New Cleveland Browns Logo Design: Aaron Sechrist, OkPants, Weighs In

New Cleveland Browns Logo Design

Our recent post, “New” Browns Logo Leaves Cleveland Graphic Designers Deflated” collected expert advice from local authorities on the matter including Aaron Sechrist, Graphic Artist and Owner of OkPants and Made by Superior.

Aaron’s full interview is included below. Enjoy and be sure to catch the full story, featuring fellow Cleveland Design Agency experts William Beachy, Wilson Revehl, Chris Comella, Todd Radom, and Julia Briggs here.

Interview with Aaron Sechrist

The new Cleveland Browns logo design has been harshly derided in some circles for being underwhelming or, as some have put it, “just oranger.” Do you think that kind of criticism is unfair?

Nope. I think the decision to build hype and create any kind of “event” around a pantone number shift is being fairly knocked. A lot of fans were expecting something exciting and new in regards to a logo in the context of this huge, publicized uniform re-design project that has been going on in the background with Nike for 2 years. It was a great opportunity to replace the helmet icon with a strong, exciting secondary mark that could get fans excited about our team. It’s confusing at best. I do, however, think brighter is better for orange, as I think darker is better for the brown. With that said, I’m VERY excited to see the new uniforms, as I think that brighter orange is going to really scream, especially with these space-age textures and materials Nike uses on their uniforms & helmets.

Is there anything about the new logo that “works”? If so, explain.

I’m assuming we’re talking about the helmet logo. I mean, they could have at least re-drawn or updated the vector drawing of the helmet. It’s just deflating and feels like an afterthought in the big picture of this massive uniform design project the team has been working on with Nike, which I’m excited to see the results of. I’ll admit it “works,” in the sense that the Browns are the only team in the league that does not have a logo, but as a logo designer I’ve always hated that. I’ve only ever seen that orange helmet as a missed opportunity to slap something AWESOME on. I have no idea how the “Dawg Pound” graphic is supposed to work within the overall team identity or the uniforms if at all. It’s all still pretty confusing to me.

Is there anything you would have done differently if you had tackled this project?

I’ve thought for years the team should completely rebrand—name, colors, everything, especially when the team returned to the city in 1999. I’ve been a Browns fan my entire life and I can’t ever remember a time I looked at the uniforms and helmets and thought ‘Boy those look cool’. So I suppose my answer is I would have done “everything” differently. I’ve always been an anarchist when it comes to the design of the Cleveland Browns.

Anything to add?

The Cleveland Browns look like Thanksgiving on the field. I own no Browns merchandise. But make no mistake, I LOVE the Cleveland Browns. They taught me at a very young age to persevere through disappointment, frustration and misery. I saw my first adult fistfight at a Browns game at age 8. When I was a kid my dad spray painted all of our family’s shoes orange when Webster Slaughter was getting fined for it. They are as intertwined into my life as art itself. I am a lifer fan.

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