Review: Charlotte Express (AUDL)

Part of the series critiquing professional ultimate team logos and nicknames.

Team: Charlotte Express

Web: http://charlotteexpress.com // twitter: @CLTExpress

Representation: City // League: AUDL

Disc within logo?: Yes. // Ultimate element in team name?: No.

Background: Charlotte chose the Express team name to recognize the city's history as a transportation hub. The Charlotte Express logo features an approaching locomotive with a crown incorporated into the design signifying Charlotte's royal connections as the Queen City. A stylized disc serves as the train's beacon, and the Express' blue colors are traditionally representative of Charlotte and the Carolinas. [via]

First impression(s) from SLUDGE: Cannot unsee the dress; not "The Dress," but a dress nonetheless.

Eli's Eval: So many good things going on with this at-track-tive design. There are multiple elements that all work together but also work individually or in different combinations. The train, the crown, the wordmarks, all of these can be taken individually or recombined for different situations. Everything feels like it was designed to go together, from the line weight to the way angles and curves are treated, to the balance of color from piece to piece.

The type is both sporty and somehow old-fashioned feeling, while still remaining contemporary. The crown above the city name is a nod to the city's nickname and not necessary but acts as a visual anchor and a little happy moment of pause in the middle of a busy design. All of the lines seem to point to it, but its own points shoot the eye right back out to the train and the type.

The type and train both feel very custom-made in a great way. They feel familiar and appropriate to the context of American sports but they also feel unique. The action lines on one side and smoke/clouds on the other are just one more example of where this designer could have been lazy but put in the extra effort to add more meaning and visual interest to this complete design. Same goes for the tracks at the bottom, underneath the type.

:Eli's Grades:
Grade: A
On Logo: A
On Typography: A