Skip to main content

Olympics Superior Athleticism and Design


Even if you're not a sports fan, it's hard to not get caught up in Olympic fever, or at least it's hard to avoid seeing Olympic coverage. I enjoy watching some sports more than others, but my creative side has enjoyed this year's Olympics for another reason, the excellent visual design. The Olympic committee and many of the sponsor companies and broadcast companies of the world have adapted the Olympic emblem into their own design elements. It is great to know so many graphic artists were active in creatively incorporating the spirit of the Olympics.

The most obvious design element, is the Olympic rings emblem with its symbolic forms and color. It doesn't take an interpretation to see that the circles represent unity and the colors are representation of all the participating countries' flags. But this year in particular, NBC's London Olympic logo is a favorite logo of mine. This shield pulls your eye from top to bottom. Even with the heavier graphics and color concentration on top, the white space around the Olympic and NBC logo set off the multiple colors of these identities gracefully. The style of the clock tower, flag and shield are simple yet detailed; giving the feeling of a hero's shield and the distinction of this historical city. The serif font matches the old world feel of the tower, and coordinates well with the necessary san serif for NBC branding.

We've seen a glimpse of the many additional design elements that make up the Olympics during the taped and streamed coverage. The hard-edged 2012 logo has been able to be adapted into so many different Olympic environments from basketball courts to white water rafting courses. While I didn't originally care for the 2012 Olympic emblem, its ability to morph into each unique sporting environment has won me over. Each sport has a logo to represent it, and that logo has been worked into the environmental design of the stands and arenas.

So, while you're watching these exceptional athletes and admiring their Olympic accomplishments, observe the many details of the designs that have been developed to create the entire mood of the Olympic spirit for both the athletes as well as the observers both in London and abroad.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dear Foo Fighters

We are so sorry for the loss of Taylor. And while you, his family and friends are hit the hardest, it has deeply hit us fans too. For many of us you have been the soundtrack to our lives. Your songs supported us as we hit the hardest and life-changing moments of our lives. Then your songs cheered us on with bounding rhythms as we moved onto happier lifetime moments. We’ve bought and listened to your CDs on repeat. We’ve attended concerts anxiously awaiting that rhythm that escalates into All My Life , or the slowly building glorious entrance of Everlong into fall out rock song. And if we’re lucky - maybe this show - it will be the return of For All the Cows .  You’ve been our muse at work inspiring our creativity. Our companion on long commutes, and our work safe haven, blocking out the chatter for deep focus. You’ve kept us company in hospital stays, and had preschoolers bouncing to your rhythms for their "F" show and share days. You've signed autographs, taken ph

Time to Read Mo Books

When someone starts to say "I will.." in my household, someone else usually follows with "...eat the ice cream!" We're immersed in a new creative world, children's literature and cartoons. The past few weeks the designer in me is geeking out over Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series. Our first book, "Should I Share My Ice Cream," was a gift. A well read over and over and over gift! Then Santa brought our household a second Elephant and Piggie book, "Waiting is not Easy." Now I'm hooked! Gerald (Elephant's actual name) and Piggie are funny and cute. But it's not just that, the design elements woven into the book help to tell the story. Storytelling, ahhh, the product of all good design! Gerald and Piggie are very simplified characters, and I've come to appreciate simplified illustrations I had overlooked in the past. The simplification helps focus on the characters' situations and emotions, which the stories re

Taking The Scenic Route

Not too long ago driving to run some errands I had to ask myself... "did I just see an albino turkey vulture? While I can only speculate if my unusual glimpse was true, sightings like these are not uncommon if you take the scenic route. I’ve come to realize that taking the scenic route is one of my stress relief mechanisms. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it! Longer, out of the way trips have become even more cathartic as we slowly climb out of pandemic social distancing. And if there's any commonality in how we're all feeling now it's A) more stressed and B) in need of a different view other than our own 4 walls. There are obvious reasons that the scenic route is a good stress reliever - nature. Nature in its beauty, rhythms, and awe can do wonders for the stresses in our modern-day life. Driving down a country road or winding parkway gives you time with nature even when you don't have time to walk in it. You're likely to spot some flowers you