Meet the ChefRef

My son Caton loves to cook and he loves refereeing soccer so we call him the ChefRef. Naturally, I decided that he needed a logo (what 14-year old doesn't?). Unfortunately, when I brought it home to show him, he gave me a puzzled look as if to say "What the heck would I need that for?" Oh well, I think some day he'll appreciate having a graphic designer for a father.

They Are Vicious!

Okay, not really, but that's the name my son's U13 boys soccer team (I'm the coach) chose last Fall's season. I was pushing hard for them to go with the Quakes or Natural Disasters after the Northern Virginia area experienced an earthquake and torrential rains and flooding, but they weren't having any of that.

The beauty of the name Vicious is that not a single kid on the team could even be remotely considered vicious. They're the total opposite in fact so I appreciated the irony. The only drawback was that some of the parents thought we were yelling "Fishes!" when we did our pre-game cheer. Oh well...

I really wanted to do shirts for the kids, but ended up using the logo on certificates and a get-well card for a parent who had brain surgery during the season. I'm hoping they go with it again this Fall so I can finally get those darned shirts!

Reston Soccer Sports a New Logo

Once again, my passions collide in this new logo for Reston Soccer Association. I guess being a coach, age-group commissioner, and board member wasn't enough for me, because I had to add the organization's visual identity to my list of duties (Actually, the other board members do a hell of a lot of work so this was the least I could do to keep up with them!). They have been a great group to work with and, while there have been some hiccups along the way (who knew patches could be so difficult?), it's been a great experience and so much fun to see the new logo on jerseys, magnets, fliers and more. My son is none too thrilled that only the travel players get color logos on their jerseys, but I don my coach's jersey with extra pride seeing that beautiful logo on it.

The old "Helvetica Man" logo

One of the challenges with a pro-bono (of course I didn't charge them!) like this is to follow the same process you would with a paying client. I deliberately presented it in a way that would show that I took the project seriously and had only come to the final idea through careful consideration. With no skin in the game, money-wise, it's easy for a pro-bono client to say "No thanks" and walk away. Thankfully, in this case my hard work paid off and, with a few minor tweaks, the idea I presented was the one that was approved. Below is my complete presentation — with explanations for each element in the new logo — in case you're interested. (Click on each to enlarge.)

Beautiful* Logos for the Beautiful Game

I've been playing soccer since my elementary school days, but only in the last few years have my athletic and design lives intersected. Soccer logos are a funny thing. Most European club teams have very traditional crests or seals that I don't find terribly appealing. On the other hand, MLS (Major League Soccer) logos blend old-school European with a slicker, more American style.

My first soccer logo was for the Phoenix, my indoor team at the time. A flaming soccer ball seemed to fit the bill nicely and I chose type that had a funky, retro-futuristic feel. Definitely not traditional. I had to stop playing due to a series of injuries, but I hope the logo lives on.

The Blackhawks were my son's first team and my first opportunity to dip my toes into coaching (I was an assistant, but yelled like I was the real coach). After I designed it, I was bothered by the V-shape formed by the wings, but rationalized that it was a V for "Victory." Not that that helped us much.

I've been coaching the Reston Legends for the last couple years. The name is rather ironic since we haven't been very good (though we always seem to rise to the occasion come tournament time). I really like the way the soccer ball resembles a globe emerging from the dark of night.

The Wreckers are my son's - and my - futsal (a type of indoor soccer) team. I messed around with this one for weeks in my spare time, fussing over the chain and the type. At the last minute, I found out that the image area was more square than the rectangular shape I had been working with and I had to come up with something new in a few days. In the end, I love the way the ball emerges from the shield, blending old- and new-school sensibilities.

I'm currently working on a soccer league logo that is in the development stages. Fingers crossed, I'll unveil it soon.

*Beautiful might be stretching it a bit, but I couldn't resist it for the headline.

Reston Sprint Triathlon

The Reston Sprint Triathlon is a race with a purpose: all proceeds go to Reston Interfaith, one of Northern Virginia's most effective non-profit organizations. The logo takes its cue from the event's course along the winding, wooded paths and streets with a sleek winged monogram and bold, nature-inspired colors.

The wing can also be seen as the foot of Mercury, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods, with the three parts of the wing representing the three disciplines of the triathlon: swimming, running and cycling. The new logo will be officially introduced in the run-up to the 2009 race. If you're a triathlete (or aspire to be one) and want to help out a worthwhile organization, sign up early as it fills up well in advance. Check out www.restonsprinttri.org and www.restoninterfaith.org for more information about this great event.

I recently found out that the client has gone back to their old logo, though not because they weren't happy with what I'd done. Oh well...