Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

The 2008 Team Jersey designs are percolating out. There is a trend and as Michael Jackson says “It don’t matter if your black or white” since every jersey for 2008 seems to be either black or white.

Team CSC have gone from a very cool kit design that was somewhat consitent and evolutionary to a completely different look that is strong on white. The 2008 design is different since the team switched clothing sponsors from Descente to Craft. No, not the processed cheese company with a K, but the Scandonavian company with a C known for some classy clothes.

The new design is based on a concept about teamwork. Team CSC is known for it’s teamwork and cohesion. What better way than to show something of each rider in the design itself. This idea came to the kit designer and the idea basically flowed out.

”The Team CSC 2008 uniform is a tribute to the team itself. A uniform, which represents each rider and at the same time also representing them all as one unit. The idea comes across in the new “signature pattern.” A pattern created from each individual rider’s signature in a graduation from black to white. Where black is a pattern created from all the signatures and white is an open light pattern, which enables you to see the individual signatures. In this way each rider “signs himself on” to the team and at the same time signs his commitment to Team CSC’s beliefs and values,” says Inger Tanderup Klixbull, who has also designed the team’s previous uniforms.

If you look closely below the signatures show up in the detail. Nice touch for a kit to have intricate detail on close view. From TV and far away you see the overall design, but in pictures and closeup view you get some fine details.

I am not expert designer, but I did design Maxpowercycling.com’s team kit last year and I am sending out the 2008 design. As a designer you have to take a step back and do the squint test. See what type of impression the design gives. The signatures with the black lines and random curls give off a hairy look. If you do not notice the signatures up close the design looks like clumps of pink and black hair.

The overall look is like a hairshirt that is neatly cropped.

Maybe the design needs a few more iterations to cut down the hairiness aspect and emphasize the signatures.Until then all I am thinking is that I need to get my back waxed and my legs shaved before spring.