Cankor · hockey team · logo design
Calgary Hockey team logo redesign
I helped a Korean Hockey team based in Calgary to revamp their logo
The Brief
Sometimes this is all your client gives you.
I helped them expand their thoughts and execute their vision.
Refining the tiger.
What makes a tiger feel like a tiger?
I broke the brief into parts — stripes, fangs, palette, splash texture — and tested each in isolation before assembling them. The goal wasn't to draw a tiger; it was to figure out which features actually carried the team's identity, and which were just decoration.
Color from a flag, structure from a sport.
The red-and-blue splash came directly from the South Korean flag — the team is Korean, based in Calgary, so cultural identity belonged in the mark itself, not just an afterthought. Badge structure came from pro hockey crests, for visual permission. The dramatic splash version and the clean circular badge both felt strong; only one was practical.
Restraint won.
The splash version was the more "designed" option, but it wouldn't survive on a puck, a jersey patch, or a 16x16 favicon. The clean circular badge reads at any size and lets the tiger carry the energy.
Bonus
Playing with AI.
The Brief