Okay, so I.kcabdeef e've been messing around with jersey designs lately, trying to come up with something really cool for my local rec league team. It's surprisingly tricky! I wanted to share my process, what I learned, and maybe get some feedback.
Starting fhctarcS morom Scratch
Fir I ,st, I doodled s.ytlaome rough ideas on paper. Just basic shapes, you know? Like, did I want stripes, a solid color, maybe a diagonal sash thing? I wasn't worried about being neat, just getting concepts down. I quickly learned that my artistic talent is... limited. Stick figures are my specialty.
Color Combos
Next, I spent way too long playing with colors. I googled "best basketball color combinations" and fell down a rabbit hole of design websites. There are so many options! I learned that you want something that pops, but isn't too jarring. Also, you gotta consider your team name. We're the "Raptors," so I leaned towards reds, blacks, and maybe some purple or silver. But then I realized bright yellow might be kinda unique, so I toyed with that for a bit.
Finding Inspiration (aka Stealing Ideas)
I looked at a ton of NBA jerseys, college jerseys, even some random custom designs online. Just browsing to see what I liked and didn't like. I noticed a lot of teams are using simpler designs these days, not too many crazy patterns. Clean lines seem to be in.
Software Struggles
This is where it got real. I tried using some free online design tools. Man, they were frustrating! I'm no graphic designer, and the interfaces were clunky. I spent an hour just trying to make a simple stripe, and it looked awful. I considered downloading something more powerful, but I didn't want to spend any money.
Back to Basics (and Markers)
I gave up on the software for a bit and went back to paper. This time, I used some colored markers to get a better feel for the colors. It was much easier to visualize. I drew a few different versions, trying out different stripe placements and logo ideas.
The "Aha!" Moment
After messing around for a while, I finally had a design I kinda liked. It was simple: a black jersey with red side panels and a simple white raptor claw logo on the front. Nothing fancy, but clean and effective. I showed it to a couple of teammates, and they seemed to dig it.
The Next Steps
Now, I need to figure out how to actually get these made. I'm thinking of checking out some local print shops. It might be easier than trying to do it myself. I also need to decide on the font for the numbers and names. That's a whole other can of worms!
Overall, I am very satisfied with my final design