{"id":21278,"date":"2014-07-23T14:19:27","date_gmt":"2014-07-23T18:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/designlife\/?p=1813"},"modified":"2014-07-23T14:19:27","modified_gmt":"2014-07-23T18:19:27","slug":"justin-larosa-designs-for-a-competitive-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/2014\/07\/23\/justin-larosa-designs-for-a-competitive-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"Justin LaRosa Designs for a Competitive Edge"},"content":{"rendered":"

Design innovation for a mobile phone or laptop isn\u2019t hard to spot. But what about for an athlete\u2019s jersey? Can the graphics on players\u2019 uniforms make them feel stronger? Can the font selection for a uniform number on a football player\u2019s jersey create a \u201cwarrior effect?\u201d Justin LaRosa [10′ GD], apparel designer for sportswear giant, Nike, thinks so.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Justin LaRosa [\u201810 GD] joined Nike in 2011, where he designs on-field apparel \u2013 from helmets to shoes \u2013 as well as in-store, retail clothing. He consults closely with Nike\u2019s technicians who design the cut-and-sew lines of the garment before beginning the conceptual process of designing the graphics. Each piece is a story. Whether the public really sees everything that goes into a uniform is secondary to how the players view it. For example, LaRosa recently designed uniforms for the 2012 Army \/ Navy football game \u2013 an annual event he grew up attending as a child.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople might be surprised at the amount of research that goes into sportswear design \u2013 especially athletes\u2019 uniforms. We interview players, coaches and athletic directors to get into the mind of an athlete. Our goal is to mitigate any distractions from their clothing and gear so they can perform to the best of their ability,\u201d LaRosa says.\u201cIt\u2019s a huge game for both teams. The cadets for both schools are essentially on lock-down from the beginning of the semester until Christmas break, then they are all let out to go to this football game. You can\u2019t begin to imagine the energy in the stadium,\u201d explains LaRosa. Nike outfits both teams and LaRosa was the lead graphic designer for the Army \u2013 also known as the United States Military Academy at West Point. The game is held in Philadelphia every year in late-fall or early-winter, and athletes can expect cold weather, even heavy snow. For inspiration, LaRosa decided to dig through the archives at West Point to find the coldest land battle in Army\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"justin-larose-large-image1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the Battle of the Bulge \u2013 a well known World War II battle in northern Luxembourg. The army had a bunch of young guys under General George Patton\u2019s command taking on Adolf Hitler\u2019s German troops. At the same time stateside, the Army\u2019s football team was in the process of winning three back-to-back national championships. It was a great time in the history of West Point,\u201d LaRosa says.<\/p>\n

To capture this important time in Army history, LaRosa found old battle maps drawn in 1941 and received military permission to use the maps as a camouflage-like graphic throughout the uniform \u2013 the under-compression top, jersey numbers, helmets and footwear. Additionally, there was the opportunity to create an \u201cintimidation effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe players saw the design as a cool new take on camo. What was so unexpected was that there ended up being some WWII vets at the game who looked closely at the design and recognized the maps,\u201d says LaRosa. \u201cIt had real meaning to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite losing the game 17-13, the players had a real fire to fight because of the design of the uniform. Army coach Rich Ellerson, a historic military buff, loved the design and was able to use the story behind the uniforms to motivate players by sharing an important time in the school\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Trips like the one LaRosa took to West Point are part of his design process for Nike. \u201cWe visit the schools to build a relationship with the coaches and athletic directors and then get our inspiration by researching the school\u2019s history. At Nike, we want our designs to be authentic and meaningful. Using a school or team\u2019s history is often the best way to do that,\u201d explains LaRosa.<\/p>\n

Design innovation for Nike, and LaRosa, is about creating peak performance \u2013 making materials lighter and the fit tighter so the uniform feels like another layer of their skin. As a graphic designer, LaRosa takes the creative process a step further by turning their clothing into something that inspires them to unleash the warrior within. While he likes helping boost Nike\u2019s retail wear, his heart lies in creating team uniforms. LaRosa\u2019s design of Ohio State\u2019s uniforms uses a special material that reacts and lights up when photographed. The design of these pieces requires thinking about all kinds of scenarios for use \u2014 how they appear on television, how they react to stadium lighting, and how reflective they might be.<\/p>\n

