Makers of Sport® Podcast

Creative Entrepreneurship, 3-D and Selling Digital Assets with Ali Rahmoun of Sports Templates

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

There is perhaps no better way to end Makers of Sport's podcast then to provide what may be the most inspiring story in its history.

Ali Rahmoun—3-D Designer, Creative Director, and Founder of Sports Templates, a digital asset company whose products are used by #smsports creatives in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and more—joined the show in 2021 to share his inspiring story.

A native of Syria, Ali discovered the Internet in a war-torn, Isis-occupied country and began teaching himself graphic and web design as a teenager there. Initially, he fell in love with interacive Flash websites and frequented the niche platforms millennial creatives often found ourselves on during that time such as DeviantArt, Dribbble, and Behance.

Overcoming many hardships, including once having to power his computer via a truck battery due power outages from war so he could meet the deadline of a client, Ali developed a strong instinct to learn under intense circumstances and persevere. His eventual passion for creative entrepreneurship eventually led to him creating Sports Templates, an online marketplace creating and selling 3-D assets as Photoshop templates such as uniforms, athletics courts and fields, sports equipment, digital apparel, and other items.

Listen along as we discuss Ali's story, content marketing, the state of design tools, the importance of learning how to learn, 3-D's future in this new era of design, and much more.

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Thanks again to Ali Rahmoun for coming aboard the show. Be sure to checkout his website in order to take advantage of holiday deals that Sports Templates is offering. Also follow Sports Templates on Instagram and Twitter, and checkout his upcoming logo A.I. project launching soon.

As of now, there is no next guest on the podcast. Hosting and producing this show has been a tremendous blessing and I've been able to meet many amazing people and lifelong friends. For now, the show must end due to numerous life cirumstances and other priorities. Maybe this is for forever, maybe not. I truly don't know. But, I do plan to keep tweeting and hope to evolve MoS into something that is still useful for the sports design community as it has done so much for me both personally and professionally. I sincerely thank you for the support over the years.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Basketball, Sneaker Customs, Illustration & Graphic Design with Jessie Kavana of the Brooklyn Nets

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Thu, 13 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Jessie Kavana (aka JKav) is a Senior Graphic Designer at BSE Global, the company that owns the Brooklyn Nets, NY Liberty, Nets GC and more. She joined the show to discuss her career and evolution as a creative.

A native New Yorker with a passion for hoops and a dream to work in sports marketing for the New York Knicks, Jess began her journey at Skidmore College as a college basketball player.

Stints in college athletics and ESPN would finally lead Jess to settle down in Brooklyn to work for the 'all black everything' Nets. It has been in there where Jkav has really found a home and has caught her stride as an in-house sports designer.

Along with previously discussing her career path, we discuss how Jess has gained trust with her leaders and ownership group and it has allowed for her to take on some high-profile projects within the organization such as working on uniforms with Nike, designing the player entryway, and more.

Jkav touches on how the Covid-19 shutdowns led her to experiment with a new discipline: illustration. We discuss how she used the quarantines to push herself and evolve her creative skillset.

Lastly, we discuss Jessie's re-awakened past hobby of sneaker painting and customization. Sneaker painting is having its moment in sports culture and Jessie has been able to take this hobby and leverage it to work with professional athletes as a side hustle.

Listen along as JKav shares her story.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Ali Rahmoun, Founder and Creative Director of SportsTemplates, a company that provides 3d content and templates to the sports industry. Ali can be found on Instagram & Twitter.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Filmmaking & Entrepreneurship in Sports & Advertising with Falkon® Founder Dexton Deboree

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dexton Deboree, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Falcon, and director of the award-winning documentary, "Unbanned: The Legend of the AJ1", joined the podcast to discuss storytelling, entrepreneurship and the role of filmmaking in sports culture.

A lost youth in Florida, Dexton didn't have a path. He was unsure of his future; however, a revelatory moment in the middle of the night in college changed him forever and led him to creative pursuits and a transfer to a film school.

Obsessed with the idea of being a screenwriter, Dexton became fixated on writing—almost to a fault—believing that if he wasn't writing he wasn't pursuing his destiny. This caused him to nearly miss out on a breadth of experience he would later gain as a P.A., which led to a wealth of knowledge about the business of film.

Listen in as Dexton shares stories about the early years of his career and how his unorthodox path led him to eventually buy and rebrand a studio, and later leave that studio to found Falkon®.

Dexton shares the things he's learned being an entrepreneur in film, including how unpredictabe business is and how no one truly has things figured out.

Lastly we discuss two films Dexton wrote, directed and produced: "Unbanned: The Legend of the AJ1", a film about the legendary sneaker and its alleged banning from the league featuring numerous interviews with famous personalities at Nike, the NBA and entertainment; and "Promiseland", a docu-series following 2019-20 NBA Rookie Ja Morant as he ventures through the first year of his pro basketball career which happened to include Covid-19 shutdowns, the NBA bubble, social justice issues and winning Rookie of the Year.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Jessie Kavana, a Senior Designer for BSE Global, the company that owns the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, NY Liberty, NY Islanders and more. She can be found on Instagram & Twitter.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Founding the Internet's First-Ever Sneaker Blog with Nice Kicks Founder Matt Halfhill

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

"Apply what you learn [online] and actually do something—even if it's not for making money—just make something. Do something with what you're learning and practice it."

Matt Halfhill, founder of Nice Nicks, is not a monolith or a cliche ‘sneakerhead’. The son of college professors who moved to California from the Midwest, Matt played in a Dixieland Jazz band as a kid, fell in love with sneakers in the Caribbean in Grenada, and dropped out of college to start the Internet’s first-ever sneaker blog. Today, what started as a blog has become a digital media brand that is one of the most trusted in the footwear industry with over 4 million followers on Instagram.

From experimenting with web development in the late 90s to learning to sell overstocked sneakers on eBay from his first job, Matt developed a love of technology and digital communication as a youth.

Halfhill joins MoS to discuss the story of Nice Kicks, its mission to be inlusive of all folks wanting to become a fan of sneakers no matter their level of knowledge about the industry, as well as how the company has evolved over the years.

We discuss the shift of content marketing from brands, what it was like to open and then later popular brick-and-mortar sneaker shop, as well as why news is a commodity and our voice is all we have to sell that is truly unique when it comes to building a digital media brand.

Matt's love of sneakers and his hacker-like mentality for figuring things out has led to a lifelong career in a billion dollar niche at the intersection of sport, culture and fashion.

Listen along as Matt shares the story of NiceKicks.com.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Dexton Deboree, founder & filmmaker at Falkon®; a content creation company born at the intersection of advertising and entertainiment with clients such as Nike, Brand Jordan, MLB, and more.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Tori Boykins, Graphic Designer, Kansas City Royals

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 01:49:14 +0000

Tori Boykins is a creative with many layers. A boxer, entrepeneur, graphic designer and gritty midwesterner, Tori joined the show to discuss her long journey breaking into the sports design scene, first at the Kansas City Chiefs, and currently as a graphic designer with the Kansas City Royals.

From majoring in interior design at a Big Ten university known for engineering, to starting a business in college and running it six years, Tori has had quite an eclectic career. We attempt to peel back the many layers of her story beginning with a love of art and geek culture as a kid in Cincinnati, Ohio.

We discuss how she got sucked into "old school mentality" choosing to attend community college to get an associates in graphic design after already obtaining a Bachelors in Interior Design years earlier and founding a small business.

Tori also elaborates on how a black-owned design studio in Texas gave her a chance as a design intern, as well as how pitching free projects to real, underserved sports brands such as women's boxing and a local basketball team led her to an interview with an NBA team and an eventual gig in the NFL.

Throughout the episode, we discover a common theme of Tori's midwestern grit and hustle, as well as how important humility and risk-taking are when it comes to pursuing your dreams in the sports business.

Lastly, Tori touches on the importance of learning new skills and why she hopes to leave a positive legacy for minorities that come after her in the sports design industy.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Matt Halfhill, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Nice Kicks. Matt is an early 2000s Interent entrepeneur that has made a living his entire life working for himself providing breaking news, commentary and history in the sneaker industry.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Bonus Episode: The Updated Story of Makers of Sport® on Sports as a Job Podcast

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A bonus episode for your enjoyment. On Episode 25, Joe Bosack of Joe Bosack & Co. turned the mic back on my tell my own story. This was a few years ago and Makers of Sport® was just getting off the ground. Considering I have many more listeners and the podcast has played such a big role in my life since then, I figured it was time for an updated story about the host of your favorite podcast. Enjoy the listen as I joined Sports as a Job Podcast to tell my own story of running a freelance design studio and starting a long-running podcast.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Tori Boykins, a talented graphic designer for the Kansas City Royals. Tori has had a fast rise to becoming one of the most talented designers in professional baseball.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Dan Simon, Creative Director, Studio Simon

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 15:18:06 +0000

Dan Simon, Creative Director of Studio Simon in Louisville, KY, joined the show to discuss his lengthy career as a sports designer.

Dan began his career at a west coast design studio who allowed him to freelance at night using their equipment. Him and an account rep wanted to pursue sports branding and ended up creating some mocked up work with acual sewn jerseys and it eventually led Dan down a 30-year path of designing for sports.

We discuss how tough it is, even today, to win quality clients in sports design, why he chose his name for his studio instead of a made up name and why the former is important.

Dan tells the story of working on three Super Bowl logos, including the patriotic XXXVI logo of the 9/11 season.

Finally, we discuss how the industry has changed, burnout, and how to run a studio in a commoditized design industry.

Dan is a treasure trove of stories and was the first-ever in-house sports designer for a profesional sports franchise. Listen along as he shares his story.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Tori Boykins, a talented graphic designer for the Kansas City Royals. Tori has had a fast rise to becoming one of the most talented designers in professional baseball.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Dane Storrusten, Senior Creative Director, NFL

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 20:00:14 +0000

Dane Storrusten, Senior Creative Director at the NFL, joins this episode to discuss his multidisciplinary design career and path to "The Shield".

From majoring in illustration in art school, to designing products at Microsoft, robot interfaces, and NFL brand identities, Dane has had quite an eclectic career.

He believes in saying yes to every opportunity and how doing so can lead to amazing opportunities to learn and experience new things; something that has proved to be true for his career.

We discuss the value of being multidisciplinary versus specializing, starting and running a design studio, and more; including how doing side projects Dane was passionate about led to a call from the NFL with a newly-created position for him in Los Angeles.

Dane gives us a peak into the creative heirarchy at the NFL between the L.A. and N.Y. offices, as well as how the teams collaborate on various projects, and the importance of breaking down creative silos in large organizations.

Lastly, Dane spends some time sharing about the processes behind NFL team rebrands, including how they handle leaks, the pitchesk, the league's involvement and more. It's a treasure trove of information for those interested in team branding and uniform design.

Listen along as Dane shares his story.

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My next guest is Dan Simon of Studio Simon. Dan a sports branding veteran that has designed everything from MiLB brands to Super Bowl logos. He's also full of stories.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

William Peebles, Founder & Maker, Huntington Base Ball Co.

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 10 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

William Peebles, Founder & Maker at Huntington Base Ball Co. in Boston, joins this episode to discuss industrial design, being a maker in the sports product industry and turning his love of baseball into a lifestyle business.

We begin with William's time in art school which led to working as a designer at Reebok during their prime when endorsers were athletes like Shawn Kemp, Shaq, Allen Iverson, Frank Thomas and more.

It was here he decided to take a crack at making his own baseball as a side project. It was not good. In fact, it was so bad he thought he'd never make another one again and moved onto working in other industries for a decade.

A couple of economic downturns and layoffs over the next 10 years would force Peebles into making taking a second chance. He read, he researched, he practiced; 11 years later, William's passion for revitalizing relics from baseball's past has turned into a business and well-crafted brand at Huntington Base Ball Co.

Listen along as William shares his story.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Dane Storrusten, Sr. Creative Director at the NFL in L.A. Dane is also known online as Gridiron Labs, a freelance design studio where he takes on work and conducts creative experiments from time to time in the sports vertical.

You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop.

Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Jordan Giesler, Creative Services + Brand Manager, Kansas City Chiefs

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

“We got in early on the digital brand stuff. We found it extremely important for us to know why we are who we are and tell that story consistently over time."

Jordan Gielser, Creative Services & Brand Manager of Super Bowl LIV Champion Kansas City Chiefs, joined the podcast to discuss his lengthy career working for a historic NFL franchise.

Jordan found his way into the Chiefs organization after majoring in commercial art in college; however, after a seasonal gig with the team he would find himself leaving sports design for a b2b industrial gig. Eventually, he returned to the Chiefs and would climb from junior graphic designer to creative services & brand manager which is his role today.

The Chiefs had many successful campaigns this season including their 2019 Mexico City Campaign; which we discuss in depth. Jordan also touches on developing the creative for the historic 60th Season of Chiefs Football and how they were able to balance a completely different look for the season paying homage to the past but remaining true to the current brand.

Lastly, Jordan shares his unique, behind-the-scenes insight into what goes into working as a creative at the Super Bowl. From the planning, to the potential unused creative in case of a loss, to the gameday duties; we get a rare glimpse into hectic weeks heading to up to and following the biggest event in sports.

Listen along as Jordan shares his story.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is William Peebles, product designer & founder of Huntington Base Ball Co.. Huntington Base Ball Co. is a company that makes and sells hand-made baseball goods paying homage to American craft. In the meantime you can follow William on Twitter @HuntingtonBBC.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and Maker of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

From MLC 2019: Amy & Jen Hood, Creative Directors, Hoodzpah Design

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

“Fear is good, you can feed on it and it makes you work harder to be good and be better. If you get too complacent and happy, that's where you get in trouble.”

A special episode from MLC Connect 2019 with two of the keynote speakers, Amy and Jen Hood of Hoodzpah Design of Southern California. Through their studio the duo have worked with companies ranging from small California businesses to major brands like Google and Target.

Jay F. Hicks, a digital strategist and content lead at Bayler University Athletics and also the host of Sports Creatives Podcast, joined me to co-host in the MLC media room in the Atlanta Braves' stadium.

Listen along as Jay and I chat with the Hood twins as they share how they began their company,imposter syndrome, how they developed soft skills and emotional intelligence, managing imposter syndrome, how they collaborate seamlessly with one with another and more.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Peter Robert Casey aka PRC. Peter is the Vice Chairman at SLAM Magazine and is a digital marketer, tech startup founder and CEO of JDS Sports, a venture capital fund for sports-related companies.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Insung Kim, Senior Creative Director, Atlanta Braves

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

“Working with people is something you need practice with. Everybody has their own agenda, everybody has things that are important to them. You have to respect that but there’s times you have to fight for what you believe in.”

Insung Kim joined the show to discuss his cross country journey from enivironmental design in Southern California to Kansas City to now working in the South as Senior Creative Director for the Atlanta Braves.

Insung discusses how his immigrant parents supported his creativity leading him to attend art school and eventaully find a job as a designer in environmental graphics at a company where he stayed 15 years.

Looking for a change, Insung moved his family to the middle of the country to work for internationally-known sports & entertainment architectural firm, Populous (formerly HOK Sport). While designing graphics for the Braves new Atlanta stadium, Insung struck up a relationship with Braves executives and was offered a job as Creative Director where he now leads a team of creatives and manages the Braves' iconic brand.

He sheds light on how to have difficult conversations and what we as sports designers should really focus on and get joy in instead of the cool hero imagery.

Listen along as Insung shares his story.

Mentions Include:

My next guests are Amy and Jen Hood from Hoodzpah Design. The Hood twins are a graphic design duo running their own studio in Southern California. They also happen to be Kentucky natives which, y'all already know, makes me drawn to them. The interview was conducted at MLC Connect 2019 after their keynote.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Barton Damer, Founding Artist & Creative Director, AlreadyBeenChewed

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Damer on getting work: "You have to be a hype machine. You have to create hype around yourself and most artists are very uncomfortable doing that because they feel they are bragging or they feel like they are going to get made fun of online."

Barton Damer, founding artist and creative director of the boutique 3d animation and motion design studio AlreadyBeenChewed, joined the podcast for a chat about his career and how he has grown his company into one of the leading studios for producing motion content in sports and entertainment.

Barton reveals how an injury skateboarding—a sport and culture he has always been passionate about—pushed him to learn graphic design and motion so he could continue to hang out with his skateboarding buddies.

Damer touches on how he moonlighted nights and weekends for years while having a full-time job because he was the sole income supporting his family of 5 and how fourteen years into his career he began getting his first big brand work from sneaker companies as he developed a new style outside of his job.

I ask Barton many questions about how one can get into motion, where to start, etc. as a total n00b on the medium and he shares some great advice.

