The Lace Project

Branding

Designer

Independent initiative targeting all NHL teams, combining creativity and marketing to stand out in a competitive job market. Designed custom skate lace labels reading “Free Agent Designer — Ready to Lace Up for Your Team,” paired with a QR code linking directly to my portfolio. Each package included the labeled laces, a custom postcard, and my resume — delivered to every NHL organization to make a memorable, authentic impression. Grateful to everyone who offered advice, feedback, or took a moment to listen as I shaped this idea — especially Skylar, Taylor, Sarah, and Kevin.

The Final Product:

A lot of thought went into what to include in the final package. The project started with the skate laces — simple, bold, and creative — as a statement piece to stand out.

The resume was added to provide context and legitimacy, giving teams an easy reference without needing to search for my LinkedIn or portfolio.

The custom postcard was included to bring a personal touch and reinforce my commitment to each team. Since the skate laces represented my branding, I wanted to show that same dedication — so I created 32 unique, team-specific postcards.

Shout out to Aaron — an incredible mentor, colleague, and friend. His talent and industry knowledge are unmatched, and I’m grateful for his guidance, insight, and support as I brought this idea to life. (And thanks for letting me use your package as the photo model!)

Lace Label:

The lace label went through many iterations and design explorations. The examples shown below are just a selection of key drafts and discoveries that helped shape the final product — many more concepts were explored and ultimately left out in pursuit of a clean, impactful design.

Version 1: The Starting Point

This was the first draft of the label — the initial version where the idea was put to paper. I aimed to structure it like a traditional skate lace label, incorporating familiar elements such as the 108" length marker to reinforce authenticity.

Version Three: Standing Out from the Pack

Next lesson: color. I realized that black and white wouldn’t be enough—if this label ended up on a desk, it could easily get lost in the shuffle. The solution was to explore color and texture to help it stand out. I focused on hues that reminded me of hockey: red, blue, and yellow.

Red added a nice pop, but I discovered that once the text was reduced in size, it became harder to read—highlighting the need to balance vibrancy with legibility.

Version 4: Refining the Message

In this version, I streamlined the label to highlight the main message: “Ready to lace up for your team.” I moved it to the top and removed the 108" lace reference to save space. I also added my website under the QR code to provide clarity and legitimacy. I explored using a single team color as an accent to avoid overcomplicating the design, but with many teams sharing similar primary colors, it created confusion — so I shifted direction and looked for other ways to customize the package.

Version 5: Balancing Creativity and Cost

For this version, my next idea for making each label unique was to incorporate two of each team’s colors. This definitely helped with team identification, but new challenges surfaced around visibility and color combinations. I had to consider: how would I assign the colors on each label? Should every label follow the same color layout, or should it adapt to each team? And then there was the business side — what about printing costs and production logistics? Taking a practical, business-minded approach, I decided the best solution was to cut this idea and focus on what worked best visually. This is where I began exploring other ways to personalize the package: custom postcards.

Final Version: Bold and Clear

And here it is — the final draft in all its glory. I ultimately chose the yellow option, which had been my leading choice from early on. Do I regret the exploration in between? Not at all. Those iterations not only confirmed that yellow was the strongest choice for visibility and connection to popular skate lace colors — they also sparked the idea for further customization through team-specific postcards.

Postcards:

My solution for customization was to create team-specific postcards, each designed with care to highlight either the team or its home city. This approach added a personal touch and reflected authenticity. On the back of each postcard, I included a handwritten note to introduce myself — offering something more personal and memorable than a typical email to help stand out and create a genuine connection.