ABOUT

Adam Bender directing a Washington volleyball photo shoot Adam Bender kneeling on the sideline with a camera at a Washington soccer match Adam Bender directing a studio shoot with a Washington soccer player

I develop and implement creative solutions through authentic storytelling with intentional art and design direction. Sometimes that means starting with a camera to gather original source material. Washington’s Big Ten identity came out of photographs of graffiti walls at Pike Place Market. Sometimes it means finding the defining elements of an athlete and an institution through research combining my point of view with a look into the athlete’s career and the athletic department’s uniform identity evolution. The assets that comprised Kelsey Plum’s jersey retirement campaign “Forever 10” came from studying her play style, her defining characteristics on the court and the history of Washington Basketball’s uniform identity.

At Washington Athletics, I establish and implement creative direction across 22 varsity sports, guiding and working alongside a team of three designers. This has included developing a brand system for the move into the Big Ten in 2024, and a brand identity toolkit for the jersey retirement of one of the best athletes in Washington basketball history.

In the development and implementation process, campaigns and brand systems are shaped by a lot of people. Having a hand in everything from the shoot to the final application means an idea doesn’t get watered down between the initial concept and what people actually see.

I’m originally from Colorado and have been based in Seattle since 2024.

Experience

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ProgramPositionYears
University of Washington AthleticsSenior Graphic DesignerJanuary 2024 – Present
Purdue University AthleticsAssistant Director of Creative Services — Graphic DesignJuly 2022 – December 2023
Mississippi State AthleticsAssistant Director of Creative DesignJuly 2021 – June 2022
University of Colorado AthleticsGraphic Design Internship (Men’s Basketball)April 2019 – May 2021

Brands I’ve worked with

Sponsorship activations

  • Forever 10

    Pepsi rally towels (10,000 distributed in arena day of game)

  • Big Ten Transition

    Pepsi reusable cup (sold at home football games)

  • Big Ten Transition

    Inaugural Big Ten home opener commemorative ticket (presented by Pepsi)

Licensed retail

  • Forever 10

    Limited-edition apparel collaboration between BreakingT and Fanatics for the Husky Team Store

Paid media

  • Forever 10

    Full-page Seattle Times takeover and digital ad suite

  • Forever 10

    Ballard Bridge billboard

  • Big Ten Transition

    Sound Transit panel and bus wraps

  • Big Ten Transition

    Montlake Boulevard street pole banners