How to Design a Stunning Sports Logo

We bet that any fan knows the logo and uniform colors of their favorite sports team. Those are the two key things that help the team stand out and allow its fans to easily recognize it in the tournament table or on the field.
Crafting a really good emblem requires a lot of effort and research, especially if design is not exactly your strength. We hope you’re not scared easily! Prepare to dive head first into the amazing world of graphic design!

Where do I begin?

Welcome to a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a smart emblem that will translate the goal and essence of your sports team. This instruction is by no means the only way to go. Feel free to add your preferred techniques and tricks to craft the best guide that fits your needs and skills.

For starters, let’s find out why your sports team needs an emblem and how it can help you deliver better results. Once you understand why you need a logo, you can learn how to design it yourself. Ready! Steady! Go!

Why is a logo essential to your sports team?

Before you commit yourself to designing an emblem, take a minute to think whether you need a logo in the first place. And if you do, how can an emblem be useful to you? Maybe a logo is just another marketing gimmick that depletes the budgets of sports teams and brings nothing instead. After all, the name must be enough to distinguish your team, right?

There is more to a sports logo than meets the eye, though. It’s not just a nice image that accompanies the name of your team. Just like in other industries, a small logo plays a huge role in the sporting world.

A logo distinguishes your team

A logo is not merely an icon displayed in tournament tables and on promotional products (caps, T-shirts, mugs, etc.). It’s a strategic component that affects how your team is perceived by players, fans, and other members of the community. Whether you play football, hockey, cybersport, Dota, or World of Tanks, a neat emblem can do a lot in terms of promotion and positioning.

Like a national anthem, coat of arms and other symbols, an effective emblem has the power to evoke strong feelings and associations. It gives a sense of belonging, boosts stamina and morale, and encourages support among team members. We don’t know about you but it seems like a handful of useful functions to us! Remember that we’re talking here about a small — yet powerful — icon!

A logo gives you importance and weight

An emblem works both ways. Not only does it set the mood inside the team, but it also affects the way your team is seen by other people. A well thought-out logo says that you are committed to your cause and want to be taken seriously. An emblem can be compared to a statement from you and your teammates.

It would be a mistake to think that a logo is the prerogative of high-profile teams. If you’re playing in second-tier leagues, you need a strong visual branding to position yourself as a serious player to be reckoned with. A logo can help you establish a strong reputation among your rivals and attract reliable sponsors.

A logo garners attention

We bet that you cannot resist the temptation to drop by a popular chain store or have dinner at a fashionable restaurant. A widely recognizable name works its magic on everyone! Major businesses spend huge advertising budgets promote their brands recognizable all over the globe.

Now think about your favorite food chain store. Chances are its logo was the first thing that came to your mind! This is how our mind works by focusing on visual information. In the same way, a sports logo can make your team more distinctive and memorable. With a good emblem, your chances to be invited to a major league or find sponsorship increase greatly.

We hope that our arguments were persuasive enough to show you the dramatic effect an emblem can have on your performance. Now let’s get to the core.

How do I make a logo all by myself?

Now that we’ve outlined the benefits of a sports logo, it’s time to explain how to make an amazing emblem even if you’re an amateur in design.

1. Generate as many ideas as you can

As already said, an icon creates a unique image for your team, so make sure you know what impression you want to leave. What style will your future emblem have? What elements will it feature? What message will it communicate and how? Once you’ve answered these questions, you will have more understanding of where you’re going with your future design.

Furthermore, you should think about the things associated with your team, such as your native town, stadium, nicknames of players, etc. If you have a mascot, consider using it on your emblem. On sports logos, it’s not uncommon to see a lion, bear, horse, dog, cat, and other animals that stand for speed, strength, agility, and endurance.