Lastly, Barton shares his thoughts on the future of motion including where VR/AR fit into the space.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is going to be Insung Kim, Sr. Creative Director of the Atlanta Braves. Insung is a designer that began his career in the architectural space of sports working for Populous before joining the in-house team at the Braves.

Did you like this episode? You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and by writing a review of the show on iTunes.

Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Simon Dent of Dark Horses on Sports Teams' Competition for Attention

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 14:23:48 +0000

Simon Dent shares his thoughts on the future competition of sports teams as it regards to selling attention and tickets.

Simon Dent, Founder & Managing Director, Dark Horses

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

"On a Saturday afternoon when every sports fan is going to watch their chosen sport, there are thousands of brands barking at them whether it's a print paper, online, in stadium on LEDs, in the matchday program; there's all these messages and presumably only the best are going to get taken home with fans and that's what our job is: to be the best messengers."

Simon Dent is a former sports business lawyer & agent turned creative agency founder in the U.K. As managing partner of Dark Horses, Simon leads a team of world-class creatives working with brand such as Peloton, PUMA, City Football Group, Southampton F.C., Under Armour, Nissan and more.

Whilst working as an agent, Simon realized that brands were missing opportunities to better engage fans via athletes he represented, so he founded an advertising agency.

Simon discusses the emotional aspect of sport and how consumer brands can leverage those emotions to engage consumers in a more authentic way rather than simply sharing a logo on the scoreboard.

We also chat about how an outside agency can bring a different high-level, strategic perspective to clubs and avoid being pigeonholed as production creatives like so many in-house creatives do with team marketing execs.

Simon elaborates on why sporting brands should be vary weary of the competition for attention in future fans now that the internet offers attention grabbers like Fortnite, YouTube and Netflix.

Lastly, we discuss creative culture and more specifically how Dark Horses uses it to recruit and keep creatives.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is going to be Barton Damer. Barton is the founder of AlreadyBeenChewed, a 3d animation and motion shop in Dallas, TX that has worked with many major brands such as Nike, Marvel and more.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Episode 100: Jeremy Mitchell, Founder & Creative Director of Mitchell Bat Co.

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 13:38:07 +0000

"It's 100% about relationships. Probably the most important part of Mitchell Bat is the people I've met along the way that I consider true friends or trusted advisors."

Jeremy Mitchell, agency creative director, web designer and most notably founder of Mitchell Bat Co., joined the podcast for episode 100 to discuss his passion project; a company that provides custom, hand-painted wooden bats to passionate & passive baseball fans, corporations and brands alike.

Jeremy discusses how his college degree in sports management, playing in a band in college and a crush on a graphic design major (who eventually became his wife) eventually led him to pursue a post-grad career in design.

A passionate baseball fan, Jeremy created a mockup of a hand-painted, striped bat one night and posted to his Instagram. The post got some likes and requests on where to purchase the bat, whom fans thought was a real physical product. Thus began the quest to start Mitchell Bat Co.

We discuss the social mission of MBCo, how a conscious effort should be put into building a brand, and how passion projects lead to incredible opportunities and collaborations that one would not always expect or receive from a full-time paying job.

Lastly, we discuss the value of relationships and how important they are to any career, let alone a side project.

Mentions Include:

USE CODE "MOS" AT CHECKOUT ON MITCHELLBATCO.COM AND GET 20% OF A BAT.

My next guest is going to be French designer & illustrator, Caroline Blanchet. Caroline is the founder of Ptitecao, French design studio that focuses on creating visual design and digital illustrations for the sports industry.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Episode 99: Adam White, Founder/CEO, Front Office Sports

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

"There's so much emphasis on people getting a job right after they graduate and getting into the workforce. You'd be hard pressed to find a lot more real life lessons than working at a restaurant...the real life world lessons and the things that you learn by serving people is something that can refine skills."

Starting a business as a young person takes a lot of courage. You are often looked down upon by older professionals as having too little life & professional experience and too great expectations. It takes grit, perseverance and hard work. These are the key traits of an entrepreneur. Adam White has those traits.

The founder & CEO of Front Office Sports joined the show discuss how a failed goal to be a member of the U.S. Coast Guard eventually led to starting one of the sports business's leading online publications.

Adam tells the story of how FOS began as a schoool project and later scaled to a much greater audience demanding more content. He also touches on how he worked full-time at a UMiami restaurant where he climbed through the ranks of fry cook and kitchen trainer before eventually becoming manager all while traveling the U.S. creating content for Front Office Sports and working on his bachelors degree.

We chat about the common entrepreneurial stategy of faking it until you make it, being comfortable speaking the language of business and interviewing professionals and the importance of focus.

Lastly, Adam discusses where he sees the future of Front Office Sports and more.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is going to be Jeremy Mitchell, founder of Mitchell Bat Co. While working as a creative director at a Nashville ad agency by day, Jeremy creates custom-pained wood bats for consumers, clients and brands on the side and it has grown into lucrative brand. This show will also mark the 100th episode of Makers of Sport Podcast. We will be giving a way a commemorative MoS bat to a lucky listener. Follow @makersofsport on Twitter for details.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Episode 98: Samuel Silverman, Assistant Director of Creative Media & Branding, Ohio State Football

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

"What makes a successful brand from a brand identity and visual language standpoint is having consistent style that can also be fluid and flexible where not everything necessarily looks exactly the same but everything should "feel" the same."

Sam Silverman, assistant director of creative media & branding for Ohio State Football, joined the podcast to discuss his work with one of the nation's top football programs and how classic typography inspires his work.

Sam touches on how his passion for cars & sneakers and how they led him to a degree in the prestigious industrial design program at Ohio State University.

We discuss his transition to graphic design, learning typography skills and being inspired by historic design movements such as Swiss typography and the Bauhaus Movement, and how he is applying these things to the football brand at Ohio State University.

The ethics in sports design are a very hot topic in this episode as Sam & I chat about respecting and knowing the history of the discipline, denounce the braggadocious nature of sports designers and try to determine why rip-off culture runs rampnat in college athletics marketing and design.

Lastly, we go deep on Sam's work with OSU and specifically discuss the new intitiative, BrandU, a program that helps teach college athletes about the importance of their personal brands.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Adam White, the founder and CEO of Front Office Sports, a new era sports business media platform bringing readers insight, news and authority at the intersection of sport and business.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Chris Do of TheFutur talks value based pricing on MoS #97

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 21:09:04 +0000

Chris Do elaborates on why creative people should value their services more and charge accordingly without feeling guilty.

Episode 97: Chris Do, Founder/CEO of Blind™ and TheFutur

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

"Designer as maker is what is celebrated in school, not designer as entrepreneur; designer as business problem solver. To me, when you're in the mechanics, when you have your hands in the work, it's all production and I make no distinction between doing that versus becoming a brick layer."

Creative therapy. That's how I refer to this episode as it takes us down a path MoS hasn't been on before.

Chris Do, Emmy award winning creative director, entrepreneur and founder of TheFutur & Blind studio, joins the pod to share his views on many topics including higher education, entrepreneurship, money, self-worth, depression, and how designers can win the battle of business.

We come in hot discussing the often divisive topic of higher education and wonder if a college degree is important any longer.

Chris also discusses the value of time and we why should understand that value is in the eye of the beholder and oftentimes, we aren't the beholder of the work we create.

Lastly, we discuss the modern state of design criticism and how if designers want to win in the war of business, we have to start thinking more about strategy and less about aesthetics.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Tim Tadder, an advertising photographer for sports, commercial, CGI portrait photography. He has worked with brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, NFL, adidas, Under Armour and more. You can checkout his work at his website.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Episode 96: Xavier Jones, Footwear Designer, Reebok

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

“The Internet is a great tool but you can only learn so much. Actually going to a place physically where you have someone that has [designed] at the highest level, you learn so much more…that experience is invaluable.”

FYI: Sneakers are a passion of mine. It's no secret. This episode is quite nerdy on the sneaker talk.

Xavier Jones, footwear designer at Reebok, joined the podcast to discuss the footwear design industry and his path to designing for athletes like Shaq and Allen Iverson.

Xavier's story begins in the Michigan basketball mecca of Flint. He let's us in on his story and how SLAM Magazine, And One and Ballislife inspired and led him to pursue a dream of designing sneakers for a living.

We chat about some of our favorite kicks, discuss the evolution of the Jordan Brand, reminisce about the prime of the And One Mixtape and discuss how sport influences mainstream culture and hence sneaker culture.

Xavier and I also discuss the unfortunate topic of violence which often happens at rare sneaker releases and how scarcity mindset and poverty effect the violent aspect of these events.

Xavier also chats about some of the design processes as a sneaker designer; including what software designers use, why attending Pensole is vital, the collaboration dynamics of teams working on footwear products & more.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Chris Do, founder and CEO of Blind Studio, a brand strategy and motion design firm and TheFutur, an online business education platform for designers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 95: Britt Davis, Senior Designer, Atlanta Falcons & ATL United FC

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 21:56:38 +0000

"Share your story, share your process; there might be somebody out there who's like you trying to find out where to start and you might have some insight they can use. Don't be afraid."

Britt Davis, senior designer for AMB Sports + Entertainment (i.e. Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Utd. F.C., Mercedes-Benz Stadium, joined the show to discuss her quick climb to being one of sports design's most notable designers.

Her story begins with a creative childhood, supportive family and an undergraduate degree at NC State in industrial design; which, due to my own curiosity about industrial design leads to a conversation about our shared interest in sneakers, as well as how design, even though it has many disciplines, has very similar principles that translate well to one another.

A 6-year stint as a marketing designer at UNC Charlotte eventually influenced Britt to obtain a graduate design degree from SCAD; which led to an internship at Viacom's SpikeTV, a repositioning of her work as a sports designer, a mentorship with Todd Radom and a senior thesis honoring the 100th anniversary of baseball's Negro Leagues called "Heritage on the Move")

We reminisce about one of our first interactions together as Britt voluntarily experienced an intimidating critique environment at an Irish pub in Columbia, Ga. while attending Creative South, where some of sports design's top designers discussed her thesis project and offered feedback on her sketches for Heritage on the Move.

Britt also discusses how she landed a gig with the Atlanta Falcons and AMB Sports + Entertainment as we opine about our mutual love of the city of Atlanta and how it was ready and in a unique place culturally to embrace a professional soccer team such as Atlanta United FC.

Lastly, we end with quite a bit of soccer talk.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Xavier Jones, a graduate of Pensole Footwear Design Academy and a current sneaker designer at Reebok.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 94: The Baseball NZ Open Branding Project

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 20:36:02 +0000

On this episode, we have a crossover episode of sorts as I bring you the raw and uncut audio from a Q&A on SportsLogos.net I conducted with Brian Gundell of Brian Gundell Graphic Design Co. and Brandon Moore of the Miami Dolphins regarding their open branding freelance project for Baseball New Zealand.

We discuss how the idea came about to publish a public log of process work for branding a sports organization like Baseball NZ, as well as chat about the challenges of working across 3 timezones, including one that is 18 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

We also chat about how the designers are compensating for the cultural knowledge and differences in having never been to New Zealand or being intimately familiar with NZ heritage.

In addition, we discuss how the designers plan to veer from New Zealand's biggest sports brand, the All Blacks, in order to build a brand of its own for baseball.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Britt Davis, senior designer for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United F.C. at AMB Sports + Entertainment.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 93: Marissa McClain, Sr. Designer and Brand Specialist, Boston Red Sox

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 03:24:11 +0000

"I think that the best design is design you don't notice most of the time, so I have no problem just putting up a beautiful photo if it's a beautiful photo."

Marissa McClain, Sr. Designer/Brand Specialist for the Boston Red Sox joined this episode to discuss her passion for fine art & photography, and how it led to a gig with the Red Sox.

We discuss her past as a student photographer for the Michigan Wolverines and an intern at Complex Media; as well as how she ended up shooting the Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series win which led to an art-loving, non-sports-liking kid to end up working full-time for one of baseball's historic teams.

Marissa touches on why she pushes herself and her creative team to make things with intent, why we should let photography do its job sometimes and go easy on the textures and filters, and how design principles are the same no matter the discipline (i.e. motion, graphic design, etc.)

We also discuss the fear of being a "jack of all trades, master of none" and how having an inherent curiously is good for creativity.

Marissa touches on how the Red Sox incorporate motion, GIFs and animation into their social media, as well as their strategies for Instagram stories and when to balance very produced work with raw, candid images.

Lastly, Marissa discusses her "34 x 34" project for Big Papi's retirement and her creative friendship with NFL tight end and The Imagination Agency owner, Martellus Bennett.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is tentative right now but hoping to interview Tom Bookwalter, designer of the Kansas State "powercat" logo.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 92: Tal Lemming, Designer of United Typeface, Owner of Type Supply

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 13:47:48 +0000

"The main job of a typeface is obviously to convey some information; but the second part of that is that it has to convey information with a specific tone or a voice."

Tal Lemming, the designer of the sports industry's favorite typeface, joins the podcast to talk typography, designing fonts and type's role in sports design.

Having got his start as a graphic designer in the agency scene in Baton Rouge after gradating from LSU, Tal eventually moved to Delaware to become a print designer at renown type foundry, House Industries, where he designed print collateral by day and refined his type design skills at night.

He shares a few stories from his House Industries tenure; including working long hours, receiving blunt art direction from a House Industries co-founder and creative director, as well as the tough job of making things for graphic designers. Oftentimes which result marked up work being mailed back or vitriolic comments and unsolicited feedback.

Needless to say, resiliency is something Tal has built up throughout his career. We discuss how designers' need to build thick skin and remain resilient in this day of keyboard critique, especially sports designers.

Tal touches on how typefaces convey different meanings and how brands may use the same typeface; however, the pairing of images and color can make them feel very different.

Lastly, Tal gives some of his thoughts on the infamous United typeface and how it led to a project with the US Soccer as he discusses 90 Minutes, the custom typeface he built for the US Soccer Federation.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Marissa McClain, brand specialist and senior designer for the Boston Red Sox creative services group.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 91: Shane Mielke, Interactive Creative Director, H.S. Football Coach & Crossfit Athlete

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:40:11 +0000

"At the end of the day, I consider myself a creative person. I've taken the time to grow these skills slowly over time and I want to have as much fun as I can on all aspects of a project—whether that's design, animation, etc., to me it's all fun. That is what is going to stop me from burning out."

Shane Seminole Mielke does many things—from coaching big-time high school football, to being a Crossfit athlete, to being a designer, developer & animator; he is a jack of all trades. Shane is not, however, a master of none as the cliché states; instead, he uses his time effectively to master his many different interests which includes building websites and animations for movies such as "Suicide Squad", "Dunkirk", "Kong" and more; as well as working with Lucasfilm (on the "Star Wars" franchise), Blizzard Ent. and Riot Games.

He has won numerous awards which include: 6 Adobe Sites of the Day, 2 Awwwards, 36 FWA Sites of the Day, 4 FWA Mobile Sites of the Day, 2 FWA Sites of the Month and 3 Adobe Cutting Edge Awards.

In this episode, Shane discusses the value of time and how he balances personal life with growing in his many creative skillsets, as well as how we should deeply focus on one thing in order to master that thing before pivoting to the next.

We discuss the early days of the web and some interactive shops that were pushing the limits of technology. We also touch on how today interactive design has become very stale with a lot of the same stuff being created over and over and how at one point in time, the work made you famous, not your writing, tweets or Dribbble/Behance networking skills.

Lastly, we discuss Shane's book, "Launch It: 300+ things I've learned as a Designer, Developer and Creative Director". The book includes so much wisdom from Shane's career and we go in depth on some of that wisdom including discussing college degrees and if they are worth the time and money.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Tal Lemming, a type designer working under his own foundry, Type Supply. He is also the creator of the typeface, United, an LSU alumnus and creator of many custom typefaces in sports & entertainment.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 90: MLC Connect Panel 2017 with Chin Wang, Joe Bosack, Todd Radom & Jon Contino

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 20:35:46 +0000

On this week's episode, I bring you a front seat at MLC Connect 2017 for "The Future of Sports Design" panel with Chin Wang (Creative Director, ESPN the Magazine), Todd Radom (Designer/Illustrator, Todd Radom Design), Joe Bosack (Creative Director, Joe Bosack & Co.) and Jon Contino (Creative Director, Jon Contino Studio)—all former guests of Makers of Sport.

The panel is short (about 30 min.), but a lot of knowledge and experience is shared as the panelists touch on how they build relationships, manage collaborating with creatives in multiple disciplines, mistakes they've made and more.

You'll hear Joe Bosack mention Tom O'Grady of Gameplan Creative and Bill Frederick of Fanbrandz who were in the audience.

