Lawton

With more concussions and other damaging injuries occurring every year in football, efforts to improve player safety through equipment and technology only continue to grow. By creating a smarter helmet that provides real time feedback to player safety, Lawton needed product development and a visual identity for their brand that elevated its dedication to player protection through well designed and technology advanced equipment. Collaborating with Lawton engineers and past NFL players to showcase the protective side of the company and their products, Makemade designed both the industrial design of the helmet and the accompanying brand identity.

Alongside Lawton’s researchers, Makemade first undertook research into current technologies and styling while also considering current manufacturing processes. It was imperative that the helmet be affordable and appealing to schools, parents, coaches and equipment managers. The helmet design was developed to accommodate these concerns while maintaining aggressive design decisions young athletes have grown accustomed to wanting. To bring the entire product to life, close attention was given to the brand identity elements since it needed to appeal to a range of audiences.

After an extensive initial development period of sketches and revisions, the selected helmet design was sculpted by Makemade, 3d scanned and 3d printed in vinyl. Ultimately the initial prototype and the helmet’s design seeks to showcase the technology that makes Lawton notable.  The light up safety indicators are at the forefront of the design located as a band in the helmet's signature brow piece and along the back of the shell.  Curved features are balanced with angular more aggressive features to create a helmet that is bold and sleek, straddling the future of technology based equipment and beloved traditional athletic stylings.

At the same time, the brand identity balances the idea of safety and aggression.  Starting with a strong triangular shape oriented to resemble a shield, the logomark suggests the protective side of the brand while also playing into the military and fighting nature of a shield's connotation. At the same time, with the addition of the two streaks through the shield shape, the logomark takes on more meaning as it resembles a wing. Again playing into the protective core of the brand’s mission, the design alludes to the hope and ability to rise above a challenge. The logomark is combined with a bold color scheme and a wordmark purposefully crafted to balance soft radiuses with strong aggressive 90 degree edges. 

With many players, parents and coaches frustrated with the safety of current helmets on the market, “Changing the game for good” was developed as an internal oath to guide design decisions and as an external slogan for the brand to reach their target audience. 

Logo Animation by Camille Broussard. Product photography by James Billeaudeau.