2. Learn from others

Using other icons as an inspiration is not a crime. Be sure to find the emblems that spur your imagination and encourage you to work harder for a better result. Luckily, nowadays all you need to do is to open any popular search engine and search for “swimming logos”, “basketball team logos”, and the like. Plus, there is a bunch of logo design websites where you’ll find beautiful logo samples and practical tips:

• https://www.pinterest.com
• www.behance.net

Although bursting with useful content, such sites have an easy and convenient navigation. Find a search box and enter your sports related keyword, such as “tennis logo”, “swimming team logo”, “basketball”, etc.
Browse through multiple designs, take note of interesting solutions, transform powerful ideas. Do anything that helps you work on your own emblem. We’re sure that you can create an amazing artwork that will make other teams green with envy!

While drawing inspiration from other designers is a good thing, stealing ideas won’t take you far. If your opponent’s logo has a shark, tiger, or other distinctive image on it, avoid placing the same symbol on your own logo as it defies the very goal of having one.

We’ve selected a few examples of worthy emblems for sports teams and clubs. For more smart logos, click here.

Spend time figuring out what you like and don’t like about other people’s works. Which icons do you like the most and why? Which elements do you gravitate toward? How can you improve the existing designs?
Keep exploring until you figure out what you want for your own team. Once you’ve worked out your own design concept, you can move to the next step.

3. Consider different options

If you look closely at other people’s designs, you’ll see that sports logos come in several types. While some emblems are abstract compositions, others feature words. At the same time, it’s not uncommon that a sports logo includes both a graphic shape and text.

Emblems, that only feature an image, are mostly used by major businesses because creating such an emblem is very costly. A graphic element is vital to the success of your logo. If your sports logo only features your team name, it may fail at evoking certain emotions and associations.

We recommend that you take the best of two worlds and make your emblem a combination of a logomark and logotype. However, if you have a totally different concept, that really works for your team, you should definitely give it a go.

4. Explore different fonts

When it comes to logo design, fonts are a rather complicated issue that deserves special attention. It’s no secret that a font can make or break an emblem, and you don’t want to make a mistake when choosing one. Fonts come in all forms and sizes. Studying the world of fonts is a time-consuming and meticulous work. However, it can help you craft an ideal logo for your team.

Check out some of the largest font compilations used by successful sports teams and clubs:

• https://www.dafont.com/
• https://www.fontsquirrel.com/
• https://fonts.google.com/

Need more killer options? Google your sport-specific fonts and discover amazing typography websites. Here is another collection of beautiful fonts, where you’re sure to find the one that brings out the authenticity of your team.

If you’re unwilling to use old fonts, don’t be afraid to go your own way and create a brand new font that will be exclusive to your team. This is what many professional clubs do to ensure that their design is one-of-a-kind:
Many designers erroneously think that for a logo to be successful, it must have a pretentious, in-your-face font. This could not be farther from truth. Your font — just like any other logo element — must reflect your team’s principles and values. There are chances that an eye-catching font simply doesn’t work well with what you and your teammates stand for.

5. Make sketches

Already have some ideas up your sleeve? Don’t procrastinate, otherwise you may forget everything you’ve come up with! Take a pencil and a piece of paper and get down to work. Don’t let the lack of drawing skills stop you! Remember that at this stage your task is to make rough sketches and not to create a finished product.

Plus, you can get help from multiple logo makers that can generate a neat icon in just a matter of minutes. ZenBusiness is one of the best logo generators out there. Enter your team name, sit back and watch ZenBusiness offer hundreds of options related to your sport. Furthermore, you can search by keywords, such as “star”, “ball”, “crown”, “wings”, etc.

Try not to criticize your artworks. Draw as many sketches as you can, even if they look very similar to one another. The bigger choice you have, the better. Later you can make a shortlist of the best options and refine them.
The ability to think outside the box is key to creating a unique, memorable emblem. Let your imagination fly and see where your creative ramblings will lead you! We bet that your efforts will be totally worth it!

Here is one more tip: focus on the form instead of the color. Most teams paint their logos in the colors of their uniform. There is simply no need to spend time inventing a new color palette (unless you think that your uniform is outdated and you want to experiment with other hues).

