The mainstay logo of the championship belt was inspired by a central and integral location on Delaware State University's campus, 'The DESU Circle.' As part of my senior Capstone project, ‘Written In Stone’, i aimed to create a lasting symbol of excellence, using the digital and manual tools afforded me by the University. Hence, my Art and Design experience at Delaware's only HBCU comes 'Full Circle.' I have always loved championship belts, so this project comes rather naturally to me.

Above, are some swatches depicting the center plate of the belt as seen in previous photos.

First physical prototype: Baltic Birch, laser cut  

1. Painted sketch of the product

2. 3D modeled and rendered concept of the product.

Shown above is the second working prototype of the belt, with all intended title plates attached. The next step, will be working with a finer quality leather, specifically Vegetable-tanned leather.

An extremely important part of the belt making process is leather tooling, which requires quality materials and a willingness to learn a broad range of skills and methods.

After tooling, the belt must be oiled to restore moisture and durability to the leather

Below is the final sketch model with weight testing to ensure that the belt can hold up the plates and remain stable. At this point, the belt has been dyed with a dark red leather dye and coated with a special sheen to make the leather reflect light.