A fan of Hebraica and Macabi since childhood, Marcelo Vainsencher believed that the club he loved needed to revamp its image. The 25-year-old student, who recently completed his eighth semester of the Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, combined his knowledge with his passion for sports and channeled them into Recreación 11, a project that brings together design students with companies and institutions. Vainsencher’s work, supervised by Integrative Project instructors Patricia Moizo and Ramiro Ozer Ami, consisted of repositioning the Hebraica y Macabi brand through various graphic and visual initiatives.
Below, the student explains the details of the project:
Why did you decide to carry out the capstone project for your degree program with the Hebraica and Maccabi Club?
Mainly because I’ve always felt a strong connection to the club; as a child, I was a member of the organization in the sports division, and later on, I served as a leader in the youth division. Since I was well aware of the challenges the club has faced in recent years, I knew that developing a visual communication plan could be of great help to the organization. On the other hand, I’ve recently noticed the prominence that branding has gained in sports organizations and/or clubs both nationally and internationally, and I felt that researching and carrying out a design project in the sports context would teach me a lot as a designer—and it certainly did.
What is your strategy for changing the club's image?
Essentially, this involves implementing a visual communication strategy that will help the institution enhance its "brand image" among the general public. It also involves capitalizing on the positive values and ideas associated with the institution—based on its history and athletic achievements—and incorporating them into all communication materials.
For a company or institution, it is extremely important to present a strong image both within and outside its physical premises. Therefore, I designed visual communication materials for use both inside and outside the club.
In practice, what does the proposal entail?
First, I designed a corporate identity system to serve as a guide for all the institution’s visual communications: logo design and redesign, stationery design (including envelopes, letterhead, and business cards), sportswear design, and a homepage design for the website.
I also proposed improvements to the visual and graphic communication in the institution’s physical spaces: a wayfinding system for the building, poster design, institutional posters, and graphic elements on the building’s facade and in the club’s entrance hall.
You created some merchandise featuring the club's logo. What were they? Why did you choose them?
I designed merchandise with the goal of fostering a sense of belonging among the club’s fans, members, and non-member supporters: a hat, a scarf, a throw pillow, a pennant, a poster, beach paddles, and a set of coasters and toy basketball hoops for the bedroom.
I chose to design them because I wanted to create a way to establish a brand presence for Hebraica and Macabi outside the stadium in a way that would be appealing and engaging for the fans.
The biggest challenge in designing these pieces was to give them a strong sense of personality in both their appearance and functionality.
What work did you do on the Hebraica logo?
I mainly made adjustments to the old logo to improve its aesthetics and legibility. The logo is a shield consisting primarily of: an imago (a brand’s representative icon)—a Star of David composed of Hebrew letters that together spell out the name “Macabi”—and the institution’s name surrounding it.
This logo, which is used by most of the clubs and organizations belonging to the global network of Maccabi clubs sponsored by the World Maccabi Union, is very difficult to read.
So, the task was to tweak it to make it more readable: I chose different shades of blue for each letter, which helps distinguish them from one another. I also replaced the star’s sharp points with rounded ones, which makes the image look like a friendlier star.
In addition to redesigning the institution’s crest, I designed a corporate logo to enhance the club’s brand image. This logo will be featured on most communication materials to raise the institution’s brand visibility.
In your project, you state that you want to "liven up the club's atmosphere." What visual design strategies did you propose to turn that situation around?
Although the club has already implemented an architectural renovation plan aimed at transforming the atmosphere, my project proposes to complement this plan with corporate signage, graphic installations using vinyl, and eye-catching sports billboards. Each of these elements features a rich palette of colors and a variety of shapes. They also incorporate the club’s logo and signature colors to establish a strong brand presence within the club.
You also proposed a change to the club’s façade. What does that entail? What were your goals in proposing it?
For the institution to make its members feel at home, it must not only be attractive and comfortable on the inside but also on the outside, because every member sees the club as their home. The building has a complex architectural structure and is also highly visible from the promenade. So I proposed a design that unifies the structure with the institutional and corporate colors (yellow, blue, and gray); it features a series of slanted bars that convey dynamism and set it apart with a strong personality within its surroundings.
How would you describe your role as a graphic design student in the institution’s rebranding?
I would describe it as a role that requires a great deal of responsibility and sensitivity, because proposing a rebranding for an institution with a rich history and a distinguished track record in national sports is no easy task. It’s essential to understand what the club wants to communicate to the public in order to then design materials that meet the institution’s needs.
Which of your proposals were implemented?
At the moment, the club is designing signage for the interior of the building, reviewing the proposal for the building’s facade, and will likely introduce stationery (letterhead, envelopes, business cards) at a later date.
Would you like to add anything else?
I would like to thank Hebraica and Macabi for giving me the opportunity to work on this project, as well as the instructors of the Integrative Project course, Patricia Moizo and Ramiro Ozer Ami, who mentored me and offered guidance that helped me improve and grow as a designer.