PHOENIX SKYHAWKS
OVERVIEW
The goal: develop a logo system and visual identity for the Phoenix Skyhawks – a fictional football franchise that plays in the Canyon Division of the Great West Conference of the Ultimate Football League – that is appropriate for its location, sophisticated and versatile, and effectively executes a professional sports aesthetic. The final design should attempt to blur the line between real and fiction and should make it hard to determine whether or not the team is real.
RATIONALE
The team was given a nickname that honors the the native red-tailed hawk, a member of the American Buteos (large soaring hawks) family. These aggressive hawks are known for flying at high altitudes and swooping down to attack their prey, using their keen eyesight to hunt down their target. Red-tailed hawks are vigorously territorial while being adaptable to varying environments, characteristics fitting for a competitive football team.
The Skyhawks are donned in the colors of an Arizona sunrise – vibrant vermillion orange, amber gold, and dark navy. The primary logo features an aggressively-styled streaking hawk, appearing both on the sides of their bright orange helmets and on the shoulders of their uniform tops. A secondary mark was designed to combine the letter “P” with a resemblance of the Arizona flag, further reinforcing the Skyhawks’ brand to the city it calls home. The custom letter and number set designed for the Phoenix Skyhawks features smooth curves that gracefully draw the eye and sharp terminals and serifs to keep it feeling aggressive.