How does this affect the competition? Perhaps it is an example of \u201cbrand psychology.\u201d \u201cPut a tri-athlete in a suit designed to mimic the texture and speed of golf balls [because they can fly so far] and they will respond psychologically. They will immediately feel that they can perform better,\u201d LaRosa explains. \u201cIt\u2019s neat to be at a Boston Red Sox game and see fans wearing a T-shirt I designed; but there is nothing better than watching 100 football players running onto the field in one of my uniforms and having them win the game,\u201d LaRosa says. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes me love this job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyeing the Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not long after starting at Nike, LaRosa felt like he was back in the College of Design in an introductory level typography class thinking about legibility versus readability and other fundamentals of type design. \u201cWhen I started at Nike, I noticed many college uniforms used really old [and honestly ugly] number stats for their jerseys. It was obvious that no \u2018design-eye\u2019 had been on them,\u201d LaRosa says. \u201cSitting in a Type 1 class, I wouldn\u2019t have necessarily thought I would use that knowledge so quickly in my career \u2013 but it was a really practical skill that I needed to know. I loved that the College of Design trains us to be \u2018design thinkers\u2019 \u2013 not just people who design for other designers,\u201d LaRosa explains. \u201cWe are taught to go into any type of industry and use good, practical design fundamentals as a solid business strategy. I feel that is what really sets the College apart from other design school programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false,"raw":"Design innovation for a mobile phone or laptop isn\u2019t hard to spot. But what about for an athlete\u2019s jersey? Can the graphics on players\u2019 uniforms make them feel stronger? Can the font selection for a uniform number on a football player\u2019s jersey create a \u201cwarrior effect?\u201d Justin LaRosa [10' GD], apparel designer for sportswear giant, Nike, thinks so.\u00a0<\/strong>\n\nJustin LaRosa [\u201810 GD] joined Nike in 2011, where he designs on-field apparel \u2013 from helmets to shoes \u2013 as well as in-store, retail clothing. He consults closely with Nike\u2019s technicians who design the cut-and-sew lines of the garment before beginning the conceptual process of designing the graphics. Each piece is a story. Whether the public really sees everything that goes into a uniform is secondary to how the players view it. For example, LaRosa recently designed uniforms for the 2012 Army \/ Navy football game \u2013 an annual event he grew up attending as a child.\n\n\u201cPeople might be surprised at the amount of research that goes into sportswear design \u2013 especially athletes\u2019 uniforms. We interview players, coaches and athletic directors to get into the mind of an athlete. Our goal is to mitigate any distractions from their clothing and gear so they can perform to the best of their ability,\u201d LaRosa says.\u201cIt\u2019s a huge game for both teams. The cadets for both schools are essentially on lock-down from the beginning of the semester until Christmas break, then they are all let out to go to this football game. You can\u2019t begin to imagine the energy in the stadium,\u201d explains LaRosa. Nike outfits both teams and LaRosa was the lead graphic designer for the Army \u2013 also known as the United States Military Academy at West Point. The game is held in Philadelphia every year in late-fall or early-winter, and athletes can expect cold weather, even heavy snow. For inspiration, LaRosa decided to dig through the archives at West Point to find the coldest land battle in Army\u2019s history.\n\n \n\n\"justin-larose-large-image1\"<\/a>\n\n\u201cIt was the Battle of the Bulge \u2013 a well known World War II battle in northern Luxembourg. The army had a bunch of young guys under General George Patton\u2019s command taking on Adolf Hitler\u2019s German troops. At the same time stateside, the Army\u2019s football team was in the process of winning three back-to-back national championships. It was a great time in the history of West Point,\u201d LaRosa says.\n\nTo capture this important time in Army history, LaRosa found old battle maps drawn in 1941 and received military permission to use the maps as a camouflage-like graphic throughout the uniform \u2013 the under-compression top, jersey numbers, helmets and footwear. Additionally, there was the opportunity to create an \u201cintimidation effect.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe players saw the design as a cool new take on camo. What was so unexpected was that there ended up being some WWII vets at the game who looked closely at the design and recognized the maps,\u201d says LaRosa. \u201cIt had real meaning to them.\u201d\n\nDespite losing the game 17-13, the players had a real fire to fight because of the design of the uniform. Army coach Rich Ellerson, a historic military buff, loved the design and was able to use the story behind the uniforms to motivate players by sharing an important time in the school\u2019s history.\n\nTrips like the one LaRosa took to West Point are part of his design process for Nike. \u201cWe visit the schools to build a relationship with the coaches and athletic directors and then get our inspiration by researching the school\u2019s history. At Nike, we want our designs to be authentic and meaningful. Using a school or team\u2019s history is often the best way to do that,\u201d explains LaRosa.\n\nDesign innovation for Nike, and LaRosa, is about creating peak performance \u2013 making materials lighter and the fit tighter so the uniform feels like another layer of their skin. As a graphic designer, LaRosa takes the creative process a step further by turning their clothing into something that inspires them to unleash the warrior within. While he likes helping boost Nike\u2019s retail wear, his heart lies in creating team uniforms. LaRosa\u2019s design of Ohio State\u2019s uniforms uses a special material that reacts and lights up when photographed. The design of these pieces requires thinking about all kinds of scenarios for use \u2014 how they appear on television, how they react to stadium lighting, and how reflective they might be.\n\nHow does this affect the competition? Perhaps it is an example of \u201cbrand psychology.\u201d \u201cPut a tri-athlete in a suit designed to mimic the texture and speed of golf balls [because they can fly so far] and they will respond psychologically. They will immediately feel that they can perform better,\u201d LaRosa explains. \u201cIt\u2019s neat to be at a Boston Red Sox game and see fans wearing a T-shirt I designed; but there is nothing better than watching 100 football players running onto the field in one of my uniforms and having them win the game,\u201d LaRosa says. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes me love this job.\u201d\n\nEyeing the Numbers<\/strong>\n\nNot long after starting at Nike, LaRosa felt like he was back in the College of Design in an introductory level typography class thinking about legibility versus readability and other fundamentals of type design. \u201cWhen I started at Nike, I noticed many college uniforms used really old [and honestly ugly] number stats for their jerseys. It was obvious that no \u2018design-eye\u2019 had been on them,\u201d LaRosa says. \u201cSitting in a Type 1 class, I wouldn\u2019t have necessarily thought I would use that knowledge so quickly in my career \u2013 but it was a really practical skill that I needed to know. I loved that the College of Design trains us to be \u2018design thinkers\u2019 \u2013 not just people who design for other designers,\u201d LaRosa explains. \u201cWe are taught to go into any type of industry and use good, practical design fundamentals as a solid business strategy. I feel that is what really sets the College apart from other design school programs.\u201d\n
<\/div>"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can the graphics on players\u2019 uniforms make them feel stronger? Justin LaRosa, a Graphic Design alumni and apparel designer for Nike, thinks so.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":21374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[15],"class_list":["post-21278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-experience","category-uncategorized","tag-graphic-design"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}