BBA: 2021 Topps - Make It Better

 I think most of the world would like to leave out the "Topps" in my title and write a re-do to the entire year of 2020.  For now, we'll go with a tweak of the future flagship design as originated by Cards That Never Were.

I've got a few versions to throw at you, but this is the closest to the final product.  The original is just too busy, or I'm too old.  I don't need all the junk protruding into the image and covering it up in spots all over the place.

Let's see the original to compare.

The name is WAY too small.  Shades of the last few years of Topps football when they were seemingly trying to find the smallest font size tolerable.  And those bars on the lower left.  What are they for?  Nothing.

I shortened them up, cleaned them up and gave the rookie logo somewhere to anchor to instead of flotaing free in the corner.  And separated the position over to the other bar.

Replaced the honeycomb from 1987 Donruss behind the middle with the 70th Anniversary of Whatever Facet of Cards This Year across there.  It could almost stand to squeeze the picture at the waist and widen the area for the logo so you could at least see it fully.

Skootched the team logo to the center of the bar a bit too.

I kinda like this typeface for the name better on the light colored bar, but it doesn't work for the position - needs to be bolder and more opaque over there.  You can see that I had the position and variable rookie logo swapped originally.  Figured the empty frame is better for the RC logo since it's only on 50 or 60 percent of the base cards.  (OK, I know, I'm being cynical).

An earlier, and slightly more generic name font.  The lowest blue stripe has been left unfinished.

This is what it looks like when you duplicate the logo before fading effects.

None of these are my final version.  They're all still unbalanced.  Something needs to go in the upper area, but I don't know what.  And it would be interesting to try and make some other players to see how their names fit.  Adell's is really short.

But that's my take on it.  I'm not expecting to see much of these in real life here at the Collective.  Waiting for Allen & Ginter to supplant my annual flagship build.