Capstone Project
Branding – Print Design
space Bar pool can be intimidating, with informal rules, a competitive environment, and an expectation that players already know the game. For those learning or trying to join, this pressure makes approaching the table very difficult.
Although many women are interested or already skilled, these conditions limit participation and contribute to their underrepresentation. Without supportive opportunities, it’s harder to develop skills, grow confidence, and feel welcome in a space that should be about having fun and building a stronger community.
Before diving into the project, I conducted both primary and secondary research to better understand the problem and inform my design decisions. I explored recent articles highlighting women’s experiences in pool, as well as historical research documenting the challenges women have faced in the sport. Alongside this secondary research, I conducted:
pacepace
- six interviews
- three observations
- one interactive generative method
Benchmarking:
space
Insight #1
Women who play pool in bar environments often face unwanted instruction, condescension, or harassment, which can make it harder to build confidence or keep playing.
“I went on a really good run and won… he picked up quarters and threw them at me from across the bar… afterward I didn’t want to play for a couple weeks…”
Insight #2
For many women, pool is a space to connect with friends, meet new people, and have fun, yet the environments where it’s played often fail to fully support these social connections.
“I love the community of pool and playing with friends ... good way to make friends and talk to people.”
The vintage, gritty aesthetic of pool is a big part of its appeal for many women. While they’re drawn to its bold, nostalgic style, they also recognize that it rarely reflects women in meaningful ways.
“When I think of pool in movies, it’s always men smoking cigs and lots of smoke.”
Next, I started working on the in-person touchpoints, trying to reflect the ideas I found in my research and create something fun and eye-catching.
Final Results space After multiple iterations, I ended up going back to those core ideas from the beginning. I wanted the identity to fit into the dive bar environment where the league would take place, holding onto that vintage feel but making it a little more current and approachable. I pulled from the signs, objects, and small details you see in these spaces and paired them with photography that felt candid and authentic.
The challenge was keeping that same energy while creating something more welcoming to women, since so much of traditional pool culture and its visuals weren’t designed with them in mind. The final direction brings all of these pieces together in a way that feels true to pool culture while still giving Scratch That its own identity.
Capstone Project
Branding – Print Design
Branding – Print Design
Scratch That is a traveling pool league that creates a welcoming space for women to learn, play, and build confidence around the table. By bringing the league to different bars and encouraging players of all skill levels to participate, Scratch That makes pool more accessible while creating opportunities for connection and community.
Bar pool can be intimidating, with informal rules, a competitive environment, and an expectation that players already know the game. For those learning or trying to join, this pressure makes approaching the table very difficult.
Although many women are interested or already skilled, these conditions limit participation and contribute to their underrepresentation. Without supportive opportunities, it’s harder to develop skills, grow confidence, and feel welcome in a space that should be about having fun and building a stronger community.
Before diving into the project, I conducted both primary and secondary research to better understand the problem and inform my design decisions. I explored recent articles highlighting women’s experiences in pool, as well as historical research documenting the challenges women have faced in the sport. Alongside this secondary research, I conducted:
- six interviews
- three observations
- one interactive generative method
Benchmarking:
Women who play pool in bar environments often face unwanted instruction, condescension, or harassment, which can make it harder to build confidence or keep playing.
“Playing a game with a guy that is creepy sort of gives them permission to be even more creepy…”
“I went on a really good run and won… he picked up quarters and threw them at me from across the bar… afterward I didn’t want to play for a couple weeks…”
For many women, pool is a space to connect with friends, meet new people, and have fun, yet the environments where it’s played often fail to fully support these social connections.
“My favorite thing about pool is how social it is ... getting to meet people.”
“I love the community of pool and playing with friends ... good way to make friends and talk to people.”
The vintage, gritty aesthetic of pool is a big part of its appeal for many women. While they’re drawn to its bold, nostalgic style, they also recognize that it rarely reflects women in meaningful ways.
“Obsessed with the aesthetic of pool ... masculine and feminine, dive bar, vintage, low lighting.”
“When I think of pool in movies, it’s always men smoking cigs and lots of smoke.”
I began the wordmark process by exploring both modern and vintage directions, using each approach to better understand the visual identity I wanted Scratch That to embody.
Next, I started working on the in-person touchpoints, trying to reflect the ideas I found in my research and create something fun and eye-catching.
After multiple iterations, I ended up going back to those core ideas from the beginning. I wanted the identity to fit into the dive bar environment where the league would take place, holding onto that vintage feel but making it a little more current and approachable. I pulled from the signs, objects, and small details you see in these spaces and paired them with photography that felt candid and authentic.
The challenge was keeping that same energy while creating something more welcoming to women, since so much of traditional pool culture and its visuals weren’t designed with them in mind. The final direction brings all of these pieces together in a way that feels true to pool culture while still giving Scratch That its own identity.