I’ve mentioned it earlier, I’m taking an etching class at the University of Kentucky which is just down the street. Being enrolled in a class means that I am a University of Kentucky student which means I get all the emails about tuition costs rising, new coaches, and T-shirt design competitions.

Coach Kalman

I like that designers have the challenge to create something from their experience and taste but with the restrictions and guidelines of the client. Usually, there is a process of: design, critique, design, critique… sometimes on and on. Watch Mad Men and you get the feeling that if your “good” you’ll sell them on the first go, but that’s not typical. It was true for Tibor Kalman (at least one time), when he told the client he wasn’t going to show them his design until they approved it first. He demanded their trust (which is also not typical). He was at the top.

I thought I might as well submit a design for the UK contest. You get $500 dollars, season basketball tickets and “the satisfaction of seeing your shirt all over campus”. One of the main things that baby designers do that doesn’t work is that they use not only one crappy type face, but usually multiple different crappy type faces and add to the mess with bad “kerning“. I figured if I could use a decent font, a UK logo and have a strong, generic and unifying statement plus some graphic nostalgia, I might have a shot.

The design was to be for a royal blue tee-shirt and could have a front and back. If any logos were used, the University had the right to manipulate it (also, a multitude of other fine print that I didn’t read). You sign your rights over and that’s it.

A couple of days ago I was called in to verify my design and sign over some more rights. Normally I’d be more cautious, but this is an internal student affair, I’m guessing the University isn’t trying to screw anyone. They also told me that I’m one of 5 finalists.

This is fun because being a finalist is always fun, and $500 is also fun, and the design was hardly my “pièce de résistance“, but that makes it all the more fun–nothing to lose, not even pride. But, remember the client? They want changes and you feel like your chipping away from your original vision and getting crankier and crankier at each revision? Also, remember all the fine print? Last night I got another of those emails telling me to “vote now” for the tee of my choice. I go to the page to see my little orphan in the line-up and, huh?

You grew up? Are you wearing make-up? Did you get into an accident?

Lucky for me, I think the changes are fine (again, I’m free) and maybe even beneficial. Its the only one of the 5 to be on a grey (?) tee shirt. I like that alright. They switched my front to my back. Alright again. They changed the typeface to 2 or maybe even 3. One of which is absolutly terrible (the “smashed” or “distressed” look) but, strangely it works ok. And the spacing/placement are all wackie but, again. The less it looks like me, the better the chance the student body will like it.