Enjoy.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Shane Mielke, an independent creative director and interactive designer in Southern California. Shane is a bit of legend in the interactive design space. Once a creative director for renown interactive firm of the early 2000s, 2Advanced Studios, Shane now freelances full-time, is a high school football coach at a prominent SoCal school and world-class Crossfit athlete. More on Shane can be found at his site.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

*Correction: I mentioned Todd's episode in this podcast as episode 3, it's actually episode 4.

Episode 89: Alex Center, Design Director for vitaminwater, smartwater & Powerade, The Coca-Cola Co.

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 19:50:23 +0000

"In the past designers were thought of as craftsmen only and were the 'make it pretty department'. We have an uphill battle to convince other people...I think our job and obligation is to showcase the fact that we can be involved in much more than the 'make it pretty' projects. That involves us having different tools in our toolbox and craft shouldn't be the only one."

As design director at The Coca-Cola Co., Alex Center has had quite an interesting journey.

His story begins with passing up an internship at renown design legend's studio, Milton Glaser, to intern for the New York Knicks; and eventually, led him to Glacéau to design for vitaminwater where he had an interesting run-in with 50 Cent.

Glacéau was later acquired by by The Coca-Cola Co. and Alex worked his way up to Design Director for the brands vitaminwater, Powerade and smartwater where he is today.

He shares a few stories about art directing professional athelete photoshoots, including challenging Big Papi to a cannonball contest at his pool and waiting 9 hours for Kobe Bryant to show up to a shoot.

A champion for in-house design—something many sports designers are familiar with working for teams—Alex elaborates on design's role in business and brands; as well as discusses some tips on how designers can get a seat at the decision-making table.

Lastly, Alex touches on how sport & hip-hop (he's a big Kanye fan) influence his work and discusses some of his side projects which include working on the "ESPN 30 for 30: When the Garden was Eden" with Michael Rapaport.

Mentions Include:

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 88: riCardo Crespo, Chief Creative Officer, Th13teen (LA)

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 02:44:59 +0000

"It's a right of passage to know that you're good at executing, but also challenge yourself to understand that at the very root of what we do as designers—whether our medium is physical, digital, websites, billboards or t-shirts—at the end of the day, design is a method of communication, and the design is a manifestation of that communication."

riCardo Crespo is a world-class creative director and he is very secretive online. In fact, you won't find much on him at all and he prefers it that way.

Referring to himself as a "creative ninja" (he is an MMA fighter), riCardo has worked at global agencies Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann Erickson, Chiat/Day; and he was the global chief creative for Mattel and 20th Century Fox before starting his own shop, Th13teen.

riCardo enightens us in this episode with his incredible experience on the differences between branding, marketing & advertising and where they fit together as a part of a venn diagram; as well as why it all starts with brand & purpose.

Crespo has an interesting take on portfolios and he doesn't put much weight in them as he touches on subjectivity, explaining & communicating your work.

He also discusses being courageous as a creative and how sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone, making a decision on your environment and whether you can find a diplomatic, respectful voice with marketing execs or if you need to find a new environment to collaborate & thrive.

Lastly, we discuss the democratic culture of design today, why change for change's sake is bad and why if change is a good strategy then the brands need to suffer through the online criticism.

Truthfully, this episode is so jam-packed with value it's hard to find quotes for. Get out your notepad & pen.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Alex Center. Alex is a design director at Coca-Cola Co. working on Powerade, Vitamin Water & Smart Water. Checkout of some of Alex's work.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin & @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

ORDER NOW: Sports Designers United t-shirt.

Episode 87: Olivia Brestal, Senior Designer & Photographer, Sporting Kansas City

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 21:14:17 +0000

"As a designer, we think as a brand...so I always try to make myself a brand."

Olivia Brestal is a multi-talented midwestern creative that grew up in the soccer capitol of the U.S., so it's only fitting she has spent the entirety of her post-grad career creating for professional soccer clubs.

As a sr. designer & photographer for Sporting KC, Olivia joins the podcast to discuss how she developed her work's aesthetic, her inspirations in illustration and sports photography, and her move to Texas where she worked for FC Dallas.

We touch on the unfortunate practice of stealing fonts, the sameness of visual aesthetic in sports, design criticism and the needless sensitivity most sports designers have with their work being critiqued.

Olivia also gives us some insight into how they are faciliating a creative culture among their creative team including their office environmental decoration.

Lastly, we go deep into the world of soccer (football for non-U.S. listeners) discussing everything from the growth of soccer in the U.S., our favorite boots, youth development programs and how the visual aesthtetic of soccer leagues like the MLS and Premier League are the best top-to-bottom aesthetically in the world of sport.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is RiCardo Crespo. RiCardo is best known as a creative ninja. You find much about him online and he prefers it that way as he consults with Nike and many other global brands. He has been global creative director for Mattel, 20th Century Fox and has spent time agencies like McCann Erickson, Saatchi & Saatchi & more.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 86: John Costacos, Co-Founder/Art Director, Costacos Brothers Posters

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 21:41:23 +0000

"Two things that helped us be really successful were that we treated the players like people—like everyday guys—[we] had fun with them and didn’t put them on a pedestal. And the second thing is we got them in and out of there fast."

There is nothing better than a good story. And boy does John Costacos of the Costacos Brothers have plenty of them.

The Costacos Brothers were a legendary poster company in the 80s/90s as they sold 30 million posters of numerous hall-of-fame professional athletes to kids around the U.S.

On this episode, art director John Costacos comes aboard the podcast to share how him and his brother's company was inspired by Prince, how they were able to push athletes to pose in over-the-top concepts that in some cases risked their bodies, and how they inspired the entire sports industry to push harder conceptually through their work.

It meant something to be in a Costacos Brothers poster. They created a brand. All sports designers & art directors owe a debt of gratitude to John and his brother, Tock. As an older millennial, many Costacos Brothers posters adorned my childhood bedroom's wall.

Enjoy the many stories John has for us in this one.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Olivia Brestal. Olivia is the creative lead for the MLS team, Sporting Kansas City. Having worked in soccer her entire post-grad career, Olivia is one of the most talented designers and photographers in Major League Soccer and prior to Sporting KC, Olivia spent time with FC Dallas. More of Olivia's work can be seen on her Behance.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 85: Samir Gole, VP of Digital Products, Major League Soccer

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 17:50:31 +0000

“I started tinkering with our own processes, embracing an iterative approach and knowing that nothing is finite & complete — everything that we do is always in the hope of iterating and moving forward in an incremental way.”

The first ever VP of Digital Products at Major League Soccer (MLS), Samir Gole, joins the podcast to discuss the next wave of digital intiatives at the MLS.

Having worked in digital products at DirectTV and Viacom (MTV, Nickelodean, etc.) previously, Samir brings his experience leading digital products to grow the game of soccer in North America.

We discuss the recent MLSsoccer.com redesign and how Samir moved the organization from waterfall development processses to agile processes as he touches on the benefits of this new approach; something he learned during his time at DirectTV.

Samir also touches on the importance of writing and how the MLS Digital Labs blog is both a recruiting tool for them, as well as a method of getting their thoughts out to executives and others within the organization.

The MLS unapologetically targets millennails. Samir elaborates on why they target this demographic, how they are doing so with new technology and how the MLS has the youngest fan base of any U.S. professional sports league.

Lastly, Samir discusses their recent implementation of hackathons—a common practice in the tech startup world—and how they important for ideating and solving long-term problems quickly.

Mentions Include:

My next guests are the Costacos Brothers. The Costacos Brothers revolutionized the sports poster industry in the late 80s and early 90s. Their work has become valuable sports ephemera as they shot over-the-top images pre-Photoshop. They are back in the design game and will be joining on the next episode.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 84: Ross Yoshida, Director of Graphic Design, Los Angeles Dodgers

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:31:57 +0000

"You want to have as much control as possible as an in-house design staff...there is so much talent out there and talent isn't exclusive to well-known agencies on the market."

Ross Yoshida, Director of Graphic Design for the L.A. Dodgers, joins the podcast to discuss his break early in his career into the sports design industry for his favorite team.

We chat about Ross's 10+ years with the organization and how he started off as a part-timer in college answering phones for ticket sales, which eventualy led to his design gig.

Ross touches on how protective he is of the Dodgers brand as a fan and now the design leader of the organization, and he discusses some of the nuances of the visual history of the team including the history and several tweaks of the Dodgers' script, the red numbers on the uniforms and the practical decisions made when it comes to making changes to an iconic brand.

Lastly, Ross gives some advice to in-house creatives on how to get your ideas heard with executives and why there are advantages being a part of the brand and knowing the quirks of the brand in regards to creating seasonal campaigns vs. outside agences.

We wrap by discussing the imprortance of sports design criticism as well as how the industry has changed over the years; including what Ross looks forward to in the future of uniform design and sports branding.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Samir Gole. Samir is the VP of Digital Products at Major League Soccer (MLS) where he leads a team of designers, technologists, strategists and more looking to improve the soccer fan's experience through digital technologies.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 82 (Part 1): Crossover Episode with Sean Callanan of Sports Geek Podcast

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 03:00:23 +0000

"I do the podcast for my clients, my past clients and my future clients. If they're listening, then I'm happy...I'll unashamedly say it's a lead generation for Sports Geek."

In the first ever crossover episode of Makers of Sport, Sean Callanan of Sports Geek joins the show for Part 1 of a two-part series.

Sean tells his story of how he went from programmer to notable digital consultant in the global sports business as we discuss the founding of Sports Geek—Sean's consulting company.

We chat about our love of podcasting in depth; including the effect starting a podcast has had on both of our services businesses in regards to asserting expertise.

Sean also shares the interesting story of how he landed epic guest Mark Cuban on Sports Geek Podcast.

We touch on Sean's recent trip to the U.S. at Podcast Movemenent and the SEAT Conference as we discuss the current state of podcasting, its future and sports tech industry.

Lastly, Sean gives us some of his thoughts on Snapchat and how it is a great chronological storytelling tool.

NOTE: The second part of this crossover where Sean interviews me is on Sports Geek Podcast.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is Ross Yoshida, Director of Graphic Design for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ross is a vocal voice in the sports design community and is on the board of MLC Connect.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 81: Ambassadors of Sports Design Panel, MLC Connect 2016

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 02:23:13 +0000

On this week's episode, we go behind-the-scenes at Major Level Creative Connect (MLC Connect) 2016 with a panel that Todd Radom, Brian Gundell and myself were asked speak on called "Ambassadors of Sports Design".

We come together for a no-holds-barred discussion on the state of industry, how each of us are ambassadors of sports design and what we can do gain credibility and drive industry forward in regards to professionalism and advocacy.

For visual reference, the deck for this presentation can be found here

Mentions Include:

The next interview podcast will be a crossover episode. Sean Callanan, founder of SportsGeek, and I are collaborating on an episode that appear on both podcasts. A part 1 & 2 split between two brands.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 80: Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith, Molly Mazzolini; Co-Founders; Infinite Scale

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 20:25:33 +0000

"In the environment, things need to be simplified, they need to have a quick read. You scale things very differently in environmental graphics than typical graphic design applications."

Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith and Molly Mazzolini—co-founders & creative partners of Infinite Scale—join the show to tell the story of their environmental design firm.

The three partners give us a view into their individual backgrounds and tell the story of how they met and what led to eventually founding their own design firm.

Cameron & Amy discuss how they landed their first major project for a the NFL and shares a bit about their design and pitch process, including assessing a city and the opportunity for design.

Additionally, Molly shares how they approach branding from a strategic and relationship perspective; as well as explains what a brand activation is.

Amy gives us some insight into their work culture and why it is very important to growing and sustaining a reputable design firm.

Lastly, we discuss ReScale; the green initiative of recycling and repurposing one-off environmental assets into other products.

Mentions Include:

The next podcast will be a crossover episode. Sean Callanan, founder of SportsGeek, and I are collaborating on an episode that appear on both podcasts. A part 1 & 2 split between two brands.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 78: Dylan Boyd, Managing Director, L.A. Dodgers Accelerator

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 01:06:28 +0000

"There's money & there's smart money. We believe there is capital, then there's creative capital."

Dylan Boyd, Managing Director of the Dodgers Accelerator, joins the show to talk tech startups in the sports industry.

Dylan tells his story and how he got into startups beginning with founding a digital agency that he grew to 80 people.

We define some common terms in startups to give listeners who may not be familiar a basic education for beginning to understand the industry.

In addition, we discuss how accelerators work—specifically the Dodgers Accelerator elaborating on their business model, R/GA's role in the joint venture, as well as what stage a company should be when they choose to apply to the Dodgers Accelerator.

We touch on why accelerators are growing exponentially and how creative services providers can break into startups either working with companies or creating their own.

Lastly we discuss what college athletics can do to innovate and invest in their own student bodies to create sports companies.

Mentions include:

My next guests are the founders of Infinite Scale. Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith & Molly Mazzolini join us to tell their stories and give us some insight into a few of their projects such branded environments for the College Football Playoff and the NHL All-Star Game. For more on Infinite Scale, see their site.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 76: Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content, PGA Tour Digital

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 23 May 2016 15:42:29 +0000

"For us it's gotta be about innovation across the board...for 'The Tour', we've gotta make sure we're doing everything we can to meet our fans on the platforms where they are and bring them some amazing stuff."

Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content at the PGA Tour, joins the show to discuss her storied career working in digital for brands such as Coca-Cola, Harry Potter, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dell and more.

Beginning agency-side, Sloane gives us some insight into transitioning from working with many brands to working on one brand. She also touches on the conference she founded, as well as her choice of incorporating social good into her work and how that continues with The Tour's mission of charity.

Golf may not be widely known as an innovative and tech-driven league; however, Sloane begs to differ as she lets us in on some of The Tour's digital strategies elaborating on how they are very tech-driven using analytics, mobile, social and storytelling to enhance the fan experience.

Lastly we touch on the future of the game and the hot topic of virtual reality (VR) as Sloane briefs us on how they are using VR, including some pointers on how content creators in other sports can begin to experiment with it.

[You'll notice my dog Missy barking early in the episode. I typically edit things like this out, but she died of congestive heart failure at 11 yrs. old 24 hrs. later so I felt it a fitting tribute to leave her in as that was reflective of her personality.]

Mentions include:

My next guest is Dylan Boyd. Dylan is the Managing Director of the Dodgers Accelerator, a sports startup accelerator in partnership between the L.A. Dodgers & R/GA Ventures. Prior to R/GA, Dylan ran the Nike+ Accelerator and is an advisor to many startup companies.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 75 (Halftime): Donating Your Creativity

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 17 May 2016 02:07:18 +0000

COMMUNITY CONTENT PREVIEW

A rare public Halftime episode as they are for paid Community members only now. I just felt this initiative is something worth sharing to everyone that may be interested.

Many of us have worked hard in our creative discipline of choice to hone our skills and get better project-by-project. We often get frustrated when we see big-revenue companies or organizations soliciting spec work and running design contests for creative they can and should pay for. However, sometimes non-profits and causes we believe in fall into doing that very thing as well due to lack of resources.

This Halftime is about taking initative and volunteering services, giving them in-kind for charities, causes and non-profits we believe in. Each of our stories consist of some particular cause we deeply care about. Be it family member who had cancer and was helped for treatment from a local cancer foundation, or a youth sports organization that helped mold us into better people when we were younger.

The Makers of Sport Community is tackling something we care about deeply in the near future with The High School Project: a branding and visual identity campaign donated to 2 U.S. public high schools per year in rural or inner cities that are particularly underfunded by their state. Our breadth of services, talent and passion for sport and its inflluence on culture and society takes precedent as we begin to volunteer our services for the greater good.

Listen to this episode to find out more and learn how you can become involved.

Mentions Include:

My next guest is going to be Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content for the PGA Tour. Sloane has an extensive agency background and has been with the PGA for 3 years. She recently spoke at SXsports on VR and golf.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 74: Brian Lindstrom, Art Director, Trek Bicycle; Illustrator, Bases Loaded Series

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 22:55:35 +0000

"You need to put food on the table. You need to do things you need to do to have a life. But, at the same time you need to feed your soul a little bit too."

Brian Lindstrom, art director at Trek, joined the podcast this week to discuss his career designing for physical products in the consumer brand space for brands such as Oakely, Skullcandy and now Trek.

We discuss Brian's education pursuing an M.F.A. in Design, how being a California kid with Midwest roots plays into his work, why he prefers working in consumer products rather than agencies and more.

Brian also gives us some insight into has many side projects including Bases Loaded Series and 50Built as we touch on the importance of creating for passion.

Lastly, we discuss naming companies, trends in naming and how our work is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.

