How the San Jose Sharks logo was created (Terry Smith Interview)

21 comments

1. He's one guy, a non player that deserves (might already have?) a plaque at the SAP center in honor of the sharks.

   The logo is iconic, I've lived around the country and I've seen that logo everywhere.. even people who don't know/like the sharks still think it's an awesome logo/colors.

2. I like the OG logo but the new one has more movement and action to it which I love.

3. The 2nd logo is full beast mode imho. Can’t beat it 🦈LG Sharks! 🤘

4. Thanks for this full interview, Brodie! A big reason why I’m a graphic designer in professional sports today is growing up with that early Sharks brand and logo and it’s so nice to hear some behind the scenes of how it got its look.

5. One of the greatest logos in sports

6. Enjoyed the interview, compelling and rich.

7. Terry Smith is an icon. Among the best sports logo designers in sports history.

8. Great interview Brodie 👌🏼🔥🔥🔥 always have been my favorite logo out of all teams I live for being an East Bay kid..Let’s Go Sharks!! 👏🏼👏🏼 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
   🫡🙏🏼👌🏼🔥🔥🔥

9. Even in Toronto a lot of people wore Sharks merchandise in the early 90s. I also had a Sharks hat.

10. I wonder what he got paid ,for the logo, ?

11. This has gotta rank among the very best sports logos, ever. Pretty much perfect. I'm a professional artist and I'm in awe.
    Thank you for this excellent interview. Wonderful chat with the man behind this creative process.

12. Great interview! I wish you asked him about the subtle "SJ" in the body/fin of the shark on the current logo. I've always wondered if that was intentional or a crazy accident.

13. One of my favourite things you have ever posted!

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15. Please go back to the original logo, team should’ve never changed it, it’s perfect and simply timeless. Iconic

    Classic classic gotta go back

16. The vibe on the original is so much better, I kinda always silently cringe at the new ones, not like it’s “bad” but there are things that irk me about it and give me a bit of that “oooh look at you tough guy” kinda vibe from it trying to look too aggressive?

    Also the points he made about wanting to add teal, make the proportions of the shark more realistic, less cartoony overall, etc.. ehhh they may have hit all their checkpoints, but not sure how the combined achievement of such a task leaded to a superior logo…

    Terry mentioned the Yankees etc on the timeless scale, honestly there are a lot of epic logos in that category that should never be changed l, and I truly felt the first logo was also in that category. It was so quirky and popular and it was perfect in its own way. Like the Detroit Red Wings for example – that logo is “objectively” dated, but can you effin imagine “updating” that logo to like a modern tire where and falcon like wing?! Can’t even imagine changing it! It is truly iconic , and so was the original Sharks logo.. No clue why management felt the need to contract out the change.

    It’s like those “remastered” albums where yeah it’s the original artist and everyone loves them, but they’re reimagining something that was already perfect and/or the update less than added to the art piece.
    Also teal does not need to actually be on the shark in the main logo.. also re:new logo – if you look in the upper left corner of the sagging triangle colored black (for some reason?) I wonder his thoughts on the thinking behind that brush stroke, cuz it always trips me out like the teal accent is curved almost to suggest the Sharks body turns downward (unlike OG) and like the logo in the all black jerseys, yet the background is black like the body of the Shark ? Ugh this logo just bothers me, I don’t get why ownership ever felt a need for a redesign, the OG is perfect.

17. Terry Smith and Dr. Drew sound the same! Or am I nuts!?

18. Terry is such an amazing designer and an even greater person.

19. Excellent logo! Love it!

20. My first jersey I ever bought was one of those black alt #19 JUMBO
    Still holds up

21. The ONLY criticism I would have is for the eye & stick to be silver instead so that way silver can be part of the uniforms once again and it’ll separate the orange identity from the Ducks