So, Knight, then an accounting instructor at the downtown Portland State University, turned to an eager graphic design student, Carolyn Davidson, to create a logo for a brand named after the Greek goddess of victory.ĭavidson, earning $2 per hour, spent 17.5 hours working on the project, according to Nike history, for a total bill of $35, all with the goal of presenting motion through the Stripe. Originally named Blue Ribbon Sports, Phil Knight’s newly dubbed Nike in 1971 needed an official mark. The Swoosh represents more than just a logo.
It stands alone as a mark, signifying both brand and culture. Nowadays the Swoosh represents all things Nike. As we see new Nike designs come to the market ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Swoosh, such as the READYMADE x Nike Blazer-complete with a funky Swoosh adornment-and the original Swoosh design play prominently across the new Virgil Abloh Icons book, it harkens to the early days of Nike when designers could tell who crafted a shoe simply based on the shape of the Swoosh. And the Swoosh, with its classic startup tale of formation, served more as a roadmap for shoe designers than a hard and fast rule.
Nike had the Stripe before anyone was calling it the Swoosh.
