When Idaho State University’s athletic department underwent a complete rebrand, I was brought in to help translate their new identity into apparel and merchandise that captured both team spirit and brand integrity.
This project was a study in design restraint — how to push creative boundaries without breaking brand systems.
Working closely with the Equipment Manager, University officials, and Adidas, I developed apparel concepts and designs that blended energy, strategy, and precision, staying faithful to the university’s evolving image while ensuring everything still felt exciting and marketable.
Working closely with the Equipment Manager, University officials, and Adidas, I developed apparel concepts and designs that blended energy, strategy, and precision, staying faithful to the university’s evolving image while ensuring everything still felt exciting and marketable.
> the_challenge
Universities, especially Division I programs like Idaho State, operate within a matrix of branding regulations, sponsor guidelines, and stakeholder expectations.
Every piece of apparel — from player gear to fan merchandise — had to serve multiple masters:
Every piece of apparel — from player gear to fan merchandise — had to serve multiple masters:
// The University’s new athletic identity
// Adidas’s global branding standards
// The student-athletes’ comfort and pride
// And, of course, the fans’ desire for something fresh and inspiring
Balancing those competing priorities meant learning to design for precision, not just expression.
> the_work
I collaborated directly with the athletics department and Adidas representatives to:
// Develop a cohesive line of team and fan apparel that respected the new brand identity.
// Experiment with color pairings, typography, and textile applications that felt both fresh and rooted in the school’s legacy.
// Create limited-edition design variations for internal use and promotional materials.
// Assist in approval workflows, ensuring every design passed the necessary brand and sponsor reviews without losing its visual strength.
This process wasn’t about personal expression — it was about learning to make creativity fit.
> the_outcome
The final designs helped usher in the new era of Bengal athletics, energizing both athletes and fans.
The university team I worked with expressed how much they valued my approach — not just my design skills, but my ability to make a restrictive process feel collaborative, not bureaucratic.
The university team I worked with expressed how much they valued my approach — not just my design skills, but my ability to make a restrictive process feel collaborative, not bureaucratic.
When I later transitioned away from the project, the team reached out to say I had been “the easiest and most fun to work with since they began outsourcing design.”
That validation meant more to me than any approval stamp.
That validation meant more to me than any approval stamp.
> my_reflection
This project marked a turning point in my understanding of creative professionalism.
It taught me how to communicate design intent to large, layered organizations — how to listen, adapt, and defend creative value within boundaries.
I learned that design excellence isn’t only about what you make; it’s about how you navigate structure and still bring life into the work.
I learned that design excellence isn’t only about what you make; it’s about how you navigate structure and still bring life into the work.
In the end, it wasn’t about a logo on a jersey — it was about pride, alignment, and the respect that comes from earning trust through craft.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to retrieve images of the produced apparel partly due to my lack of foresight at the time that I would include this recurring project in my portfolio works but also because I assumed the University would have shared the photos and advertise the apparel.
This didn't end up being the case and it is one of the earliest lessons that I learned that if I do not communicate the need then I shouldn't assume it to be met. I have not been able to track any imagery down either from my employer at the time's website neither the Universities social media profiles.
However, I have included the messy pages of the approved apparel since they weren't quite concerned with pretty presentation but simply following strict brand guidelines. Fee free to check them out by clicking the button.