Hearts of pine pro soccer club

Professional Soccer Team

Team Crest // LOGO & BRAND IDENTITY SYSTEM // CREATIVE STRATEGY // typeface design // APPAREL DESIGN

For Portland Hearts of Pine, HMDC was commissioned to create the club's identity from the ground up, developing the crest, logo system, typography, and broader visual identity for what would become one of Maine's most recognizable modern sports brands. Rather than relying on the familiar visual shorthand often associated with Maine, generic pine trees, lighthouses, and nautical references. The goal was to build an identity that felt deeply rooted in Portland itself while offering a fresh perspective on the region's culture and history. The resulting crest combines a heart, the Dirigo star from the Maine state flag, coastal influences, and a custom pine tree developed specifically for the club, creating a mark that is both symbolic and distinctly its own.

A defining feature of the project was the creation of a custom typeface, Pine Bandit, developed from letterforms found throughout Portland's historic landscape. Drawing inspiration from century-old signage, painted advertisements, and industrial typography found across downtown Portland and the historic Portland Company complex, the typeface transformed the city's visual history into a contemporary design tool. This approach ensured the identity wasn't simply inspired by Portland. It was literally built from Portland. The result is a comprehensive visual system that feels authentic, original, and deeply connected to place, helping establish Hearts of Pine as a club with a strong sense of community, character, and regional pride from its very first day.