Inspiration
I believe my love of art came from my mother who often spent her free-time in artistic endeavors, participating in numerous craft shows and creating custom pieces for family and friends. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, but my official introduction to the world of design happened during my junior year of high school. I had the opportunity to attend a daily half-day satellite program for desktop publishing and offset printing. It was during those two years that a whole new world of visual communication opened up for me and I knew I had to pursue it further.
Athletics has also played a major role in my life. My love of sport came from my father who has gone on to become a local hoops playground legend. Playing against him I was forced to innovate, it’s the only way I stood a chance. He taught me that anything worth having could only be attained through hard work and perseverance. We also share a love of football and have been life-long Buffalo Bills enthusiasts. Growing up I participated in multiple sports leagues and camps, eventually becoming a 3-sport varsity athlete. I went on to earn a scholarship as a walk-on playing D-III softball at The Savannah College of Art and Design.
The Merging of Sports, Art & Creativity
In the late 80’s/early 90’s I was an avid football, basketball & baseball card collector and I would use those cards as inspiration for drawings and collages. I often dreamt of finding a career that would combine my two greatest passions. When I stumbled upon a web article about the Nike Team Sports division and their work on the Oregon football uniforms I was hooked! During grad school I was selected for two consecutive Nike Adrenaline internships. My graduate thesis project explored the effect that color and identity systems had on the mentality of athletes in sport which led to me getting officially hired at Nike Inc. after the second internship concluded in 2002.
The Power of Narrative
Communicating a powerful narrative can be just as important as the design itself. It is so gratifying to help a client position themselves and express their values and mission statement visually. Establishing a brand voice and identity have become a driving force in my work as I look to infuse meaningful stories and iconic graphics into every design project.
Looking Beyond Sport
My entire professional career to this point has been as an in-house graphic designer for Nike Inc. Although athletic apparel designs account for the majority of my current portfolio, I truly enjoy all things creative. Pushing beyond my comfort zone with every new project, I challenge myself to infuse both artistry and premium graphic executions into my work. I continue to evolve my creative and technical design skills through our in-house art studio space, growing my arsenal of techniques, staying on the cutting edge of apparel and graphic trend and looking beyond sport to culture in an effort to visually redefine the future of design.
Kristy Lauzonis AKA K-Lo