If you’ve been watching the NBA playoffs on ESPN you no doubt wondered (like us) who designed the glittering graphics package. Mystery solved: the studio is London’s Panoply who are here to share their process and R&D reel.

From the team at Panoply: “At the core of our mission was the development of a distinct visual language that could resonate with the energy and fervor of the NBA Finals. Introducing ‘Shimmer,’ an evolving golden simulation technique that acted as the backbone of our creative exploration.

“Whether morphing into the iconic NBA trophy or seamlessly transforming into individual team logos, ‘Shimmer’ demonstrated an exceptional blend of versatility and spectacle. The procedural nature of this technique facilitated scalability, ensuring it could accommodate the vast assortment of assets required.
 

“To future-proof the project, we designed a procedural pipeline that could process new 3D elements… ensuring our design work remains… capable of evolving with the NBA Finals in the coming years.”

 
“Taking inspiration from the unique patterns made by opposing magnets interacting with loose iron filings, we fashioned a series of unique basketball court floorboard configurations. Subtle, yet visually captivating, these designs provided a fitting companion to the liquid gold aesthetic of the ‘Shimmer.’

“Of paramount importance was the need to ensure our design approach was adaptable. Recognizing the requirement for ESPN to have creative autonomy over constructing broadcast elements, we applied our techniques to a complete typeset.

“To future-proof the project, we designed a procedural pipeline that could process new 3D elements, outputting a shimmer animation sequence at the end. This ensures our design work remains relevant and adaptable, capable of evolving with the NBA Finals in the coming years.”
 
 

 

 
Client: ESPN

Production: Panoply
Concept/design/direction: Panoply, ESPN Creative Studio

Audio: Human Robot Soul