Own goal! Design experts give their take on Leeds United crest

The experts have had their say on the Leeds United crest fiasco '“ and the results aren't pretty.
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Two creative outfits, Better Brand Agency and Delete, today ran the rule over the new crest, which triggered a fan backlash when it was unveiled by the club earlier this week.

John Taylor, creative director at Better Brand Agency, was left distinctly unimpressed by the design, a cartoon-style effort inspired by the Leeds salute.

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Comparing it unfavourably with the badge adopted by Italian club Juventus last year, he said: “On a simplistic level both the concept and execution is pretty mediocre yet somehow the result manages to add up to less than the sum of its parts.

Tom Dougherty.Tom Dougherty.
Tom Dougherty.

“Part of the problem is that it falls into a dull middle ground. At one extreme, it doesn’t go as far as the ultra-slick, hyper-minimal Juventus redesign.

“Yes, Juventus admittedly caused a bit of an uproar, but their overarching vision was clear and it was beautifully executed.

“At the other end of the scale, it doesn’t reference any of the club’s 100-year history either.

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“It feels like a cheap cover version of the American NFL aesthetic, which is entirely the wrong direction for something with so much built-in heritage.”

Tom Dougherty.Tom Dougherty.
Tom Dougherty.

Tom Dougherty, user experience director at Leeds-based Delete, raised questions about United’s approach to the redesign process.

He said: “It appears the club underestimated the level of emotional attachment to the current crest.

“When you factor in the bold and radically different new design, it’s easy to see why supporters have reacted as strongly as they have.

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“A club crest, in particular, is as cherished as a national flag.

“In some cases it means more, and stands for more to the team’s supporters, so any slight modification, let alone a fundamental overhaul, has the tendency to cause mass hysteria.”

Leeds have responded to criticism of the crest by pledging further consultations with fans over its design.

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