Mentions include:

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 73: Tim O'Shaughnessy, Broadcast Art Director, ESPN

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 19:24:09 +0000

“You should start spending a half-hour a day learning Cinema 4D to advance your design repertoire. It's not hard, it will make you better.”

ESPN College Football, Mike & Mike, NBA on ESPN, the 2014 World Cup—do these brands ring a bell? Our guest this week is Tim O'Shaughnessy, broadcast art director at ESPN, and has worked on graphics packages for each of these TV brands.

We discuss Tim's undergrad degree in psychology and how it aids him in his work as an art director and empathizing with his intended audience or designers he art directs.

Music is an art that influences many designers. Tim is no different. We chat about why designers tend to either be musicians or appreciate music so much, including recognizing creative patterns and applying them to their own work.

We touch on the trend of amateur animaged GIFs in college sports and what makes an actual "animation" vs. turning off a layer in Photoshop.

Lastly, Tim gives us deep insight into some of the processes the broadcast department uses at ESPN including working with agencies or freelancers, rendering matte paintings, developing an overall vissual language for a show or event, animation engines & software being used, as well as the behehmoth of a project he worked on with LoyalKaspar for the new ESPN College Football motion package which is up for an EMMY.

Mentions include:

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 71: Brian Gundell, Brian Gundell Graphic Design Co.

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 17:38:41 +0000

“The best designers are always problem-solvers...[our] job is to figure out how to make this [project] the best it can be.”

On this week’s podcast, freelance sports designer Brian Gundell joined the show to discuss his career working in a few different limbs of the sports industry. From agency side to Nike to the MLB to college football recruiting, Brian has an varied history in this niche of design.

Brian touches on the importance of SportsLogos.net to his entry into sports design, as well as the importance of networking and building relationships with folks in this very small industry.

We laugh about the ridiculousness of college football recruiting graphics and Brian elaborates on this newest position for designers in sports.

Lastly, we touch on the lack of upward mobility in college sports and Brian leaves us with some insight into his move to full-time freelance.

Mentions include:

My next guest is going to be Tim O'Shaughnessy. Tim is a broadcast art director at ESPN where he has worked on motion packages for brands such as ESPN College Football, Mike & Mike, NBA on ESPN and the 2014 World Cup to name a few. Some of Tim's work can be seen at his site here.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 69: Mekale Jackson, Creative Director, St. John's University Athletics

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 02:21:21 +0000

“You can always learn from anyone — you can learn from people older than you, you can earn from people younger than you — always be open. Always be open to critique.”

On this week’s podcast, Mekale Jackson from St. John's University athletics joins us to discuss working for New York's college hoops program.

Mekale gives us some insight into his background prior to St. John's where he discovered graphic design & Photoshop in college as an English major at the University of Michigan by stumbling across a fraternity flyer.

Detroit, Mekale's hometown, is a place of inspiration for creativity and art despite the negative stereotypes the Internet & media says about the city and Mekale shares his love for the city with us including a few fav artists he follows.

We also discuss Under Armour's relationship with St. John's basketball, its value to the school for recruiting and brand recognition, as well as that one time Steph Curry practiced in their facilties.

Lastly, Mekale explains why he chooses to self-brand himself as a "sports creative director" rather than a graphic designer or sports designer.

Mentions include:

My next guest is going to be Brian Gundell. Brian is a freelance graphic designer in Portland, Oregon. Prior to joining the freelance ranks, Brian had stints at Old Hat Design, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the University of Washington football program.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 67: Aaron Masik, Senior Graphic Designer, Upper Deck

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 20:14:32 +0000

“When you get to work in pro sports, these players are their showcase...the message, putting people in the seats, getting people interested in the team and buying merchandise comes before cool graphics.”

On this week’s episode, Aaron Masik joined the podcast. Aaron is a senior graphic designer at The Upper Deck Company. Prior to Upper Deck, Aaron had stints in-house at the San Antonio Spurs and the San Diego Padres before making the move into consumer products.

We discuss Aaron’s big break into the sports industry, what it’s like working in a consistently winning organization such as the Spurs (including an interaction with Coach Pop himself), as well as the differences between working with the NBA versus the MLB.

We touch on some of the pain points working in sports as a creative person and have a very real & raw conversation on the frustrations that are prevalent when one makes the decision to work in team sports; including the way our personal and career values change over time and how sometimes it might be best to move on.

Lastly, Aaron gives us some insight into working at Upper Deck as we discuss design & printing processes, timelines, as well as the passion of the sports collectibles industry and how it has had a reawakening.

Mentions include:

My next guest is going to be Mekale Jackson. Mekale is the Associate Director of Athletic Communications for St. John's University in New York City. In addition to St. John's, Mekale freelances for numerous univerities including his alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 66: Jeremy Darlow, Author of Brands Win Championships

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 22:30:57 +0000

"Everyone is trying to find their own 15 minutes online with their channel...it's not about that 15 minutes, it's about that 15 years and what are you doing right now to build something that lasts..."

On this week's episode, Director of Brand Marketing for Adidas Football & Baseball joined the podcast, Jeremy Darlow. Jeremy is also the author of the book Brands Win Championships.

Jeremy brings a psychology background to the world of branding and gives us some insight into how important it is to build a brand and tell your story over the long haul, including digging into your brand's past.

We touch on how a smaller athletic program can use the same principles as big schools to build their brand and how sometimes being "second best" isn't so bad in the world of marketing.

Lastly, we discuss the importance of design in the world of branding and more specifically, why design deserves a role at the executive level on teams and in college athletic departments.

You can buy Brands Win Championships here.

Mentions include:

My next guest is going to be Aaron Masik. Aaron has extensive experience working in team sports with stints at the San Antonio Spurs and the San Diego Padres as a designer. Most recently, he moved to the consumer brand side as a senior graphic designer at Upper Deck.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers or show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 65 (Halftime): Announcing the Makers of Sport Community

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 00:49:10 +0000

The Internet has given us an uncanny ability to connect to others that share our passions in different regions of the world.

Joining online communities is vital for networking purposes, cultivating relationships and professional growth.

It has been a long time coming, but today I'm excited to announce the launch of the Makers of Sport Community.

Benefits include: Halftime episodes (all will be accessible to community-only from this point forward), transcriptions of those episodes, monthly Google Hangouts, private Q&As with future & former guests and an invitation to the Makers of Sport Slack channels.

Support the podcast by joining today.

Mentions include:

My next guest is going to be Jeremy Darlow. As digital brand marketer for Adidas football and baseball, Jeremy works with numerous college athletics programs around the U.S., including some professional Adidas athletes such as RGIII and Lionel Messi. He is also the author of Brands Win Championships, a book educating college athetic departments on the importance of brand strategy and marketing.

Support the podcast by joining the community.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 64: Ben Osborne, Editor-in-Chief, SLAM Magazine

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 02:47:31 +0000

"There's a lot of talented people out there. A lot of smart people. A lot of great writers. A lot of great editors. You gotta work... [Ben on side projects & growth]."

On this week’s episode, it's basketball, sneakers and hip-hop as Ben Osborne, Editor-in-Chief of SLAM Magazine joins the podcast.

Having been a subscriber of SLAM since 1994, Adam geeks out with Ben on the founding and history of the magazine, as well as how it worked to gain credibility in the world of sports journalism.

The two discuss the publication's swagger and its role in pioneering sneaker culture. As well as SLAM's long-time existence as a thorn in the NBA's side as it regards to portraying players as who they are, rather than who the league wanted them to be leading them to many epic cover shoots.

Ben elaborates on his role as Editor-in-Chief, design's importance to the magazine and Adam even reads a letter he wrote to the magazine that was published in 2006 reflecting on how SLAM shaped much of who is he today.

Lastly, Ben discusses some of his many side projects and how important it is to have such creative outlets.

Mentions include:

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 63 (Halftime): Cultivating Relationships

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 05:27:16 +0000

The world is about relationships. Plain and simple. We have relationships with family, friends and even objects.

In our professional lives, building relationships are vital for growth both fiscally and skill-wise. In today's Halftime, I discuss why cultivating relationships over time is extremely important and why the "hard sell" is a downfall of creatives in the digital economy.

Mentions include:

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 62: Michelle Cruz, Senior Art Director, New York Red Bulls

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 21:47:15 +0000

"I take a lot of pictures...I think for designers, drawing and taking photos is so, so important because you can go back to those photos and find some inspiration and find some great idea."

On this week’s episode, Michelle Cruz, Senior Art Director of the New York Red Bulls, joins the podcast to talk about her long career in sports design.

Being Puerto Rican born, yet raised as an Army brat in Germany, Michelle brings a unique perspective to sports design drawing inspiration from her time in Europe visiting art galleries and watching BBC and Spanish television.

We discuss Michelle's long tenure at ESPN as a broadcast designer, creating 1000s of broadcast graphics, some of which are still in using today and working across multiple sports such as Nascar, Cricket, Soccer, the NFL and the NBA.

Michelle gives us some insight into the difference between a motion designer and an animator, and touches on the breadth of work she worked on when she first to moved to NYC to become an art director for the New York Knicks.

Lastly, we discuss Michelle's time at Red Bull, the pressures of creating for one of the most creative brands on the planet and what it's like working for a consumer brand that owns multiple teams.

Mentions include:

My next guest is going to be Ben Osborne. Ben is the Editor-in-Chief of SLAM Magazine, a longstanding basketball publication that has cemented itself in basketball and hip-hop culture since the early 90s. Having been at the magazine for 9 years, Ben is in charge of overseeing each issue in regards to both content and concept, as well as overseeing the digital brand. I haven't missed an issue since the 3rd publication in 1993.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 61 (Halftime): Writing as Design

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 06:06:22 +0000

Design is about communication. It is about articulating decisions made from a professional perspective in order to sell something, or have a user do something. Other than speaking verbally, writing is the most important skill set to have when communicating ideas or opinions.

On this Halftime, I discuss why the people that are the best at their craft are also good writers and why writing is designing words. In order to be great at what you do, you also MUST be a good communicator. Being able to articulate and construct your ideas in written form are very important to our growth as creatives and as human beings.

Mentions include:

My next guest is Michelle Cruz, Senior Art Director of the New York Red Bulls. Prior to the Red Bulls, Michelle spent many years at ESPN as a broadcast designer working on much of the visual work still in use today, as well as the New York Knicks as an art director.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 60: Eric Bodamer, Uniform Designer, NHL Division, Adidas

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 04:00:23 +0000

“You need to sketch...you just need to doodle…don’t even go to the computer until you absolutely know you’ve flushed it out in your head and run through every iteration you possibly could…the computer and Illustrator and Photoshop are just tools…the solution comes from your head, not from the pixels.“

On this week’s episode, Eric Bodamer joins the podcast to give us some insight into his career as uniform designer for the NHL. Having worked at major brands Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, The Gap, Target and now Adidas; Eric sheds some light on apparel design and especially uniform culture.

From breaking into the uniform design industry by answering an open call from Nike in an L.A. newspaper, to creating iconic Hall-of-Fame uniforms for the Czech Republic, to designing the most recent Stadium Series uniforms for the last year of Reebok's NHL contact, Eric has had an extensive and interesting career in uniform design. He is truly one of the pioneers in the industry.

We discuss the public’s obsession with uniforms, the cultural impact on designing uniforms for international teams, as well as Todd Van Horne’s legacy at Nike.

Lastly, we touch on the latest release of the NHL Stadium Series jerseys, a set of uniforms Eric and his team created at Reebok/Adidas; including discussing their thinking behind the concept, as well as functionality of hockey sweaters, and debate the potential future of uniforms under the Adidas contract.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is going to be Michelle Cruz, Senior Art Director of the New York Red Bulls. Michelle has had an extensive career in sports with stints at ESPN and the New York Knicks before joining the host MLS franchise.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 59 (Halftime): Subjective vs. Objective

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 05:45:32 +0000

Oftentimes, we creative people run into debates with clients or other stakeholders due to both inserting subjective opinions on the work at hand. These converations are extremely unproductive in all honestly, hard to win when you are not paying for the work.

Opinion versus opinion leads to conversations that tend to go nowwhere. In this episode of Halftime, I discuss the difference of being objective versus being objective and why even though as creative people, we tend to have better taste than most, we should approach business and conversations about business with the latter.

Mentions include:

My next guest is Eric Bodamer of Reebok/Adidas. Eric is a Uniform Designer for the NHL divison of the brand, and over his career has created some of the most iconic hockey uniforms in the history of the sport. Should be an insightful look into the world of uniform design.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 58: Surf Melendez, Managing Director of Content & Creative, Miami Dolphins

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 17:57:37 +0000

"Yearly campaigns shouldn't be a reinvention of who you are. There should be a core of what you are & what you stand for & what you look like."

On this week's show, Surf Melendez joins me to discuss his non-traditional path to the Miami Dolphins where he is Managing Director of Content & Creative for the team overseeing a group of talented creatives that are working with ownership to build an in-house agency.

From an architecture degree at Florida, to a career in the restaurant industry & finance, we touch on Surf's eventual landing at ad agency Crispin Porter Bogusky where he launched into the creative world.

Due to the crazy hours of advertising and having kids, Surf tell of life change and a passion for sport that lead to Adidas where he created for running, training & football.

The want to move back home pointed him to the Miami, where they were wanting to build an in-house agency and serendipitously, the CMO used to be at CP+B client BK. We discuss the team's moves to cultivate a creative culture, their campaigns, controlling what goes out from a marketing perspective and their approach to building a global brand.

Finally, Surf leaves us with wisdom on building brands from within organizations. Be sure to stick around after the ending for some extra audio regarding a Dolphins/Marvel collab.

Mentions include:

My next guest is Eric Bodamer, uniform designer for Adidas's NHL Division. Prior to Adidas, Eric has had an extensive career at companies such as Nike, Reebok, Target and more. He's also had cameos on shows 35 and 47. Join us for an interesting view into the world of uniform design for hockey.

Did you enjoy this episode? Please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Episode 57: Ashley Strauss, Director of Creative Services, Mississippi State Bulldogs

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 03:11:28 +0000

"When you're more of a creative thinker you think differently...the language you use is a lot different and sometimes there is a disconnect when you're trying to conversate about what you're trying to accomplish. As a designer you have to remember that you are solving a problem...is this going to benefit your brand, is this going to serve the purpose? You could create this beautiful piece of work, but if it doesn't accomplish what somebody was intending to do, then it's not going to be a successful design."

For this week's episode, I traveled to Starkville, MS for the Kentucky vs. Mississippi State football game. The game wasn't the only reason I was in town though, it was just a perk. The real reason I went to Stark Vegas was to interview Ashley Strauss, the Bulldogs' talented Director of Creative Services.

You'll hear Ashley and I post-BBQ coma speaking on-location in her office about her path to Mississippi St., the painful similarities between playing sports and pushing yourself as a creative person, and developing a visual style for the MSU athletics brand.

We also discuss empathy and how developing it is an important skill for creative people, as well as how communication is vital in getting to the bottom of the semantics of feedback for projects as many times, non-creatives aren't articulating feedback clear enough for creative thinkers.

In addition, we have a special guest cameo as Senior Associate AD of External Affairs, Scott Wetherbee, comes aboard to discuss MSU's relationship with Adidas and how they go about approving and creating uniforms, as well as feeding the social media monster.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Surf Melendez. Surf is the Managing Director of Creative for the Miami Dolphins, an NFL team doing things differently in the sports industry by approaching their creative content as more of a consumer brand, rather than a sports brand. Prior to the Dolphins, Surf had an extensive career in the traditional advertising industry and stint at Adidas as a brand manager.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 56: Rebecca Feferman, Head of SXsports, SXSW

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 02:11:07 +0000

"It's not just how sports and technology intersect, but also the way that sport unites us as humanity, and what kind of impact it has on our culture, and what kind of impact our culture has on it... "

In 2011, I attended South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas. It was one of the greatest experiences of my professional life. In recent years, SXSW has launched a new convergence track called SXsports, a sports focused track on tech, business, data, media and more.

On this week's episode, Head of SXsports Rebecca Feferman joined the podcast to talk SXsports and the future of sports & technology.

We touch on Rebecca's past as a PR pro in Hollywood before moving to ATX during the recession & landing at SXSW.

Rebecca gives us the low down on the history of SXSW and specifically where the idea for SXsports came from.

We discuss the involvement of athletes & coaches in tech, VC and innovation when it comes to the #sportsbiz and learn about SXsports' mission to bridge sport & culture.

Lasty, Rebecca gives us some tips on what to do & see whilst in ATX for the massive festival and let's us know where to register and find the soon-to-be-released speaker lineup.

