At the outset, our team didn’t rush into design. Instead, we used mind mapping and brainstorming to identify the optimal strategy. Our core objective was clear: How do we attract a younger, trendier audience to Classic Football Shirts (CFS) without alienating the die-hard fans?
Initially, we proposed three distinct directions:
- Focus on styling: Inspired by the #Blockcore trend on TikTok, this approach featured high-saturation, energetic visuals emphasizing a free-spirited street style.
- Focus on player highlights: This concept utilized data visualization—such as distance run or goals scored by legends—leaning towards a tech-savvy, minimalist aesthetic.
- Focus on memory: This was our final choice. We viewed jerseys as vessels for memory. Stains, sweat marks, and wear aren’t flaws; they are badges of honor and priceless history.
We created a mood board featuring iconic players and stadiums to spark inspiration. We also drafted social media copy like: “This isn’t just second-hand clothing; it’s your ticket back to those glorious moments.” The goal was to encourage users to share their most memorable matches alongside photos of the relevant jerseys to drive engagement.
Collaboration was key at this stage. Initially, I favored a black-and-white film aesthetic to emphasize nostalgia. However, my teammates pointed out a critical issue: CFS’s brand identity is vibrant, and stripping color might dilute brand recognition.
This was a valuable conflict. We compromised and innovated: we kept the photography in color but desaturated the background environment in post-production. This “selective color” technique made the jerseys pop even more. It achieved a premium look while highlighting the product, avoiding the visual fatigue of large areas of high saturation.
We also iterated on the copy multiple times, finally settling on fan-centric lines like: “Only true fans remember this moment.”
Once the concept was locked, we moved to execution. We chose mainstream platforms like Facebook because they perfectly blend visual aesthetics (the Feed) with instant interaction (Stories), and they host a large Gen Z audience interested in vintage fashion.
For typography, we retained CFS’s original bold sans-serif font for headlines to maintain impact, but introduced a typewriter-style monospaced font for body text to mimic the feel of a scout report or an old archive. We opted for a clean white background to avoid visual overstimulation.
I did face technical challenges, such as how to effectively showcase the website on mobile screens, which required referencing major e-commerce sites.
From a vague idea to a finished project, this process taught me that art direction isn’t just about drawing—it’s about decision-making. Every stroke should be loyal to our agreed-upon strategy rather than pure personal preference.
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