Furthermore, a good emblem must work both in color and black-and-white, from large multicolored posters to monochrome, poorly legible faxes. Therefore, colors are not as important as the font or geometric shapes that constitute your icon.

6. Narrow down your list

By this time, you must have a clear idea of what your icon will look like and how it will convey your unique message to the public.

Now you must select the most successful variants that speak to you. Making such a choice can be tough, especially if you like all of your works. Take the time to analyze each sketch. Make sure it is informative (Can a person say which sport you’re in by looking at your emblem?), easy to perceive (Is your icon straightforward?), one-of-a-kind (Does your emblem have much in common with other teams’ icons?), and relevant (Can you guarantee that your logo will look as fresh in ten or twenty years from now?).

By honestly answering these questions, you’ll be able to filter out the options that, while being visually attractive, are not good enough for your team.
Listen to your inner voice when making a choice. We all must have been in a situation, where you prefer one idea over another for no obvious reason. This is called intuition, and sometimes it can guide you into the right direction. Ideally, you must narrow down your list to three sketches.

7. Ask for input

If none of the sketches feel right and you hit a dead end, don’t let your frustration rush you into hasty decisions. Designing an icon is a lengthy process that requires a clear head. Take the time to reboot your brain and make a fresh start once you’re ready. It’s not uncommon that you start having the best ideas once you’ve stopped pushing yourself.

When it comes to a creative process, asking for other people’s opinion is always a good idea. By looking at your artworks with a fresh pair of eyes, your friend or colleague can point out mistakes or suggest some robust improvements. Furthermore, teamwork contributes to building a functional, supportive team. When discussing sketches and voting for the best variants, team members learn to communicate effectively and trust each other.

8.Choose the best option

Sooner or later, you’ll have to make the final choice and select the best logo. Don’t make the mistake of picking an inappropriate icon just because you’re at the point where you must make a choice. If you don’t like any of the available options, the best solution is to start from scratch.

Once you’ve picked the best emblem, you can proceed polishing it up. At this stage, it’s important to figure out which elements are crucial to the composition and which ones can be left out without losing the meaning and emotional connotation of the design. Don’t overdo it with minor details, though. A clean, concise icon is easier to memorize and reproduce across different backgrounds.

9. Add the finishing touches

As you already know, your team logo is your way of communicating with the world. People won’t resonate with a poorly designed emblem that says: “We’re good at doing things halfway.” If you decide to work on your branding, you must do it right. Make sure you have a balanced design, both in terms of meaning and visual style.

If you’ve used an online logo generator to craft your design, the rest is simple. You just need to tweak it, if needed, and download it to your computer. Another option is to find a designer that will create a finished product based on your sketches. A skilled designer will improve your icon and remove unneeded elements that compromise its visual integrity. Plus, you’ll get your logo files in popular digital formats to be used for different purposes. Keep in mind that professionals charge a lot for their services. If you’re stretched for money, hiring a designer may not be the best option for you.

10. Share your emblem with others

Wow, congratulations! Now you have a visual portrayal of your team. A new challenging task consists in using your logo wisely. It would be a pity if your emblem fails to fulfill its potential just because you don’t know how to make it work for you!

Depending on your marketing strategy and personal preferences, you can place your logo on a variety of platforms, from clothes (T-shirts, sweaters, etc.) and stationery, to your official website and letterheads.

It’s time to try your hand at designing a logo!

There is no better “spokesperson” for your team than a clever, powerful emblem. It’s a great way to get noticed and reach out to supporters, sponsors, and other members of your community. Having a strong, effective visual branding is a good motivation to deliver better results and set new records!
Only by taking active part in the logo creation process, you can make an icon that will be a realistic reflection of your team and become a major part of your in-house culture and style.

Unless graphic design is your profession, prepare to toil away at creating a worthy logo that will be able to compete with the artworks of the best designers. If you feel like this task is beyond your abilities, you can take the easy route. With the ZenBusiness logo maker, creating a great emblem takes less time than making a cup of tea!