TALLSHIPS MEDIA — SPORTS CONTENT DESIGN
During my placement with Tallships Media, I created motion graphics and static social media content for the Durham Blues and Scarborough Blues basketball programs. The work focused on producing engaging digital assets that reflected each team’s identity and enhanced their presence across social platforms.
Challenge
How can motion graphics and static social media content be used to capture the energy of basketball while maintaining strong, consistent branding for multiple sports programs across digital platforms?
Overview
This placement project involved creating social media content for the Durham Blues and Scarborough Blues basketball programs under Tallships Media. The goal was to design engaging motion graphics and static visuals for game promotions, player highlights, announcements, and general team branding across social platforms.
Role
My role focused on motion design and digital content creation. I was responsible for producing animated graphics in After Effects as well as static promotional posts in Photoshop, ensuring all visuals aligned with each team’s branding guidelines.
Inspiration
The inspiration for this placement work came from modern sports broadcast design and social media content used by professional basketball teams and leagues. I studied motion graphics styles used in NBA promotional content, focusing on pacing, typography, and high-energy transitions.
Creative Direction
The creative direction focused on translating the speed and intensity of basketball into digital content. The goal was to create visuals that felt energetic, dynamic, and consistent with each team’s branding while remaining engaging for social media audiences.
Research & Visual Analysis
This placement followed a structured production workflow, beginning with research and ending in final published content across social media platforms.
Brand Research
Studied the Durham Blues and Scarborough Blues branding, including colour palettes, typography, and existing social media content.
Template Development
Selected After Effects templates from Envato and adapted them to match each team’s visual identity and tone.
Motion & Static Production
Replaced placeholders with provided footage and created both animated and static social media content for campaigns.
Feedback & Iteration
Shared drafts with my employer and refined timing, layout, and composition based on feedback until approval.
Final Delivery
Exported and delivered optimized content for Instagram and other social platforms, ensuring correct formatting and consistency.
Content Breakdown
Motion Graphics
Motion content was developed for Instagram and promotional use, focusing on high-energy visuals for game announcements, highlights, and team branding. These were built in After Effects using adapted Envato templates, which were customized to align with each team’s visual identity.
Static Social Media Design
Static posts were created in Photoshop for game-day announcements and promotional updates. These designs maintained consistency with the motion content and ensured a unified visual identity across non-animated social media formats.
Key Production Decisions
Motion Timing
Fast-paced animation timing was used to reflect the energy and intensity of basketball, while ensuring key information remained readable for social media viewers.
Brand Consistency
Each design was carefully aligned with the Durham Blues and Scarborough Blues branding, including colour palettes, typography choices, and logo placement.
Template Adaptation
After Effects templates from Envato were used as a base structure and heavily customized by replacing placeholders with team-specific footage, imagery, and branding elements.
Platform Optimization
All content was designed specifically for social media platforms such as Instagram, ensuring correct formatting, pacing, and visual hierarchy for mobile viewing.