Who I partnered with: the Maine Blind Bears Hockey Team

What we wanted to do: Give the team something they’d be proud to wear every game. A bold new logo and exciting colors to go along with new uniforms.

Why we did what we did: Polar bears are ferocious predators who are right at home on the ice. The use of a blind polar bear as a mascot was a no-brainer. Several players have ties to the University of Maine Black Bears and wanted their logo to tie the two teams together. To further this connection, we used Navy and Ice Blue in the color palette. The glasses and guiding cane show off that the team is made up of blind or visually impaired players, while the hockey stick simply says “we play hockey”. I could tell you the circle was a reference to a puck, or a face-off circle, but truth-be-told, circular logos just look great on hockey jerseys. In blind hockey the puck emits a noise so players can locate it, and players rely heavily on vocal team communication for success. To emphasize sound, the bear head shape features a lot of thunderous, echoing shapes. To round out our color palette we chose Vivid Yellow because yellow is the traditional lighter jersey color in blind hockey, as it contrasts well against dark colors and the color of the ice/rink. We made it a more neon shade of yellow to represent the energy and passion of this team and this sport. Bright Pink is unexpected in the sports world. It is unique and bold, loud and fun, creative and deep. Blind hockey shares a lot of these same traits. The reflection on the glasses and the neon effect of the stick and cane let you know that this team is ready for the bright lights and attention, they aren’t backing down from any of it. It’s time to shine.