**Update: The panel and speaker lineup was released today.

Mentions include:

Our next is Ashley Strauss, Director of Creative Services for Mississippi State Athletics. I'll be heading down to Starkville, MS to interview Ashley and experience the Bulldogs' football gameday first hand. We're planning something out of the ordinary for this one as well so be on the lookout on twitter.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 55 (Halftime): Branded

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 02:17:20 +0000

The word brand is very complex, yet it is thrown around a lot these days; most of the time carelessly or in complete ignorance as it regards to what a brand is. In this episode of Halftime, I discuss the origins of branding, its definition according to the American Marketing Association, as well as dive deep into the semantics of the word and what it means in the modern era.

I also give specific examples of brands in the sports context such as Kentucky Basketball, Oregon Football and the New Zealand All Blacks, as well as discuss the complexity of a college athletic department's brand in relation to an individual program's team brand.

How much do brands have to do with a team being picked in the College Football Playoff? I touch on a recent article by ESPN's Heather Dinich and elaborate on the importance of trust and equity when it comes to brands.

Lastly, I discuss color, it's signifance in branding and share why there are more important things than a logo when it comes to branding.

Mentions include:

My next guest is Ashley Strauss. Ashley is the Director of Creative Services for Mississippi State Athletics where she works on print and digital design for the Bulldogs' many athletic teams.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 54: Alexandra Mount, Art Director, Consumer Product, NFL

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 01:17:32 +0000

"If you are gonna wake up every day and you are gonna go to a job that you truly love and you're truly passionate about and it makes you happy, then it doesn't matter if you're pigeonholed."

Alexandra Mount is a lady of many talents. Not only do those talents include design, but also athleticism (she played D1 lacrosse), a sense of humor and resilience. On this week's episode, Alex joins the podcast to discuss her rise in an extensive and ambitious sports career to the biggest sports brand in the world where she's currently an art director for the Consumer Product division of the NFL.

Alex tells her story including playing lacrosse at Boston University while majoring in graphic design to her chance meeting while teaching sailing classes to what happened to be the wife of SME Branding's Ed O'hara.

Her career lead her from SME to an ambitious and persisitant sports design job search which included walking directly into MLB Advanced Media in Chelsea Market in Brooklyn. Alex discusses her search, perseverance and her eventual landing at Madison Square Garden where she worked on projects for the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.

Many in this industry are afraid of getting pigeonholed as a "sports designer", Alex gives her point of view on this and we reveal some of the multiple avenues in the sports industry one can work and create in.

We dive deep into discussion about the growth of the game of lacrosse, specifially women's lacrosse and the importance of women's sports.

Lastly, Alex touches on what she does day-to-day at the NFL as she describes her internal department gives us some ideas of what the NFL Consumer Product Division is working on in regards to lifestyle branding and products.

Mentions include:

Our next is Rebecca Feferman. Rebecca is the head of SXsports, the sports & technology track at the world renown South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX. Rebecca will be joining the podcast to give us some insight into the conference's offerings this upcoming year for the sports track and discuss the future of sports, startups and technology.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 53 (Halftime): Inspiration or Imitation?

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 06:25:42 +0000

Imitation is an unfortunate thing that happens oftentimes in our industry. Especially in the creative side of the sports business. We often see popular designers getting ripped off by Instagram "sports edits" or see colleges or professional teams steal taglines from other teams.

Imitation is a natural human trait, yet there is a proper way to imitate and not be a theif. In this Halftime episode, I discuss the differences between imitation and inspiration, how to think outside the box to get inspired, subconscious inspiration and when to imitate for learning purposes.

I also touch on the work of Jonny Ive and how he was influenced by famous industrial designer and minimalist, Dieter Rams.

Mentions include:

My next guest is Alexandra Mount. Alex is an art director for the NFL's consumer product line. Prior to the NFL, Alex had stints at SME Branding and Madison Square Garden where she worked on visual design and campaigns for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 52: Chris Creamer, Founder, SportsLogos.net

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 14:23:32 +0000

"I know you say you (designers) are not curing cancer but you affect people. You affect people positively and negatively (with your work)."

Our second Canadian guest comes aboard the podcast this week as Chris Creamer, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of SportsLogos.net joined the the show to tell the story of one of the most influential sports logo and uniform sites on the Internet.

The site was started in 1999 when Chris was only 14 years old and has survived throughout his high school, college years, attacks from hackers and even the Web 2.0 era.

Chris and I nerd out about being some of the older tech guys on the web in our 30s and mixing that with our love of both tech and sports.

Chris tells a few stories about the growth of the website, its early rebellious nature, the infamous forums and the sites move from archiving sports logos to daily content and news.

We also discuss breaking new logo stories and Chris has been able to develop relationships within the media and sports executive community to get first-hand access to new logo information.

Lastly, what kind of episode would it be if we didn't discuss a few favorite logos, uniforms and team branding.

Mentions include:

My next guest is Alexandra Mount, Art Director of the NFL's Consumer Product division where she is leading design and photography marketing initiatives for the NFL's many licensed merchandise.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 51 (Halftime): Preparation

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 02:27:16 +0000

"By faling to prepare you are preparing to fail." – Benjamin Franklin

Preparation is often overlooked in regards to success. But those that are the most successful, have definitely taken the time to prepare and develop processes over time to allow them to react instead of overthinking obstacles in their career.

An example is Chris Fowler, former College Gameday host of 25 years. Chris works hard to prepare developing notes, storylines and more, all while leading his comrades as QB of Gameday.

On this episode, I discuss the importance of preparation and give you some tips on how to learn from the masters in regards to it.

Mentions include:

Chris Fowler on Twitter College Gameday on Twitter College Gameday reminisces about Chris Fowler's 25 years on the show. The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football Toughness by Jay Bilas

My next guest is Chris Creamer, founder and editor-in-chief of SportsLogos.net. SportsLogos.net is a news and historical covering logos and uniform updates of professional, minor league and NCAA Division I sports from around the U.S. and Canada.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 50: Adam Bradley and Alan Stein, Co-Founders, Hardwood Hustle

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 03:16:40 +0000

"As soon you start worrying about outcomes and not worrying about processes, then you're lost."

This week we are joined by some of my favorite podcasters for Episode 50, Adam Bradley and Alan Stein of the Hardwood Hustle podcast.

This isn't our typical sports design-related show, but it is filled with great content in regards to leadership, hustling in your craft, coaching and creativity in the sports business.

Hardwood Hustle's mission is "for those that know basketball is more than a game." The guys interview folks such as Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, Jay Bilas and many other sports entrepenuers and personalities.

In this episode, we discuss the story of the Hardwood Hustle, why they started a podcast and the intimacy of the podcasting medium for developing an audience or teaching your mission.

We also touch on sports entrepreneurship and its crossover with coaching. Including why combining your passion with what you are good at is vital.

Lastly, the guys share their views on the problems of youth sports & coaching in the U.S. and what we as creative people and entrepreneurs can do about it — including becoming better coaches, teachers and mentors.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Chris Creamer. Chris is the founder and editor-in-chief of the most popular sports logo and uniform history site on the web, SportsLogos.net.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 49 (Halftime): Defining Success to You

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 04:30:24 +0000

Success is something we obsess over in this day and age. We are inundated on social media and television with the success of others.

Sometimes we envy the success of others but what we really to understand is that success is subjective. It is different for every person. What is successful to you might be the same for me.

In this Halftime episode, I talk about why you should define what success is to you on your own terms and not the terms of others.

Mentions include:

My next couple of guests are the guys from the Hardwood Hustle podcast. Show hosts Alan Stein and Adam Bradley are joining the podcast to discuss combining the passion for sports with business and making a living from it. As touching lives through the sport of basketball and youth sports in particular. Both gentlemen are equally successful on their own with Stein being the strength and conditioning coach for DeMatha Catholic High School (where Kevin Durant attended) and Bradley being the founder of successful independent radio network in the DC/Baltimore area.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 48: Matt Coyle, Creative Director, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 06:19:00 +0000

"We're constantly looking for inspiration...it always comes down to the passion of it. So when you get a cool opportunity you want to maximize it."

This week on the podcast, Matt Coyle of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment joined the show. Matt is the creative director at MLSE where he leads a team of designers working on projects for the company's sports properties such as the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Marlies and Toronto FC.

Matt's team has won many awards for their creative work. We discuss the importance of entering awards show as an in-house team and how it can help you get a voice and seat at the table in the front office.

We also discuss the new uniforms and branding of the Raptors, what Drake's role is with the organization and the "We The North" campaign.

Hockey being Cananda's sport and the Maple Leafs being Canada's team, we don't leave out the hockey conversation as we discuss up coming projects for the Maple Leafs' 99th season and do a deep dive on some of their season ticket and packaging work.

Lastly we talk about the internal creative processes for MLSE and how the team finds inspiration continues to stay inspired and not work in a vaccuum.

Mentions include:

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 47 (Halftime): MLC Connect Interviews

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 00:29:34 +0000

In continuation of giving you a behind-the-scenes of my experience at Major Level Creative Connect, this week's Halftime is a compilation of quick interviews with many of the guests at the conference. Attendees shared who they are, where they work and some of their key takeaways from MLC. You may hear some cameos from some of the talented people you follow on twitter and possibly find some new folks to follow as well.

Mentions include:

Our next is Matt Coyle. Matt is the creative director of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment where he leads a team of in-house designers on award-winning creative campaigns for the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto FC and the Toronto Marlies.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 46: Kyle Bunch, Managing Director of Social, R/GA

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 04:14:31 +0000

"Today with how easy it is to start something that demonstrates your passion and your ability...there's no excuse. You shouldn't be waiting for this job that's gonna let you show the world what you can do, you should just be doing it."

This week's episode is chock-full of information and predictions from the future of sports tech & startups. Kyle Bunch, Managing Director of Social and Mobile Media at world-renown digital agency R/GA joined the podcast to talk about sports startups, media and software-as-a-service (SaaS).

Kyle works directly on the Nike account at R/GA and discusses how starting his own side project, TrojanWire.com helped him land a gig at the agency.

We discuss R/GA's founding as one of the first digital agencies and their innovation in tech + brand space. We also discuss their relationship with Nike in comparison to Wieden & Kennedy's relationship with the brand.

Lastly, we wrap with discussing the Dodgers Accelerator and talk about athletes' involvement in venture funds and angel investing.

Mentions include:

Our next is Matt Coyle, creative director of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment where he leads design and advertising initiatives for Toronto's professional sports teams.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 45: MLC Connect Panel with Todd Radom Design, Torch Creative and Th13teen

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 17:29:31 +0000

"We are in the business of cultural identity. We rally communities. We rally people around a movement."

This week's episode is a bit different than our normal interview shows or Halftimes. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending Major Level Creative Connect to moderate a panel with the keynote speakers which inluded Todd Radom, Brad Bishop and Michael Thurman of Torch Creative, and RiCardo Crepo of th13teen.

In the panel, we discuss battling design-by-committee, the importance of niche communities and portfolios, standing out in a saturated world full of creatives, cultural branding and creative entrepreneurship.

The audience included designers and project managers from nearly every MLB organization, as well as a few MLB, MLS and NFL designers.

Mentions include:

Our next is Kyle Bunch. Kyle is the Managing Director of Social at R/GA and a co-founder of Blogs with Balls, a sports media network that discusses the future of technology in the media side of sports.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 44: Brad Bishop and Michael Thurman, Co-Founders, Torch Creative

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 16:37:51 +0000

"Design by focus group, is like ordering a pizza for 10,000 people."

On this week's episode, the co-founders of Torch Creative (Brad Bishop and Michael Thurman) join the show. Torch is a creative branding shop based out of the Dallas, Texas area that has worked with many clients ranging from NCAA Division I to Division III colleges to the NHL.

Brad and Michael discuss how they got into sports design and what made them decide to make the jump in to starting their own creative business, which includes building their company on the side while they each worked full-time jobs during the day.

We also touch on navigating the bubble of the college athletics business and making connections in a world where everyone knows everyone and references are key. Including how to handle vitriolic feedback from alumni or forum keyboard warriors.

Many of Torch's sports branding projects include custom typography. The guys give us some insight into their passion for creating custom letters, as well as touching on the visual style of athletics in the 90s and how identities are moving back into a more timeless style.

Lastly, we discuss Torch's work on the Stanley Cup logos for the NHL.

Mentions include:

Our next is Kyle Bunch. Kyle is the Managing Director of Social at R/GA and a co-founder of Blogs with Balls

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 43 (Halftime): Working Remotely

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 03:24:41 +0000

We live in the best time period in the history of the world when it comes to following our passions online.

On today's Halftime, Adam talks about working remotely (telecommuting) and why it is no longer the future of work but the present.

He touches on why you should never let your area code hinder what you can do professionally and gives some reasons why remote work may actually be more productive than in-office work.

Mentions include:

Our next episode will include the co-founders of Torch Creative, a Dallas, Texas-based creative shop that has worked on team branding ranging from NCAA Division I to Division III, as well as the NHL.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

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Episode 42: Chris David Garcia, Creative Director, Houston Astros; Founder, MLC Connect

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 04:51:12 +0000

"If there's ever an idea and you realize there is an opportunity there, opportunity has a shelf life. You gotta do it. You gotta do it quick."

This week on the podcast, Chris David Garcia of the Houston Astros joins us. Chris has been creative director of the Houston Astros where he has been working for 8+ years. He is also the founder of the upcoming sports design conference, Major Level Creative Connect (MLC Connect).

Chris discusses his path to the Houston Astros and how important it is for in-house creatives to make clear business cases to their superiors when it comes to defining a career ladder and advancement within sports organizations.

We also touch on the founding of Major Level Creative Connect and discuss why Chris pursued the endeavor to scratch his own itch of talking with other creative professionals working in-house that may be too busy to network outside of their organization.

Lastly, Chris tells us where we can register for the conference, gives some insight on who will be speaking this year and discusses the casual, open-source atmosphere of MLC Connect.

Mentions include:

Our next show will include the founders of Torch Creative, a Texas-based creative agency focused on creating brands for team and corporate clients. Their work includes brands throughout the NCAA, the NHL and they also created the SportsLogos.net logo.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 41 (Halftime): Firing Clients

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 03:51:52 +0000

Sometimes things just don't work out. Deciding when to fire a client and then firing the client is very hard. It's possibly one of the toughest and most uncomfortable things we have to do in business.

On this week's Halftime, Adam discusses some reasons on why you need to fire clients sometimes and also gives pointers on how to fire them professionally without burning bridges.

Jeremy Darlow will be joining us on next week's podcast. Jeremy is a Director of Brand Marketing for adidas Football and Baseball. He is also the author of Brands Win Championships, a book for college athletic departments that aids in marketing and promoting their brands to the masses.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow the show, @MakersofSport, as well as the host @TAdamMartin on Twittter and Dribbble.

Episode 40: Jon Contino, Letterer, Jon Contino Studio

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 15:08:30 +0000

"If I wasn't myself [through my work] then it really wasn't worth doing. I don't see why anyone would wanna do something where they just have to just kind of put on a mask everyday and pretend to be something they're not. I just wanted to be myself and see where it would lead me."

One of New York's finest, Jon Contino is on the podcast this week. Jon is a designer, illustrator, letterer and creative director based out of upstate New York. His work has adorned apparel, digital, print and environmental graphics for the likes of Nike, Jordan Brand, ESPN the Magazine, Sports Illustrated, IBM, Microsoft, Miller Lite and more.

Jon talks about his upbringing in Long Island, NY and how being a passionate baseball and New York Hardcore music fan plays into the reasoning and inspirations behind why he became a designer.

He also gives us some insight into the ups and downs of starting an agency while learning on the fly, as well as tells a few stories about how his former agency OneTwentySix Design Studios spun off into the apparel brand CXXVI Clothing Company with rejected client work.

We discuss how important it is to work with clients that trust you and allow you to be yourself through your work. Jon tells a story of how he made the transition of being a "do everything for everybody" type of person to a "do my own style" type of stop.

Lastly Jon touches on the importance of equity in one's name versus a made up brand name, as well as how frightening and expensive starting an menswear lifestyle brand is.

Show Links:

My next guest is Jeremy Darlow of Adidas where he a Director of Brand Marketing for football and baseball. Jeremy is also the author of the book, Brands Win Championships.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show, @MakersofSport, as well @TAdamMartin on Twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 39: Chris Isenberg, Partner, Doubleday & Cartwright

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 04:32:46 +0000

"When you passionately express your true point of view and you show exactly how you wanna do something, it shows other people how they can use you as a tool if they want to."

On this week's podcast, Doubleday & Cartwright parter, Chris Isenberg joins the show. D&C is a Brooklyn-based creative agency focusing on work at the intersection of sports and culture.

