NFL Communications Project
Creating an iconic product for the NFL
Problem: 6 months from start to finish
David Townsend was assigned the lead role in the redesign for the Motorola NFL headsets and equip. but only had a short window to design, build, test, and more importantly get approval from all of the NFL coaches
Not only totally new design but needed tooling, manufacturing along with NFL testing before the season started
Needed an iconic design that was bold and could be read on TV from any angle
Last minute ask from the NFL to “clean up the sidelines”
Approach: Start the research phase immediately.
Quickly pulled together a cross functional team, of experts including outside design agency Insight Product Development
Created concept renderings along with 3-D printed models to get approval from senior NFL execs. along with a core group of coaches
Located a local manufacturer for low volume headset tooling and supply
From my automotive experience came up with the “crash cart” concept taken from Indy car racing. A communications cart that can easily be rolled out onto both sidelines and quickly be able to set up and run
Renderings by Insight Design: Chad Davis, Chris Houghton
Before and after of sideline call down center
Production headsets & cart delivered in record time
Carts still in use but branded with Microsoft Surface
While at Motorola I was asked to take the overall lead on the NFL/Motorola communications program. Biggest issue was the time line since the season started in less than 6 months and we had to start from scratch. I pulled together a small cross functional team of engineering, research, finance and an outside agency, Insight. We managed to pull it off just in time for the opening of the season.
While giving a presentation of the headset designs to the Senior Management Team of the NFL, Roger Goodell pulled me aside and asked if I could “do something about the mess along the sidelines”. Not knowing what he meant, I attended a game and saw first hand what a mess the sidelines where equipment, radios, communications along with computers and phones were spread out everywhere with cables running wild, basically a mess.
After all of my years involved in auto racing I came up with the idea of creating some Communication Center that can be wheeled out by one person before the game and would have everything built in, power, phones, radios, cords and all of the rest of the NFL communications systems. Systems still in use but under the Microsoft Surface brand.