Game Of Thrones House Sigils, As Re-Imagined By A Nike Designer

Darrin Crescenzi is a Portland-based graphic designer, and something of a go-to guy for Nike. He's responsible for, among other things, the Team USA Olympic jerseys, Nike's Livestrong campaign, and various logos and brandmarks going back half a decade. These are all corporate things that are hard for anyone who's not a design wonk to get excited over.

But this? This is magnificent. Crescenzi has drawn the sigils of every house as desribed by George R. R. Martin in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, with a personal spin—"as if he were designing icons for Nike."

Brand guys can't help but think in terms of brands.

"The sigils really do act as branding, in that they give each character formal distinctions—Lannister's use of crimson and gold, for example, sets that family apart from the rest on a purely visual level. But they also serve to give a vague indication of the values and psychology of the wearer."

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"These brands become such a key part of the reading experience—Night's Watch black might as well be Tiffany blue or UPS brown or T-Mobile pink."

The "visual fan fiction," as Co.Design puts it in their interview with Crescenzi, was born out of a simple love for Martin's tactile language. He says he began sketching the sigils as their descriptions were introduced in the text, and here's the final product: an 18" x 24" poster available for purchase, featuring his interpretations of the sigils of 35 different houses.

So what's the Nike influence? Simple, symbolic, instantly grasped. They could easily be team logos—it's not a stretch to picture the T-Wolves and Bucks adopting the marks of Stark and Baratheon.

A Top Nike Designer Rebrands Game Of Thrones [Co.Design]