PWHL sticker PWHL sticker PWHL sticker PWHL sticker PWHL sticker

PWHL: Concept Design for the new Detroit team

Discipline:Brand Identity
League:PWHL
City:Detroit, MI
Type:Concept / Student Work
Deliverables:Logo · Palette · Typography · Jerseys · Merch

A graphic design concept for a PWHL expansion team rooted in Detroit's identity — its industrial grit, its hockey history, and its pride.

PWHL teams

A concept born from Hockeytown pride

This is a concept design project. While I was in Ann Arbor, Michigan for my undergraduate studies, I became a huge fan of Detroit sports — so when I heard the PWHL was bringing a women's hockey team to the city, I was thrilled.

I started sketching ideas and researching Detroit's history, especially its deep automotive roots. That connection felt like the right thread to pull — the Red Wings' own branding has long leaned on the city's manufacturing legacy, and I wanted this new team's identity to carry that same lineage forward.

PWHL Detroit concept thumbnail
Research
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History of Detroit
Founded in 1701 on the Detroit River, the city became the center of American automotive manufacturing in the early 20th century. The Big Three — Ford, GM, Chrysler — built not just cars but a working-class culture of pride and craft. Motown Records (est. 1959) transformed it into a cultural capital. Post-industrial challenges reshaped the city, yet a renaissance in arts, food, and design has redefined Detroit for a new generation.
Industrial Motown Automotive Renaissance Great Lakes
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History of Detroit Hockey
The Detroit Red Wings (est. 1926) are one of the Original Six NHL franchises and holders of 11 Stanley Cup championships. Detroit earned the nickname "Hockeytown" — not a marketing slogan, but a lived identity. The octopus toss at Joe Louis Arena, the retired jersey banners, the Gordie Howe legacy: hockey is civic religion here. The PWHL expansion represents a new chapter in that legacy, finally giving women's hockey a permanent home in one of the sport's most passionate cities.
Red Wings Hockeytown Original Six PWHL Joe Louis Arena
Color Palette
Detroit Drive color palette
Typography
Display / Hero
Barlow ExtraBold
Jersey numbers, scoreboard moments, arena signage. Bold and unapologetic.
DETROIT
PWHL · EXPANSION TEAM · HOCKEYTOWN
Editorial / Headers
Bodoni Moda
Campaign headlines, editorial layouts, press materials. The contrast between thick and thin strokes echoes the sharpness of a skate blade.
Built on Ice,
Born in Detroit
Functional / Body
Jost
Tickets, programs, digital UI, captions. Utilitarian and legible at small sizes. The working-class counterpart to the display type's grandeur.
The PWHL Detroit expansion team represents a new chapter in Hockeytown — one that belongs to every fan who has ever laced up.
SEASON TICKETS · ARENA LEVEL 2 · GATE D
Logo & Wordmark
Detroit Drive logo mark
Detroit Drive tagline lockup
Merchandise & Jersey Designs
Detroit Drive home jersey
Primary Deliverable
Home Jersey
The home colorway in Detroit Red, carrying the primary mark front and center.
Detroit Drive away jersey
Primary Deliverable
Away Jersey
The away colorway in River Navy, keeping the same mark placement and stripe system as the home jersey.
Detroit Drive crest
Merchandise
Crest
A compact, shield-style version of the mark built for patches, pins, and embroidery.
Detroit Drive supporter scarf, version one
Merchandise
Supporter Scarf — 01
A woven scarf in the primary colorway, made for game days.
Detroit Drive supporter scarf, version two
Merchandise
Supporter Scarf — 02
An alternate scarf treatment carrying the same system in a different layout.