Looks solid imo.

Looks to much like the Orlando Magic.

[Raps in 4]

Uh, shouldn't you call it the Toronto Direwolves?

You're using the sigil of House Stark from Game of Thrones.. which is.. a Dire wolf ... not a husky. It doesn't make sense.

He isn't using that logo. He made an original logo, with the dire wolf sigil serving as inspiration.

[jonasbro48]

easy ballboy. why don't you step up to the plate and create a jersey so that all the people who you just put down can piss on your talentless trash?

so you're saying you want me to "step up to the plate" and watch me make those jerseys so at least 30-40 of you tough dudes can hold hands and take turns with your **** out over a me?

that's some kinky **** bro. i know you were talking about this being an open discussion but i didn't know you meant it like that.

also i saw in another post you were talking about "chewing me the **** up?"

better step off some bro.
i **** with the man's re-branding concept but i aint down for one of them cb4 champagne baths.

all i'm trying to do is give the man props for his jersey design.
can we please stay on topic here.

[jonasbro48]

Got this pick form google images. Maybe we can keep the Raps name, but go with the blue and white theme. Looks solid imo.

ahhhh i get it..so "project raptors" is kinda like a play on the hit reality tv show "project runaway?"

terrible design
..but that's one clever ****.

[jonasbro48]

My thoughts..

The Script is pretty cool, although I do dislike the makings on the upper portion of the H, I dont think its needed. The other markings work for me.


The Husky logo is an issue for me on a number of levels.

Making the GoT connection that quickly makes it an automatic fail (fad, trendy)

The idea of the Net incorporation was great, except it looks like scales.

It is too "scary" small kids wont identify with it.. the eyes have to be intense, not angry/scary

The larger logos are a great idea, the one on the right has a very fleur d' lis aspect.. was this intentional?


The script I was hoping you would go for was more along the lines of WW2 nose art...



I like the direction your headed, for a first draft I would say you are well on your way.



To the poster who shared his friends Husky logo on instagram... It is a great drawing, never could it be a sports team logo... too busy, too much detail (good luck trying to embroider that).. the concept is cool and could be used for marketing but not as the logo...

I'm not entirely sold on the script style I've used either and interested to try out a few different styles. The furry flourishes (for want of a better term) do need improvement but I think it can work. I like it being such a simple association to the animal in the logotype in that manner without needing to over express it but it definitely needs tweaking. I haven't looked at WW2 nose art when researching but it's a great connection and definitely something I'm going to take a look at because it fits right into the post-war era when the team was founded.

Yep the GoT similarities are just simply there and rightly so because it was clearly a large inspiration, along with a bunch of other medieval wolf/hound illustrations because I want it to convey that emotion. I'm a huge fan of the show but I actually didn't expect so many to instantly make the connection but that's exactly what this focus group is for. I don't totally agree that it's too scary for kids but it is close to that line. Like others have said though the jaw line and especially teeth need to far more resemble a husky and figure out a cleverer way to incorporate the net (or just get rid of it). But overall it's the clear main issue at this stage and will see a lot of change.

The third logo, basketball/maple leaf/fleur d'lis really came together by accident. I was trying to work in a maple leaf (which I had originally had in the Husky head without the net) into the basketball. I was aware how many fans feel though about just slapping a maple leaf on a uniform for the sake of it so rather than the standard pointed maple leaf, took note from the early Maple Leaf logos with the rounded leaves. And then once together and tweaked I did notice the possible fleur d'lis interpretation. Just a happy accident.

dude knows his ****. i liked the design when i first saw it but i didn't know the man was THIS balls deep into the project. He's not even satisfied with his current proposal. keep it up bro, looking forward to any alterations.

[RaptorNews]

I wonder what the logo would look like with a more curved, dog like nose

[goodjoey]

easy ballboy. why don't you step up to the plate and create a jersey so that all the people who you just put down can piss on your talentless trash?

so you're saying you want me to "step up to the plate" and watch me make those jerseys so at least 30-40 of you tough dudes can hold hands and take turns with your **** out over a me?

that's some kinky **** bro. i know you were talking about this being an open discussion but i didn't know you meant it like that.

also i saw in another post you were talking about "chewing me the **** up?"

better step off some bro.
i **** with the man's re-branding concept but i aint down for one of them cb4 champagne baths.

all i'm trying to do is give the man props for his jersey design.
can we please stay on topic here.

wow....thats where you took that? Our education system has failed us yet again.

[ThemCrookedRefs]

Spoiler:

Got this pick form google images. Maybe we can keep the Raps name, but go with the blue and white theme. Looks solid imo.

Haha, I did this one some time ago. I just used the current uniform and tweaked it slightly.

Looks to much like the Orlando Magic.

That's fair. The Spurs, Knicks, and other Toronto teams were the inspiration. I wanted to keep it classic but with some twists; two stripes (white/away, blue/home) running down the sides and tabs (white/away, blue/home) on the shoulders (like faux epaulettes/tabs I guess). Hard to show that using the template, maybe I can show other angles to illustrate what I mean.

I did a version with the Star's template too, I posted it in the Star Contest Thread:



Anyways back to the Huskies redesign, Los Manos, I think it looks great. It looks pretty much like the uniforms they wore a couple years ago, but it's updated to be more modern and stylish. I don't like the direwolf-inspired logo though; kinda looks like a hyena. Great job though, looking forward to any further updates you have in store!!

[Kreamy]

It would be awesome if you did something with the Raptors logo and uniforms.

Seriously guys... all this talk about the Huskies and history. They were around for 1 losing season. The Raptors have been around for 18 years.

[Nikan]

What would you guys think if we named it something completely different.

The Toronto Shield
- as in the Canadian Shield
- it brings some Canadian heritage, and it has resemblance to Canada as a whole rather than Toronto by itself (something Tim Leiweke suggests)
- shield can also signify tough defense
- the design can be similar to how Jazz, Golden State have a landscape background

Huskies:
- the design logo may be quite similar to the other teams (really hard to differentiate the from T-Wolves)

Raptors:
- although we have some successful years and some good memories but in the end Raptors really doesn't reflect Canada or Toronto
- there is no reason to believe we won't have many better years further on so forget about the past, is time to move on (we can have many many VC moments later on)

I am no designer so may be someone who likes my idea may think of something cool.

[DUBmental]

Raptors:
- although we have some successful years and some good memories but in the end Raptors really doesn't reflect Canada or Toronto

Raptors (Dromaeosaurs)

The first Dromaeosaurus remains were found by renowned fossil hunter Barnum Brown on the south bank of the Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada in 1914, the first such raptor-type dinosaur ever discovered! It was the first dromaeosaur to be discovered and its name was later used for the family, Dromaeosauridae.

[kmatrixg]

I'm still a fan of the team rebranding in the image of a predatory bird.

[Oakville_Raptor]

I'm not down for the Huskies re-brand, but those jerseys would be perfect for a Raptors 3rd jersey!