Chris gives us some insight into his career before founding Doubleday & Cartwright which includes stints as a freelance writer and working for Details Magazine until the eventual founding of his personal brand No Mas — a website that makes apparel, art and digital media dedicated to "The Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat".

We elaborate on the importance of side projects and how they can lead to your dream client work as the D&C published magazine, Victory Journal did for Isenberg and company.

Lastly, we discuss the infamous Milwaukee Bucks rebrand, how Doubleday & Cartwright dealt with online criticism on such a large team rebranding, as well as the value of showing their process on the branding work as it regards to taming the Internet critics.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Jon Contino, creative director of Jon Contino Studio and co-founder of CXVII Clothing Co. and Contino Brand.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show, @MakersofSport, as well @TAdamMartin on Twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 38 (Halftime): Side Projects

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 27 May 2015 04:30:34 +0000

Side projects can be good for our careers and even our mental health. They help us grow as creatives and give us something to look forward to that we can control. Something that doesn't have the pressure of a client or other stakeholder.

In this episode of Halftime, Adam discusses the importance of side projects, how they can make us become known for something and can lead to our dream clients.

Mentions include:

On the next podcast, the partners of Doubleday & Cartwrightwill be joining the podcast. D&C is a New York City creative agency focusing on sport and culture. Along with working with clients such as Nike, ESPN and Red Bull, D&C is recently noted for designing the newMilwaukee Bucks visual identity.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show @MakersofSport, as well the host onTwitter and Dribbble.

Episode 37: Matt Lange, Director of Creative, University of Alabama Football

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 18 May 2015 05:05:45 +0000

"Do as much work as you can. Do it the best that you can."

Matt Lange, Director of Creative for the 15-time national champion University of Alabama Football Program, joins the show this week to discuss his career path and give us some insight into designing in-house for big-time college athletics.

Matt tells his story regarding his climb from being laid off at a small ad agency, being forced into freelance grinding away to find work and eventually landing a gig as a photographer and designer for the Atlanta Falcons before landing his dream job at the University of Alabama

We discuss Matt's passion for photography, how having a deep understanding of it influences his composite work, as well as where he finds inspiration.

Lastly for you hip-hop fans, Matt and I talk about Southern Hip-Hop, specifically No Limit Records and its early influence on the graphic design styles of work we see today.

Mentions Include:

On our next show, the partners of Doubleday & Cartwright will be joining the podcast. D&C is a New York City creative agency focusing on sport and culture. Along with working with clients such as Nike, ESPN and Red Bull, D&C is recently noted for designing the new Milwaukee Bucks visual identity.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show, @MakersofSport, as well the host on Twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 36 (Halftime): Gaining Professional Authority with Clients

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 13 May 2015 14:22:15 +0000

The best client relationships begin with trust and mutual respect. Clients that are controlling – using you as their pixel-pushing pets – have not been acclimated to working with professional creators, those that have valuable knowledge, expertise and are business-driven. Do you want to be a technician or a respected professional?

In this episode of Halftime, Adam discusses professional authority – having clients respect your opinion and look to you for guidance when performing your craft. Adam reveals a few of his own strategies when it comes to setting the tone of a professional relationship early in order to exert authority when as it regards to clients valuing your opinion, skillset and knowledge of your field.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Matt Lange. Matt is the Director of Creative for the historic University of Alabama Crimson Tide football program.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 35: Tom O'Grady, Chief Creative Officer, Gameplan Creative

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 04 May 2015 00:29:40 +0000

"You're in the emotions business, and the emotions business is exciting. It's fun. It's something that you jump out of bed to do every day...what we are creating for people is an emotional, tribal experience with their [team]."

Tom O'Grady – hired by David Stern as the NBA's first creative director – joins the podcast this week. After 13 years with the NBA, Tom left to found Gameplan Creative, a strategic creative agency for sports and entertainment brands.

On this episode we discuss Tom's tenure with the NBA during its growth in the 90s. Nostalgia is prevalent as we discuss uniform designs, branding and the NBA's impact on culture. We discover that the 4 big American sports leagues had a mastermind group of league creative directors from the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL that all shared ideas, sports branding processes, nomenclature and contacts — further emphasizing the value of relationships in this business.

Tom gives us some insight into Gameplan Creative's work, including their flexible business model in scaling up for bigger projects by hiring & art directing freelancers depending on a project's brief.

Gameplan recently had the opportunity to work on a project for the Elite Football League of India, an American-style football league in Southeast Asia where Gampelan provided branding, naming, uniform designs and more. We discuss what it's like to take on a project of this scale and how important research is in regards to branding teams of different cultures than your own.

We talk about brands like Nike taking on brand identity projects for colleges, further discussing whether consumer brands have the best interests of schools in mind long-term and how brands are getting ahead of the announcements by developing stories to unveil with the rebrands.

Lastly, Tom provides his thoughts on the future of in-venue entertainment, as well as giving his views on the future of the sports design industry; including how one can stand out in the saturated sports branding market.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Matt Lange. Matt is the director of creative for the University of Alabama football program.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show, @MakersofSport, as well the host on Twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 34 (Halftime): Just Start

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 17:17:46 +0000

Starting is hard. It's very hard. In fact, it's probably the hardest thing creative people do. We often have ideas that we never pursue because we are either afraid, lazy or just unsure where to start.

Ideas are great all and but execution is where the true value lives. If ideas only live in our heads, they benefit no one. On this week's Halftime, Adam gives some insight into starting and encourages you to move forward by starting.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Tom O'Grady. Tom is a partner and chief creative officer at Gameplan Creative, a Chicago sports agency he founded after his 10+ year stint as the NBA's first creative director.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 33: Tim Oliver, Art Director, Golf Digest

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 00:15:11 +0000

"Creative people can't be afraid of letting other creative people [critique] their work...sometimes to bring life into the magazine, it's good to give it to another creative person and have them look at it."

For me, The Masters symbolizes the beginning of spring and especially the beginning of golf season. Therefore, this episode's guest is only fitting this time of year. Tim Oliver joins us on this podcast to to talk golf and design. Tim has been an art director at Conde Naste's Golf Digest for 15+ years where he has worked on everything from laying out the publication, writing content, art directing photoshoots to designing digital products.

Tim gives us a little insight into his journey from designing at the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the New York Times to his eventual landing at Golf Digest — a company where employees tend to go and stay for many years; a rare trait in today's business world.

We discuss the evolution of the game of golf from a fitness perspective, Pentagram's early-2015 redesign of the publication, some recent controversial cover shoots and more.

Tim also reveals some of his thoughts on the future of golf from a design and entrepreneurial perspective and discusses Golf Digest's mission to increase the appeal of the game to millennails and non-traditional fans.

Lastly, we cover the need for today's designer to transcend mediums creating for print and digital.

Mentions Include:

Our next guest is Tom O'Grady. Tom was hired by David Stern in the early 90s as the NBA's first creative director. He helped shape the visual identites of many teams in the league for a decade before leaving the NBA to start his own agency, Gameplan Creative.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter.

Episode 32 (Halftime): Creative South Recap

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 04:34:12 +0000

This week Adam had the great pleasure of attending Creative South in Columbus, Georgia. Former guests Joe Bosack, Todd Radom, Bill Frederick, Fraser Davidson, Matt Walker and TJ Harley were attending the conference as well. The inital plan for this episode was to sit a digital recorder on the table with all of these gentlemen and just talk. No pressure, just shop talk over a few craft brews. Unfortunately the audio was botched.

So for this week's Halftime episode, Adam takes some time to reflect on Creative South and tells you why he believes you should budget time and money to attend to small, creative conferences.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Tim Oliver. Tim is an Art Director at Golf Digest magazine where he has been creating award-winning work for over 15 years.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Episode 31: TJ Harley, Founder/Creative Director, Harley Creative

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 04:37:41 +0000

"If you do good work, hopefully people will respect that and want to hire you again."

TJ Harley, founder and creative director of Harley Creative and Vectorloop comes aboard the podcast this week. TJ was the former creative director of the Collegiate Licensing Company where he lead branding and creative strategy on college sports brands for nearly 11 years before leaving to join the ranks of entrepreneurship.

On this episode, we talk about TJ's career – from his first design job at a t-shirt shop in Clemson, South Carolina to his decade at the CLC, to starting his own businesses – TJ has a great story about his career climb struggling with confidence to later working on brands such as the NCAA, BCS and more.

We also discuss the importance of business relationships, not burning bridges and how who you know is more important than what you know.

The pleasures and challenges of full-time freelancing out of your house, including the fighting the urge to not shower daily also make their way into the conversation.

Lastly TJ gives us some insight into his latest projects with the College Football Hall of Fame and the Vault of American Football and reveals his disdain for creative briefs and brand standards.

Mentions include:

Our next guest is Tim Oliver. Tim is an Art Director at Golf Digest magazine where he has been creating award-winning work for over 15 years.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter.

Episode 30 (Halftime): What Makes You Different?

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 03:33:34 +0000

What really differentiates you as a professional or business? If all you are selling is your service, you are losing in the big picture.

There is a lot of parity in the creative services industry. Talent is at an all-time high it seems if one takes a look at places such as Dribbble, Behance or Instagram. We have to find a way to stand out fromt the crowd.

In this episode of Halftime, Adam discusses the benefits of positioning, focusing on vertical markets versus horizontal markets and gives a few pointers on how to make yourself stand out from the talented crowd by writing a positioning statement.

Mentions Include:

Dan Simon, Studio Simon

Positioning for Professionals

Win Without Pitching

Teehan+Lax

Our next guest is TJ Harley, founder of Harley Creative. Before founding his own design company, TJ was a creative director at the Collegiate Licensing Company, a division of IMG, where he lead branding and creative on over 200 IMG clients.

Be sure to follow Adam and the podcast on Twitter, as well as on Dribbble.

Did you get value from this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes.

Episode 29: Matt Powell, Sneakerologist, NPD Group

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 06:14:49 +0000

"People think I'm being critical but I (often) talk about what I call the 'echo chamber' of the sneakerhead world in that a shoe/brand/event is bounced back and forth inside this 'echo chamber' and it makes it seem like it's a really loud voice, but when you look around the big world outside, most people don't even know that it's going on. So very many of the hot sneakerhead shoes are just not commercial in units sold."

This week, Sneakerologist Matt Powell joins the show. Matt is a prominent voice in the sneaker industry and is a vice president and sports industry analyst for NPD Group where he covers the business of sports retail, wearables and especially sneakers. Matt has been covering the sneaker industry for more than 20 years and also is a contributor to the Forbes Sneakernomics blog.

On this episode, we take a deep dive into the business and culture of sneakers — how did the industry get so large over the past 30 years? Matt shares some numbers in market shares, compares trends vs. sales, discusses brand loyalty, as well as gives us some insight into some of the startup brands such as BrandBlack.

We also discuss the alleged impact of celebrity collaborations with brands (including the Kanye/Adidas Yeezy), sneaker customization, the reselling industry, as well as the sensitive topic of violence in the retail side of the sneaker business.

Matt also covers wearable technology at NPD Group so we end with a discussion on the future of wearables in sports, including 3d printing.

Mentions include:

@NPDMattPowell on Twitter

NPD Group

Forbes - Sneakernomics

Complex's 30 Must-Follow Sneaker Writers and Bloggers on Twitter

Kayne West Yeezy

Zoom Flight 95 Sneakers

Tinker Hatfield, Nike

Apple Watch

Our next guest is T.J. Harley, founder and creative director of Harley Creative in Atlanta, GA. Before founding his own design shop, T.J. was the creative director of the Collegiate Licensing Company for 10+ years where he provided branding and creative direction for over 200 CLC/IMG clients.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, Adam Martin and @makersofsport on twitter.

Episode 28 (Halftime): Making It Official, Starting a Business

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 18:11:29 +0000

Should you incorporate if you are taking on freelance or contract work?

In this episode of Halftime, Adam discusses the benefits of setting up an LLC to freelance and touches on the differences between LLCs, Partnerships, S-Corporations and C-Corporations.

There are some complex topics discussed in this episode and of course, Adam isn't an accountant or attorney so you will definitely want to consult with one for legal advice. However, this episode may help you figure out ahead of time what questions you need to ask to that legal consultant or at least not appear ignorant to business structures as you pursue entrepreneurship.

Mentions and Helpful Links Include:

Freelancing? Consider Forming an LLC by ShakeLaw.com Should You Incorporate Your Freelance or Consulting Business by U.S. Small Business Administration 5 Reasons Why an LLC is the Right Structure for Your Startup by INC Magazine The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide to Running a Small Graphic Design or Communications Business The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business C-corporation vs. S-corporation

Our next is Matt Powell. Matt is a vice president and sports industry analyst at the NPD Group, where he focuses on the business and culture of sneakers. Matt also writes for Forbes Magazine's Sneakernomics blog.

Be sure to follow Adam and the podcast on Twitter, as well as on Dribbble.

Did you get value from this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes.

Episode 27: Bethany Heck, Founder, The Eephus League

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 01:34:38 +0000

"I've interviewed at sports places and I've gotten the vibe, 'you're gonna get used up a little bit here but you're gonna put up with it because you want to be able to say that you work here.' That's never been appealing to me. Nobody is going to sell me on that...I value my freetime...I don't want to be taken advantage of."

This week the mega-talented Bethany Heck joins the podcast to talk about her independent project, The Eephus League; a website geared towards passionate baseball fans with an appreciation for aesthetics and minutiae of "America's pastime". Most recently, Bethany was a product designer at IBM's Mobile Innovation Lab in Austin, TX before taking a gig with Microsoft in Seattle as a creative lead on one of their products.

Bethany, a die-hard Auburn Tigers fan and alumnae, founded The Eephus League while attending college for a senior project and the brand eventually grew into a Kickstarter campaign that successfully raised nearly $30,000 for a beautifully designed and printed score book called the Halfliner which can purchased here.

Other topics we discuss include designing websites in InDesign versus Photoshop, and we touch on Bethany's recent Medium article discussing junior designer salaries, a designer's value and their career; all topics Bethany is extremely passionate about.

Mentions include:

Bethany Heck's Portfolio site

Follow Bethany Heck on Twitter

Bethany Heck on Dribbble

MICA | Maryland Institute of Art

Auburn University Graphic Design Program

The Eephus League

The Eephus League Magazine

The Halfliner Scorebook

Makers of Sport Episode 15: Matt Stevens

Hatch

Huge/King Coyle

Huge Inc.

Edits Quarterly by Ian Coyle

What I’ve learned about Design Jobs & Settling

Makers of Sport #26: Show Me The Money

Did you get value from this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes.

Episode 26 (Halftime): Show Me The Money

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 05:59:18 +0000

People that create for a living often get freelance inquiries – be it from friends, colleagues, family or random clients; opportunities to make a little extra money occasionally arrive.

In this episode of Halftime, Adam touches on the infamous topic of pricing for freelancers. Having been involved as a business owner for nearly 10 years, Adam shares some of his knowledge about pricing strategies and offers some solutions that may work for you.

The show touches on 3 strategies: hourly rate, retainers and fixed-fee pricing.

Mentions and valuable links:

The Case Against Paying Designers by the Hour via Fast Company

Let's Kill the Billable Hour by Jon Lax of TeehanLax

Your rate (hourly rate calculator)

Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator

Pentagram

Paula Scher

New York Jets Identity by Pentagram

College Football Playoff Identity by Pentagram

The Business Side of Creativity book

Our next guest is Bethany Heck. Bethany is the designer founder of Eephus League, a baseball website dedicated to the game and its culture. She was also recently a designer at IBM's Mobile Innovation Lab in Austin, Texas.

Be sure to follow Adam and the podcast on Twitter, as well as on Dribbble.

Episode 25: The Interception Show with Joe Bosack & Adam Martin

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 23:37:33 +0000

"Designers are a dime a dozen. There are tons of designers in the world. Who's the best designer in the world? We probably can't name one because there are [1000s] that are about the same level...the way that we distinguish ourselves is through our personalities, our world view and also our skillsets. But how comfortable can you make the person you are working with in regards to them being able to trust you and executing something that is going to be good for them."

Former guest and renown sports branding designer, Joe Bosack returns to the show for milestone Episode 25 in order intercept the mic and interview Makers of Sport founder & host, Adam Martin.

In this episode, Joe gives Adam the opportunity to tell his story beginning in his grade school days drawing fake movie posters all through falling in love with graphic design, business and the eventual founding of Makers of Sport.

Through his backstory, Adam touches on things like being an average student, becoming passionate about something after once being apathetic, failure, his transition from full-time employment at a global sports agency into running an independent design consultancy.

