SENIOR
THESIS
ABOUT: During their senior year at AAC, students complete a year-long Senior Thesis project centered around a topic and creative direction of their choosing. The project provides an opportunity to develop an idea from concept through final execution while receiving feedback and guidance throughout the year.
THE GOAL: With a goal of pursuing a career in the sports industry, I developed my thesis around sports branding and creative work. The project gave me an opportunity to create a brand from the ground up while building work that reflected my interests and could help support my future career and networking efforts.
ROLE: Led the ideation, development, and execution of my Senior Thesis from concept to completion. Participated in regular critiques with professors and fellow students throughout the year, refining the work based on feedback. Presented the final project at the senior exhibition, showcasing the work to faculty prior to graduation.
I was inspired to create Behind The Team by the incredible volume of creative work produced across the sports industry—from the teams I followed closely to those I knew little about. I often found myself wondering who was behind the work and what their creative portfolios looked like beyond what I saw on social media.
Every team produces an enormous amount of graphic design, photography, video, and other creative content, yet the people behind that work often remain largely unseen by the public. Sports creatives occupy a unique and highly specialized corner of the creative industry, but there is still limited visibility into the people, processes, and careers behind the work.
Behind The Team was created as an opportunity to shine a light on those creatives and give greater recognition to the people shaping the visual identity of sports.
I created @behindtheteam_ on Instagram and Twitter as a platform to showcase the work of sports creatives while giving proper credit to the people behind it. Beyond sharing their work, I interviewed creative professionals about their careers, creative processes, and experiences in the industry, as well as the advice they had for others looking to break into sports creative roles.
In addition to the social platforms, I wanted to further establish the Behind The Team brand through a merchandise line that reflected the identity, purpose, and community behind the project.
EXHIBITION DISPLAY
