Utah Rex Team Concept
I've been following all the hype and noticed one of the most popular names was “Raptors,” so I started playing with ideas around dinosaurs. Since I don’t think MLSE would take kindly to another pro sports team borrowing their name, I focused on Utah's wide variety of fossils. After some research, I fell in love with the name “Rex.” It's simple and aligns well with the state's pronunciation. To my knowledge, some Tyrannosaurus Rexes were found in Utah, along with Allosaurus and Raptors, so the concept fits nicely. I could have gone with “Utah T-Rex,” but omitting the “T” leaves it open for interpretation. The name “Rex” means King in Latin (king of tyrant lizards), ruler, and monarch. It also has significance in the Bible as the ruler of a kingdom. Omitting the “T” also allows for a nickname like U-Rex.
As for colors, I've always been a huge fan of pink. It's, in my opinion, a very underutilized color in sports. The Calgary Hitmen have used it with great popularity, especially during their annual BeBrave game, where the sea of pink looks electric. For the second color, I chose purple to tie the team to the other pro-sports team in Utah, the Jazz. Both of these colors resemble what an abstract lizard could have looked like 100 million years ago. The unique color scheme aims to have a similar effect on younger fans as teal did with the Sharks and Ducks in the early 90s.
The logo was purchased from a vector website and was created by MANIACVECTOR. When researching logos, I came across this design and instantly fell in love with it. I made some tweaks, but the original design is still prevalent.
For the jersey design, I wanted to incorporate a gradient, as many dinosaur illustrations have this concept. I replicated the teeth pattern on the shoulders to create a lizard-like striping pattern. This also gives a speed effect when viewed from the correct angle.
I'm excited to see what final concept Ryan Smith and his team come up with. This was a fun passion project, and I hope other fans out there connect with the vibes I've mashed up.
Programs: After Effects + Photoshop + Illustrator
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