Women's Sports Chicago
Women's Sports Chicago (WSC) stands as the city's premier all-women sports league, a dynamic initiative brought to life by founders Veronica McAllister and Elyse Cleveland in 2012. Rooted in the vision of fostering a secure environment for women of diverse skill levels, WSC offers a platform for competition, camaraderie, and enjoyment. Today, with a thriving community of over 500 members hailing from various backgrounds and skill levels, WSC engages participants in weekly practices, leagues, and social sports, encompassing activities like basketball, soccer, and the newest addition, volleyball.
Service
Brand identity, illustrations, crest design, landing page, merchandise, social media
I took on the task of rejuvenating the brand, which initially conveyed a corporate and outdated vibe, characterized by standard typefaces, a single red color, and a lack of brand guidelines. The objective was to infuse a more approachable and appealing aesthetic tailored to their primary demographic—millennial women. To achieve this, I curated a fresh color guide, modernized font pairings, devised a dynamic social media visual strategy, crafted a distinctive crest design, and designed illustrations for merchandise, all contributing to a contemporary and engaging rebrand.
The iconic Matisse cutouts served as the muse for the two figures depicted with the ball. I first crafted paper cutouts, later translating their outlines into a digital format. The line drawing of the dual portraits embodies a sense of unity, deliberately devoid of distinct gender characteristics. This intentional neutrality underscores the organization's emphasis on sport and teamwork over notions of femininity, emphasizing the core values at play.
The website has undergone a transformation to align with the fresh branding. This involved a meticulous revamp of colors and typefaces throughout the site, introducing a compelling new landing page, and refining the design of product and schedule buttons for a more polished and cohesive online presence.
The crest was conceived with the intention of adorning jerseys for league players, harmonizing the iconic star from the Chicago flag with the wing motif reminiscent of the goddess of victory, Nike.
In addition, I've crafted templates and a guide for social media posts, seamlessly blending their photography into compelling collages and graphics for use across various platforms and collateral. With a mission to empower women in the largely male-dominated realm of sports, the social media guide strategically integrates quotes and imagery spotlighting the strength of women both within and beyond the sports arena.