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Shandon MELVIN
Creative Director | NFL
Shandon Melvin is the Creative Director for the National Football League. His team’s work is concentrated on branding, environmental graphics, event and print communications, photo shoots, and working with its 32-member clubs on multiple design initiatives. Notable work includes redesigning the iconic NFL Shield logo in 2008, Super Bowl brand design, and team rebrands for the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. Shandon began his career in New York at Calvin Klein working on cK Jeans, then a short stint at Benetton’s Fabrica. He returned to New York to join BBH on the Levi’s account in 2003 before moving on to the NFL as an art director. In 2007 he was promoted to Creative Director. He is a Kentucky native, a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design, and a proud father of three.
influences
questionnaire
What was your very first job?
My first career job in design was working at Calvin Klein’s in house agency CRK Advertising. It was amazing and I was surrounded by incredibly talented people. I couldn’t have imagined a better start in the creative industry.
Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails.
As Creative Director, it’s my job lead the creative team in developing the visual expression of the NFL brand through design. It entails designing for large scale events and games, and what shows up on the football field, and on players.
How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? What was there train of events that brought you to where you are today?
From a very early age, art and football were my passions. Although I never played football, I dove into all forms of art and design which led me to art school. At SCAD is when I started to believe a career in the creative industry was possible.
In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant?
Like all creatives we look around us all the time, but we focus our efforts on what our fans are responding to. We constantly look at the game to find our inspiration, because that’s what our fans love. We have the opportunity to reinterpret it every season and as the game evolves.
If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be?
The one that fits these criteria I am most proud of is developing a Creative Summit that brought together all creatives within the NFL and our 32 Clubs. Bringing everyone together to meet and share ideas was more inspiring than anything I can recall. Best part is I didn’t do it alone and working with some extremely talented creatives to shape the content of the Summit was the most fun for me.
