If you tuned in to Sunday night’s NFL Pro Bowl game, you saw a whole lot of Lakeland College graduate Steve Vollmer.
Well, you didn’t literally see Steve. He was back in New York, enjoying time with his family after spending several days in Hawaii. What you saw was Steve’s vast creativity bursting to life through the décor and various logos, colors, patterns and typography splashed all over the stadium and TV screen.
Vollmer, who graduated in 2003 from Lakeland with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, is a senior designer for the NFL. It was his creative concept for this game that was chosen by the league’s leadership and approved by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Steve arrived at Lakeland as a business and marketing major. He graduated with a double major in those areas, but took a May Term class in Quark Express, a graphic design program, and fell in love with it. An internship in the college’s communication department allowed him to hone his skill, which he says was pivotal in preparing him for a career as a graphic designer.
“I had always kind of excelled at art, and I loved it,” he says. “But I never really made it a priority in my life because I didn’t know I could make a living doing it. Once I discovered that it could be, I embraced it, and with the help of Lakeland College, I have made a career out of it.”
Steve was in Honolulu for about a week making sure all of the creative content on site – from logos to typography and colors – aligned with his concept and NFL branding guidelines. He also worked with league partners and sponsors to make sure they understood how his concept should be brought to life.
“For me, this has been an absolutely humbling experience,” he said last week by phone from Hawaii. “I think back to my first day of class at Lakeland, and how intimidated I was. Now, to be a part of something like this, I’m very grateful. For my work to have been chosen, that’s something I will never take for granted. I was ecstatic when I found out everyone was on board with my concept.”
Steve said the key to coming up with a successful concept is combining creativity with research about an event and the community where it will take place. His Pro Bowl vision included some unique typography that payed homage to Hawaiian warriors of the past.
Now that the Pro Bowl game is over, Steve is revving up his creativity again. He’s working on concepts to help promote a series of games played in London, and then he’ll focus on the all-important NFL draft in April.
He said he loves working at NFL headquarters in New York, and appreciates the opportunity for advancement. Possible future moves up the ladder include becoming art director or creative director.
“But my long-term goal is to start my own company someday within the world of sports,” he says. “That’s my dream.”