The two friends also discuss why Adam enjoys having multiple creative pursuits instead of focusing on one medium or task, the podcast beginnings and how it has affected Adam's current business processes and workflows, as well as why the show or its topics aren't for everyone.

For some of Adam's favorite reads, check out the Makers of Sport Book Club.

Mentions Include:

Guest Host, Joe Bosack

A. Martin Design

Eastern Kentucky University

AIGA

Host Communications now IMG College

Collegiate Licensing Division (CLC)

Tailgate the SEC on Dribbble

Able Engine, Lexington web company

Able Sports

Back Out In The Wild blog post

Sean McCabe

seanwes Podcast

Alexis Ohanian

Without Their Permission

Episode #4: Todd Radom

Episode #22: Fraser Davidson

Episode #2: Joe Bosack

Episode #8: Darrin Crescenzi

Dan Simon, Studio Simon

Bethany Heck Dribbble

CoSIDA Conference

3d Lacrosse

Big thanks to Joe Bosack, founder and creative director of Joe Bosack & Co. for hosting this milestone episode.

Episode 24: Chin Wang, Creative Director, ESPN The Magazine

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 02:50:29 +0000

"If you are a good designer, part of your job is to find (visual) solutions in a varied part of storytelling."

Chin Wang, Creative Director of ESPN The Magazine joins the show this week to discuss editorial design, managing a team of designers, photo editors and art directors, as well as the inner workings of creating one of world's most popular sports publications.

Chin has been an editorial designer much of her career and on this episode we go behind-the-scenes of how ESPN The Magazine is created.

We touch on everything from their process, the differenes between design directors and creative directors, and how Chin and team search for new talent on places like Dribbble.

Chin also tells some behind-the-scene stories about working with JJ Watt, Rob Gronkowski and the laying out the infamous Body Issue.

Lastly, we talk about how tough freelancing is and what we can do to support one creative to another.

Chin also just might reveal one of the athletes she has a strong admiration (or maybe crush?) for.

Mentions Include:

Chin Wang's Portfolio

Chad Millman, Editor-in-Chief of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine

On our next episode, which happens to be milestone episode 25, Joe Bosack of Joe Bosack & Co. is rejoining the show to intercept the mic and conduct an interview with myself, allowing me to tell some of my own stories.

Don't forget to follow the show (@makersofsport) and Adam (@tadammartin)on twitter or Dribbble.

Episode 23 (Halftime): You're Talented, So What?

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 06:17:09 +0000

You've been grinding away, posting work to Dribbble and still not getting project inquiries. You know you have the chops to produce great work, but why is no one hiring you?

In this episode of Halftime, Adam talks about getting discovered. He touches on topics ranging from self-promotion, avoiding humble brags, and being a jerk.

Mentions include:

Fraser Davidson, Episode 22

Fraser Davidson, Skillshare

South by Southwest

Creative South

Darrin Crescenzi, Episode 8

Darrin Crescenzi GoT poster

Matt Stevens, Episode 15

MAX100 Project

Tobias van Schneider, Spotify

Jim Bankoff, CEO, Vox Media

ENFP

My next guest is Chin Wang. Chin is the creative director of ESPN the Magazine. Check out her work.

Be sure to follow Adam and the podcast on twitter, as well as Dribbble.

Episode 22: Fraser Davidson, Designer/Director/Animator, Cub Studio

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 03:15:49 +0000

"It's about doing the kind of work you want to be producing. If you want to be working in the sports design industry, you just produce work as if you've been doing it."

Fraser Davidson is our guest this week. He is a multi-talented Englishman focusing on animation, design and sports branding. He is a founding partner at the London (U.K.) animation shop, Cub Studio and sports branding consultancy, Field Theory.

Major brands such as the NFL, ESPN, GE, Twitter, Fox Sports and more have called on Fraser Davidson for creative work. On this episode we discuss Fraser's path from full-time employee at London-based production and VFX company Mainframe, to Cub Studio and everything in between – including working with Nike, Joe Bosack & Co. and getting discovered on Dribbble.

Adamant about putting out work consistently and staying on people's minds, Fraser discusses how this can aid in discovery and lead to better clients and work. We touch on how one can keep at the top of their game if they are interested in different creative niches or services.

Lastly, Fraser shares a few mistakes he has made over his career and provides some advice for those looking to get break into or get better at sports branding.

Mentions include:

Fraser Davidson

Follow Fraser on Twitter

Fraser Davidson on Dribbble

Cub Studio

Field Theory

Joe Bosack & Company

Joe Bosack's Makers of Sport episode

ESPN College Football Playoff animation by Cub Studio

Darrin Crescenzi, episode 8

Alternative Rugby Commentary

Georgia Bulldogs rebranding by Nike's Graphic Identity Group

A Guide to American Football by Cub Studio

Von Glitschka, Illustrator

Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net

Adam Clement, Team Sports Creative Director at Under Armour, Episode 11

South Carolina Gamecocks "Wounded Warrior" uniforms

Creative South

My next guest is Chin Wang, Creative Director of ESPN the Magazine. You can view some of her award-winning design & art direction work at her personal portfolio.

Episode 21 (Halftime): Are You a Fraud?

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 23:43:23 +0000

Do you ever feel like you are not good enough? That your accomplishments will soon get found and you will be exposed as a fraud?

In this episode of Halftime, Adam talks about impostor syndrome, how to use it as motivation and how to overcome it.

Mentions include:

Gary Vaynerchuck

VaynerMedia

Stop Trying to Figure Out if You've "Made It"

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

Ira Glass, NPR

The Gap, Ira Glass

Our next guest is Fraser Davidson, co-founder of Cub Studio and founder of Field Theory Sports Branding.

Be sure to follow Adam on Twitter (@TAdamMartin) orDribbble, as well as the show (@MakersofSport).

Episode 20: Ted Irvine, Senior Design Director, Vox Media (SB Nation)

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:59:37 +0000

"If you are fundamentally strong in [typography, composition, grids, layout, etc.] it will translate back the digital space."

Ted Irvine, Senior Design Director at Vox Media – the digital media company that includes SB Nation, The Verge, Polygon, Curbed, Eater and more – joins the show this week to tell the story of SB Nation and its eventual growth into Vox Media.

SB Nation is a sports site that has grown from fan-run blogs to a technology company that includes many other verticals producing fantastic content in the sports, food, technology, gaming and other industries.

In this episode we discuss Ted's path to SB Nation, the challenges of rebranding 300+ websites, and the advertising model of Vox Media which includes a talented in-house production/advertising agency.

We also discuss the difference between design directors and creative directors, as well as what Ted is looking for when hiring designers for Vox Media.

Lastly, Ted sheds some light on how designers can fight for a seat at the table instead of just being cake decorators.

Mentions include:

Follow Ted Irvine on Twitter

The Verge

Remote by Jason Fried

Lindsay Nelson from Slate

Vox Creative

First and Long, Nike ad with Desean Jackson

Chad Mumm, Creative Director of Vox Media

Vox Media's product blog

The next episode will be another Halftime where I will discuss impostor syndrome. After that, our next guest will be Fraser Davidson, founding partner of animation shop, Cub Studio and creative director of Field Theory Sports Branding.

Episode 19 (Halftime): What is Halftime?

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 04:17:00 +0000

The first episode of Halftime launches as host Adam Martin talks about what Halftime is and why Makers of Sport Podcast is integrating this series into the show along with the interviews. He reveals the goals for the series and a few future topics including impostor syndrome, freelance pricing, the “like” drug and more.

Mentions include:

Tyson Beck, Episode 16

Host Communications

Jim Host, Sports Business Entrepreneur

Arnie, The Documentary

IMG College

Octagon Sports

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Roy Kidd, Former Football Coach of EKU

Sports Business Journal

3d Lacrosse

USA Today Great State Showdown

JMI Sports

Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink

The latest interview show was supposed to be Aaron Masik, however, he recently moved from the San Antonio Spurs to the San Diego Padres so his interview will be postponed until later in the spring. Therefore the next guest on Episode 20 will be Ted Irvine, Design Director of Vox Media.

Be sure to follow Adam on twitter (@TAdamMartin) or Dribbble, as well as the show (@MakersofSport).

Episode 18: Bill Frederick and Michael Raisch, Fanbrandz

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 01:42:51 +0000

"A well activated brand is more successful than a great brand that is not activated very well...the execution is such an important part of it. It makes or breaks a great program"

This week, New Jersey sports branding agency Fanbrandz joins the show. Principal and creative director Bill Frederick, as well as senior designer and new media director Michael Raisch come aboard to talk about creating brands for the MLB and the NHL.

Fanbrandz began as the sports and entertainment design agency, Frederick & Froberg. On the 25th anniversary of the business, Bill Frederick and Thomas Froberg split the company into sister companies to serve specific niches, with Fanbrandz serving the sports industry and Styleworks serving the entertainment niche.

On this episode, we discuss what makes a good branding style guide and specifically touch on what Fanbrandz includes in their style guides – including brand activation and asset management in this digital era versus the olden days of print.

Fanbrandz has worked with the MLB for over 20 years on both team branding as well as designing and managing the visual assets of every MLB All-Star Game. Think about the many stories over those years. Lucky for us, Michael and Bill share with us a few of those on this episode.

Mentions include:

Fanbrandz website

Fanbrandz on Instagram

Fanbrandz on Twitter

Raisch Studios on Twitter

Anne Occi, VP Design, MLB

Paul Conway, Senior Design Director, NHL

Mets All-Star Game Branding 2013

Tom O'Grady, Gameplan Creative

Bob Scott, photographer

Diamondbacks All-Star Game Branding 2011

NHL Winter Classic branding

The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team From Worst to First

Tampa Bay Rays identity

Anaheim Ducks brand identity

Fanbrandz Player Art

Michael Schwab Illustration

Nancy Stahl Illustration

Burton Morris, Illustrator

Cincinnati All-Star Game Branding 2015

Matt Carpenter, St Louis Cardinals

Michael Raisch's 9/11 project

30 Fans for 30 Cities

The next show guest is Aaron Masik, Senior Graphic Designer for the San Antonio Spurs. You may have seen Aaron and I on twitter in deep discussion about professionalism in our industry, free internships, salaries and more. Should be an interesting show.

Episode 17: Matt Walker, UI/UX Designer, Walk Design

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 01:53:35 +0000

"The number one thing that we have to do in life, is be humble and learn that we have so much we can improve on...if you take off a little small thing here and there that you probably can improve, that's where you make the big gains. It's not one thing, it's always a number of little things. You scrape away, you scrape away, you scrape away – next you thing you know, you made a big dent."

Matt Walker of Walk Design joins the show this week to talk about designing for the multi-million dollar fantasy sports industry. You may know him for his work on the Fantasy Sports line at ESPN, including the ESPN Tournament Challenge app, as well as the ESPN Fantasy Football iPad app.

Matt's been working in interactive design since its infancy and up until mid-2014 was lead creative for ESPN's Fantasy Sports division.

In this interview, we jump right in discussing digital design and the things that accompany it – including designing in code vs. designing in Photoshop, idea execution, wireframing, staying up-to-date with technology, over-designing, the perfect world's digital process and more.

Matt and I also do a deep dive on what it takes to be professional consultant versus a freelancer or technician and touch on the tactic of positioning one's self to solve business problems rather than being a gun-for-hire.

Finally we touch on the heated topic of ideas, their worthlessness without execution and just going out there on the Internet and starting something.

Mentions include:

Matt Walker

Matt on Twitter

2013 ESPN Fantasy Football iPad App

Massimo Vignelli

Helvetica, The Documentary

Joe Bosack

Dan Simon, Studio Simon

Rickabaugh Graphics

Zach Grantham, Eden Creative

Continuity Control where Matt just became VP of Design

The next show's guests are principal & creative director, Bill Frederick, as well as senior designer & new media director, Michael Raisch of New Jersey sports branding agency, Fanbrandz.

Episode 16: Tyson Beck, Founder/Designer, Posterizes

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 23:48:17 +0000

"Location is not a barrier...it doesn't matter where you live, whether you are in a more rural destination or New York, if your work's good, you're going to get noticed."

Our first international guest joins the show this week as Aussie, Tyson Beck comes aboard the podcast. Tyson is the founder of Posterizes, an international digital design collective that creates digital art for the NBA.

Posterizes has launched the design careers of many independent designers, including Tyson himself, who just wrapped up a project with Topps trading card company.

We discuss how Tyson got started in design and the importance of social media (expecially Instagram) when it comes to getting discovered and landing your dream clients.

Controversially, we touch on the difference between inspiration and stealing the work of others – why one can be a good thing and the other a disaster; as well as debating the merits of going to school for design versus just starting working.

Tyson's work can be found at Posterizes, Instagram and Twitter.

Mentions include:

Tyson Beck on Twitter

Tyson Beck Instagram

Aussie Rules Football

Nike's The Baddest Campaign

Horse Clothing Co Australia

My next guest is Matt Walker. Matt was an associate art director at ESPN and the design lead behind ESPN's Fantasy Sports line of products. Most recently he helped CBS Interactive on their fantasy sports line and currently freelances under his studio, Walk Design.

Episode 15: Matt Stevens, Designer/Illustrator, The MAX100 Project

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:29:35 +0000

"Do you what you love, it will lead to great things, but it better be good."

Independent Designer & Illustrator Matt Stevens joins the show this week to discuss personal projects and how they can help us get better at our craft and possibly even lead to work from our dream clients.

Since joining the freelance world, Matt has worked with brands such as Facebook, Pinterest, NBA, WWE, Dunkin Donuts, Nike and more. We discuss his transition from employment as an unknown Charlotte, North Carolina agency creative director to making the jump into independence and becoming "Internet famous".

Matt also touches on the troubles of learning how to price for big brand work and how making side projects for fun lead to some of his dream clients such as Nike.

We do a deep dive on his successfully funded Kickstarter project, the MAX100 Project, a book with 100 profile illustrations of the Nike Airmax 1 in different visual styles.

A golden nugget is shared about a fantastic email that the renown Nike sneaker designer and VP of Nike Design, Tinker Hatfield sent Matt after his MAX100 Project.

Finally, we talk entrepreneurship, The Designer Fund's Bridge Program and how creative people should found their own businesses and ideas.

Mentions Include:

Matt Stevens

@MattStevensCLT

Nike Freerun 2

Nike Air Tech Challenge

Nike Designers Marc Dolce, Denis Dekovic, and Mark Miner Hired by Adidas

Nike Free Run+ Designer Mark Miner

Dunkin Donuts April Fools Rebranding on Brand New

Howler Magazine

Episode 12 with Eight by Eight Magazine

Eight by Eight Magazine

Lotta Nieminen

Adam Garcia, The Pressure

Tad Carpenter, Illustrator

The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

The Designer Fund

The Designer Bridge

How Rules and Repetition Inspire Creativity, a Bridge workshop by Matt Stevens

My next guest is Tyson Beck, designer and founder of Posterizes, an NBA digital art design collective.

Episode 14: John Trotter, Founder/Creative Director, Forty Forty Agency

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 02:01:06 +0000

This week, John Trotter joins the podcast. John is the founder and creative director of Forty Forty Agency, a San Francisco brand consultancy and creative agency that has worked with both consumer and team sports brands such as the Washington Nationals, DC United, NFL Players Association, Keen Footwear and more.

Prior to founding Forty Forty Agency, John was a senior designer at Nike and design director at Landor.

The interview takes a deep dive into the strategic side of sports branding discussing sponsorship and the cross-pollination of consumer brands with sports brands, as well defining the vision and identifying core values of a brand. The two also talk about a few great examples of branding and design work aiding in the recruiting side of college athletics.

Discussion includes the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and Nike's ambush marketing campaign behind it.

With Forty Forty Agency being headquartered in downtown San Francisco, of course conversation cannot avoid the startup scene and how there is a great opportunity for products and software in the sports vertical.

Mentions include:

John Trotter on Twitter

Forty Forty Agency

1996 Atlanta Olympics Nike Ambush Marketing Campaign

Malcom Grear Designers

Mary Zalla, Global President of Consumer Brands, Landor

The Washington Nationals - Nattitude Campaign

Oregon Gridiron

Seattle Seahawks Nike Uniforms Behind-the-scenes

There Can Only Be One - NBA Campaign by Goodby Silverstein & Partners

My next guest is independent designer & illustrator, Matt Stevens. Matt works with brands outside of sports such as Facebook, Pinterest and more, however he is most known for successfuly raising money on Kickstarter to fund his side project, the MAX100 Project, a book and posters containing 100 illustrations in different styles of the iconic Nike Airmax 1.

Episode 13: Kris Bazen, Founder, Sports Font Foundry

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 02:03:29 +0000

"If I can contribute to the design world, something that might exist long after I'm gone, that's a win for me...Sports Fonts was a part of that".

