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Denver Designer Breaks Down the Oklahoma Thunder Logo

If you don’t follow comments closely on The Egotist, it would have been hard to catch this one dropped by our loyal reader, Bubba, under our original post about the new logo designed for the Oklahoma Thunder basketball team.

However, we thought Bubba’s breakdown of the OKC Thunder logo was particularly dead-on and entertaining and wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it. This might have been a good time to use your real name, dear Bubba, since you’re out of work. Someone might be interested in a conversation with you after seeing this. Who knows.

297 days ago / / Link

Comment

  1. Brilliant. However, a team that steals basketball away from a deserving city because of an owner who wants to take his ball and go to his hometown (and much smaller city at that) deserves a shitty logo. And, really, this team has it all: crap name, crap logo, crap colors and they play in a crap city. So if you think about it, this just might be the most consistent team in the NBA!

    — The Artistic Mercenary™ · Sep 10, 12:27 PM · #

  2. I am from Oklahoma City. Your design notes and tips are so right on. Well done. The design community in OKC is somewhat embarrassed about the Thunder logo. I am a Professor of Design at Oklahoma State University and the new logo has served me well as a teaching tool in class. When a student does a poor job, I can now reference the Thunder fiasco. Or the OKC Blunder, as I call it.

    — Jim Watson · Sep 10, 01:08 PM · #

  3. Jim, don’t you mean the Blunder OKC? -)

    — Randall Erkelens · Sep 10, 02:59 PM · #

  4. My name is Jonathon Ortlieb. If you work at any place here in Denver or Boulder you probably just got a copy of my portfolio (please don’t throw it in the garbage). If you want proof I am who I say I am just drop me a line and I will send you the original Illustrator file. jonathonortlieb@yahoo.com

    PS I’m glad you enjoyed my critique.

    — Bubba · Sep 10, 03:36 PM · #

  5. I probably should have put my website in there.

    — Bubba · Sep 10, 03:42 PM · #

  6. Yes, thanks – Blunder OKC.
    Here’s a link to that and a second version:
    http://www.jamesrobertwatson.com

    — Jim Watson · Sep 10, 03:56 PM · #

  7. Hmmm… so the client gets no blame for this? I’m not saying its a great logo or even particularly good. But your critique fails to mention the clusterfuck this dude probably had to design this in. Can you imagine the committees and revisions that must have taken place? I don’t think it’s fair to assume that they didn’t explore the visual representation possibilities of “thunder”. Before we blame the designer, let’s blame the people who paid for this logo.

    That said, I’m not surprised. The NBA is full of terrible logos – this will fit right in.

    — Jason Zimdars · Sep 11, 12:14 PM · #

  8. As a designer that does freelance work, I almost guarantee the client is 90% to blame. After revision after revision, I bet the designer had enough and went “Screw it, there, that’s exactly what you’re asking for.” and those morons were overjoyed.

    — Jeremy · Sep 12, 10:37 AM · #

  9. Horrible, unbalanced, fourth-rate, no doubt. Kinda like OKC itself.

    Meanwhile, what about “Attempting to help Denver suckless, Daily”? There’s so little space between “suck” and “less” on your banner, it reads as “suckless.”

    — Michael Dawson · Sep 12, 01:53 PM · #