Golden State WNBA Team Name & Logo Concept
Duration
October 2023 - November 2023
(1 month)
My Role
Graphic Designer, Researcher
Tools
Affinity Illustrator, Affinity Photo
Why
Passion Project
Project Overview
The news of an expansion team in the WNBA is exciting as there are so many talented players in the league but very few spots and teams. It is also exciting that this expansion team will be a sister team to the Golden State Warriors as there's already an established fan base in the Bay Area.
Upon release of the news for expansion it was stated that a team name hadn't been decided yet. The only details were that it would most likely start with "Golden State". My goal was to come up with a strong, unique name and logo that could relate to the Bay Area as well as fit in with the already existing teams in the WNBA. In addition, I hoped to create this unique logo while maintaining cohesion to the Warriors NBA franchise.
Brainstorming & Sketching
In order to come up with ideas for a team name, I researched the culture of the Bay Area, specifically San Francisco. I wanted to know what the city was known for and what made it special.
In addition I researched the history of the Golden State Warriors and how they got their name.
This led me to three potential team name concepts: Golden State Fog, Golden State Rush, and Golden State Sirens
I settled on the Golden State Sirens because I thought that it was a name that really conveyed female strength and power.
Additionally, since the Bay is surrounded by water, a mythical icon like a siren/mermaid was something that could tie in the geography of the city.
Round 1 of Logo Ideas
My first idea was using a pirate style font and manipulating the first "S" to have a siren tail. I found that this connected to the mythological stories of sirens and incorporates a bold and strong font.
In my second idea I thought of using a slimmer font style and incorporating the Golden Gate Bridge that is seen in the Warriors logo. This original font I made exudes a more feminine style.
I then decided to combine the two ideas and use the bold font and siren tail from the first idea and the addition of the bridge detail from the second.
Color Palette
As a sister team to the Warriors, I decided the color scheme either had to include the same colors or at the least similar colors.
I researched the team colors over the years for the Warriors and other blue/yellow color palettes and decided to reference similar color palettes.
Google Search Color Palettes
Warriors Colors History (trucolor.net)
Second Thoughts
After looking at the logos I designed, I realized that they didn't look related to the Warriors at all. As standalone logos they were ok but when paired with the Warriors I would never think they were even in the same franchise.
Because of this, I went back to the drawing board to try and make the team logo more cohesive with the Warriors brand, while still maintaining its uniqueness.
Final Logo & Meaning
Team Name
The main attraction of this logo is the Golden "S" to represent the Sirens. This "S" is stylized at the bottom to form a siren tail with sky blue fins that complement the bridge lines. The "S" shows fluidity, femininity, and boldness which I believe are great characteristics to represent the future Golden State WNBA team.
Golden State Franchise
One of my project goals was creating a logo that would pair well with the Warriors. I wanted to make a logo that would be recognizable as a team in Golden State. The circle logo with text is an homage to the Warriors current logo.
The Other Side of the Bridge
As the sister team to the Warriors, the upper half of this "S" along with the sky blue bridge lines represent a continuation of the bridge that is present in the Warriors logo. (The left side of the bridge is on the Sirens logo while the right side is on the Warriors logo). This also ties back into the Bay Area and one of it's most iconic landmarks.
Sirens Color Palette
The Sirens color palette I chose includes a dark indigo color paired with the current California Golden Yellow used by the Warriors and a sky blue that the Warriors used as a supporting color from 1997/98 - 2009/10.