This week I'm speaking with typeface and logo designer, Kristopher Bazen. Kris is currently a senior apparel designer at J. America. He also recently founded Sports Font Foundry, an online store and typeface foundry targeting the sports industry.

From getting kicked out of high school to battling cancer, Kris has a very inspiring story of perseverance and overcoming obstacles in life to get where you want to be professionally and approaching your career from a different mindset.

Before founding Sports Font Foundry, Kris spent time at Reebok, Adidas - Sports Licensed Division and Old Hat Creative honing his branding and illustration skills.

In this interview, Kris shares advice for getting starting from scratch in the sports industry, diversifying your skillset, learning to sell good design to clients, the importance of sketching and more.

Kris also touches on his sports logo design process and custome typeface design process.

We also take a question from twitter as @ScottdeFasselle: "If you had to start from scratch—no one knew you & you hadn't worked in the industry, how would you get started?"

Mentions include:

• @KrisBazen on Twitter

• Sports Font Foundry

• J America

• Pro Football Hall of Fame

• Washington Wizards Logo

• Old Hat Creative

• Joe Bosack: Episode 2

• Lost Type

• Hoefler & Co.

• TOMS Shoes

• Warby Parker

• Chris Gardner

• The Pursuit of Happiness

• Dave Ramsey

• Harley Creative (future guest)

• Frazer Davidson, Field Theory Sports Branding (future guest)

• Weapons of Mass Creation

My next guest is John Trotter, founder and creative director of strategic sports branding agency, Forty Forty. John was a former designer at Nike and design director at Landor before founding his firm which works with brands such as the Washington Nationals, NFL Players Association, DC United, Keen Footwear and more.

Episode 12: Robert Priest, Grace Lee & Cooper Lemon, Eight by Eight Magazine

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 01:41:14 +0000

“This was an opportunity for us as designers to have no limits on what we wanted to do…we are the editors and designers. There was nobody’s opinion we were seeking other than our own…to do whatever we wanted to do on every single page. And that’s a privilege really..."

Eight by Eight Magazine founders Robert Priest and Grace Lee join the show this week, as well as marketing director, Cooper Lemon. Both Grace and Robert come from very successful and award-winning backgrounds in editorial design having worked on publications for O Magazine, Esquire, Newsweek, Condé Nast Portfolio, GQ, Esquire and more. Currently they run their own NYC design studio, Priest+Grace.

On this episode we discuss the founding of Eight by Eight Magazine, the departure from Howler Magazine (another soccer magazine they helped found), and starting a print publication in a time when many magazines are folding due to the digital world.

We also touch on soccer’s growth in the U.S., cultural implications behind the growth of proper football, the new MLS identity & direction, as well as Eight by Eight’s future plans regarding the way they share their content.

Mentions include:

Eight by Eight Magazine

Condé Nast Portfolio

* Newsweek comes back to print

* Howler Magazine

* Replica font

* The Pitch (blog of 8by8 Magazine)

* Deadspin

* Vice Magazine & 8by8

* Adam Levite of Ghost Robot and 8by8

* New Major League Soccer (MLS) Identity

My next guest is Kristopher Bazen, designer at J. America and founder of Sports Font Foundry. Kris has been working in the sports industry his entire career creating identities, apparel and more for the likes of Adidas, Reebok, Old Hat Creative and Rickabaugh Graphics to name a few.

Episode 11: Adam Clement, Team Sports Creative Director, Under Armour

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 23:01:29 +0000

"My goal isn't to please the (blogs and internet) audience. Our goal isn't to make everyone happy. It's really to tell the story that the school wants to tell. It's about those athletes. It's about that school, at that time."

This week, I'm joined by Adam Clement. Adam is the Team Sports Creative Director at Under Armour where he leads a team of designers creating highly conceptual, functional uniforms for many different professional and college athletic teams.

We discuss Adam's path to Under Armour, one in which he initially didn't get a job he applied for. His persistence and passion for sport eventually landed him a gig as a Senior Men's Graphic Designer which also happened to be the seventh designer in the entire company (now there are more than 150).

Throughout Adam's 12+ years at the company, he has helped to create and grow the Team Sports department from outfitting three teams to over 500 per season and has lead some of the brand's most iconic and sometimes infamous designs.

Designers often make mistakes throughout their careers, however, most don't have their work on such a high pedastal like the sports industry. Adam touches on a mistake made a few years ago and what he as learned from it, as well as how he and his team handle criticism from the uniform geek blogs.

Mentions include:

Northwestern Basketball "By the Players" uniforms

Notre Dame uniforms

Navy Midshipmen "Summer Whites"

South Carolina "Wounded Warrior" uniforms

Vanderbilt uniform confusion

Armour 39

Magzip

Maryland basketball "Brooklyn inspired"

<a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1718298-cal-ripken-teams-with-under-armour-to-preview-new-all-america-uniforms"Under Armour 2013 High School All-American Game uniforms

My next guests are Robert Priest, Grace Lee and Cooper Lemon of Eight by Eight magazine. Eight by Eight is a beautifully designed, illustrated and art directed magazine about "the beautiful game". Recently it was featured on Fast Co Design.

Episode 10: Ben Jenkins, Founder, Warstic Bat Company

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 23:59:43 +0000

"Those guys (Huckberry, Cool Hunting, Uncrate)are out there waiting for us to make stuff...waiting for the next thing to come around where they can say 'hey look at this cool new thing'. That's out there for us as designers."

Ben Jenkins, founder and creative director of Warstic Wooden Bat Company joins the show. Ben is a former Minor League baseball player. He is also the founder of a strategic design and branding firm in Dallas, Texas, Onefastbuffalo.

Ben comes aboard to talk about his new sports product venture, Warstic Bat Co., a manufacturer of high quality wood baseball bats that has received critical acclaim and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, ESPN The Magazine, GQ, Huckberry, Uncrate and more. He has also collaborated with women's handbag company, COACH, on custom wooden bats.

We discuss how he got started in graphic design, why he left the MiLB, the growth of Onefastbuffalo, the reason he scaled back from half-a-million dollar web projects and the eventual founding of Warstic.

Ben also touches on how working a 3-day week and travel can lead to being a better designer.

Mentions include:

Warstic Bat Co.

Onefastbuffalo

Aaron Draplin, Draplin Design Co.

My next guest is Adam Clement, Team Sports Creative Director at Under Armour. Adam has worked on uniform designs for many athletic teams in pro and college sports including the Auburn Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas Tech Red Raiders and the recently released Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Episode 9: Rodney Richardson, Founder/Creative Director, Rare Design

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 01:34:27 +0000

This week, Rodney Richardson joins me on the podcast. Rodney is the founder and creative director of Rare Design, a boutique creative agency that does design and branding work for some of the biggest names in sports – including the Portland Timbers, New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets and more.

Rodney shares the story of his career beginning as a smalltown boy working at a 3 person design shop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Nike and finally back to Hattiesburg to the start of his design agency.

The two discuss the passion, culture and shared beliefs in sports. Rodney also gives us a sneak peak in to his branding process.

We even have a question from Twitter this week – something we hope to do more of in the future.

Mentions include:

New Orleans Pelicans

Charlotte Hornets rebranding

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer book

My next guest is Ben Jenkins, founder of design firm Onefastbuffalo and Warstic Wooden Bat Company.

Episode 8: Darrin Crescenzi, Design Director of Innovation, Interbrand

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 05:17:51 +0000

“You have somebody’s attention for a millisecond and if they can’t identify or attribute something to your brand then your branding has failed…people don’t give these things thought, they just absorb it subconsciously."

Darrin Crescenzi, Design Director of Innovation at Interbrand, and former Senior Designer in Nike Brand Design's Global Brand Initiatives Team joins Adam this week to talk about his time at Nike as well as the importance of branding. The two have a deep discussion about how vital a knowledge of business and strategy are in regards to reaching the highest levels of design.

You may be familiar with some of Darrin's work such as the Lebron James identity and the 2012 Team USA Basketball uniforms. Darrin also had a hand in collaborating with the next guest (Rare Design) with Brand Jordan on the new Charlotte Hornets identity.

Darrin has been recognized as one of the Art Directors Club Young Guns as well as one of Fast Company's most creative people in business.

Mentions include:

Paul Rand

Jacob Wilkinson, Nike

Heather Amuny-Day, Nike

Scott Denton-Cardew

Nike ID Studio NYC

Todd Van Horne, VP Creative Director, Nike baseball and football

Prophet

Interbrand

Stewart Iwasawki, Nike

Oregon State rebranding

AIGA: The future of design studios

Darrin can be found on twitter, behance and his own portoflio site.

My next guest is Rodney Richardson of Rare Design. Rare Design is responsible for identity work for some of the most notable professional sports brand we know of today

Episode 7: Hans Anderson, Senior Concept Developer, ESPN Emerging Technologies

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 16:49:33 +0000

Hans Anderson aka Bob Brainstorm joins Adam this week to talk augmented reality and the future of how we will experience sports. Hans is a Senior Concept Developer in the Emerging Technologies department at ESPN.

Hans and Adam discuss exciting new advancements in augmented reality, the importance of design in sports technology, the future of sports television, how Hans got his position at ESPN, and so much more.

For examples of augmented reality at ESPN, see this video.

Mentions include:

Hans Anderson on Behance

Google Glass

Virtual Pitch

Troika motion graphics rebrand for Sportscenter

Oculus Rift

Chris Kluwe: How Augmented Reality Will Change Sports (TED Talk)

New Sportscenter studio

Adobe Creative Suite Rebrand

Nike's Animated World Cup Short: Risk Everything

My next guest is Darrin Crescenzi. Darrin is NY based designer and art director currently serving as design director at Interbrand.

Previously, Darrin was a member of Nike’s Brand Design: Global Initiatives Team where he developed seasonal campaigns, visual identity and experience design, events and packaging for a variety of innovative products, athletes and sports moments. His most notable sports work is the design of Team USA’s 2012 London Olympics basketball uniforms, as well as the iconic LeBron James brand and the highly acclaimed launch of the Nike+ FuelBand.

More of Darrin's work can be seen at his website.

Episode 6: José Lopez, Creative Director, Houston Rockets

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:26:48 +0000

José Lopez, creative director of the Houston Rockets joins Adam this week to discuss his long persistent journey to the NBA.

José grew up both in Panama City, Panama as well as New Orleans, Louisiana. From a young age he wanted to work in sports and after stints at major advertising agencies and a few moves back and forth from the U.S. to Panama due to work visa issues, he finally landed his dream gig in Houston.

The two touch on the importance of making your own work and tailoring your portfolio to the sports industry if you are interested in working in sports.

"Find your passion, hone it and strive to be better every day"

Mentions include...

Publiquatro / Ogilvy (agency once owned by Foote Cone Belding, now owned by Ogilvy)

Siboney USA

Foote Cone Belding (FCB)

Dan Simon of Studio Simon

Adam's Montgomery County Indians branding

Steve Vollmer, Jr.

Todd Radom

Houston Rockets secondary logo

Houston Rockets alternate uniform

Steiner Sports

Charlotte Hornets new brand identity

The next guest is Hans Anderson, senior concept developer at ESPN. Hans will be joining Adam to discuss is work in the Emerging Technologies department at ESPN where his team is in charge of inventing new realtime and augmented reality technology.

José Lopez can be found on twitter and his work can be viewed at his Krop profile.

Episode 5: Steve Vollmer Jr., Graphic Designer, NFL

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 20:14:34 +0000

Graphic designer, Steve Vollmer, Jr., joined Adam this week to discuss his work at the National Football League's headquarters in NYC. Steve got his start in Wisconsin working on smaller sports-related projects before making the big move to The Big Apple.

Steve has had the opportunity to work on projects for the NFL Rookie Symposium, Super Bowl and more.

The two go in depth on their opinions about criticism of pro athletes and Steve gives us some insight into the day-to-day operations of the NFL creative department.

They also touch on the importance of networking and developing industry relationships.

You can find Steve at his website or follow him on twitter.

Mentions include:

NFL Super Bowl 50 Logo

Next guest is Jose Lopez, creative director of the Houston Rockets.

Episode 4: Todd Radom, Designer, Todd Radom Design

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 20:49:39 +0000

"Baseball is the background of summer." - Todd Radom

Independent designer and sports visual historian Todd Radom joins Adam on episode 4 to discuss his 20+ year career designing for professional sports brands.

The two touch on the importance of sports brands in a global economy, as well as the lost art of the game program and ticket. What is happening to them in this digital age?

Todd also shares his passion for the visual aesthetics of baseball and why it is so much more prominent amongst mainstreams fans in that sport in relation to other professional sports.

Mentions include...

Mitchell and Ness

New York Yankees logo history

Brooklyn Cyclones

New York Jets by Pentagram

Big Ten logo (B1G) by Pentagram

Super Bowl by Landor

Interbrand

Swiss Design

Dan Simon of Studio Simon

Joe Bosack of Joe Bosack & Co. Interviewed in Episode 2.

Win Without Pitching

Montreal Expos Case Study by Todd Radom

MLB Camo Memorial Day Uniforms

Charlotte Hornetts Brand Identity by Rare Design

Follow Todd Radom on Twitter, Dribbble or check out his website.

Next guest is Steve Vollmer, in-house designer at the NFL headquarters in NYC.

Episode 3: Jason Feirman, Publications Director, LSU Tigers

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 19 May 2014 01:50:13 +0000

Former Louisiana State University athletic publications director (and acting creative director), Jason Feirman joins us this week to discuss an insider's perspective working on creative projects within a prominent college athletic program.

Jason spent 13 years at LSU, was a part of many national championships and final fours and lead the rebranding of the Tigers in the early 2000s.

He discusses the day-to-day of life in a successful athletic program and talks about some of his favorite projects.

In 2012, FootballScoop.com gave the ultimate compliment of Jason's work saying "Only LSU can produce a media guide that gives you goosebumps".

Mentions Include...

IMG College

LSU Posters

The Tiger eye at center field

Under Armor Northwestern rebranding behind-the-scenes video

Mesh Integrated Advertising & Marketing

Jason's Portfolio

Next guest is Todd Radom. I stated that Todd is an expert at BASKETBALL aesthetics. I meant to say BASEBALL.

Episode 2: Joe Bosack, Creative Director, Joe Bosack & Co.

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Mon, 05 May 2014 03:31:10 +0000

Joe Bosack, founder and creative director of Joe Bosack & Co. (http://joebosack.com) joins Adam for an in-depth conversation about leaving the NHL and Fila USA to start his own sports branding agency.

The two discuss Joe's creative process and approach when it comes to designing identities for athletics including the need for illustration, custom type design and visual application.

Joe also touches on what it's like to receive hate mail from fans and the current state of sports branding as it regards to the large amount of stakeholders (i.e. fans, alumni, etc.).

Mentions include...

Gotham font

Austin Peay University identity redesign

London 2012 Identity by Wolff Olins

Dieter Rams 10 Design Principles

Florida State Seminoles Identity Update by Nike Graphic Identity Group

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer book

Baseball Tonight Podcast Interview with Todd Radom

Follow Joe Bosack:

Joe Bosack & Co. Website

Dribbble

Twitter

Next guest is Jason Feirman, formerly of LSU Athletics.

Episode 1: Matt Hernandez, Photographer, Matt Hernandez Photography

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 14:02:05 +0000

Matt Hernandez of Matt Hernandez Photography joins host Adam Martin to discuss his time working as a graphic designer at Athlon Sports Publishing, IMG World and the University of Kentucky Athletic Department.

He also talks about his transition to full-time sports photography from design; touching on what it is like to work with high school vs. college athletes and how his design background has helped him become a better photographer.

Mentions include...

Matt Hernandez Photography

Athlon Sports Publishing

IMG College

University of Kentucky Athletics

University of Louisville Basketball, Russ Smith

Brad Smith, Sports Illustrated Director of Photography

Episode 0: The Intro Show

podcast@makersofsport.com (A Sports Design Podcast by T. Adam Martin) — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 21:15:16 +0000

Adam Martin gives an introduction to the Makers of Sport show, an interview podcast about the intersection of sports and creativity.

Announces upcoming interviews with...

Matt Hernandez, Matt Hernandez Creative

Joe Bosack, Joe Bosack & Co.

Todd Radom, Todd Radom Design

Jason Feirman, Mesh Agency (after recording it was discovered that Jason is no longer with the LSU Publications office. We still look forward to talking with him about his 12+ years of sports design experience.) You can see some of his work here.

Steve Vollmer, Jr., NFL Headquarters

Hudl

Intro music by A.J. Hochhalter, Listen Design Studio