The creation of Nike's swoosh logo

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Elementary A2

PDF: The creation of Nike's swoosh logo

Warm-up

Do you know what Nike is? (Yes, it's...)

Vocabulary Match

amount •• creator
symbol •• operation
performance •• sign
official •• main
stocks •• quantity
co-founder •• shares

Vocabulary Answers

amountquantity
symbolsign
performanceoperation
officialmain
stocksshares
co-foundercreator

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

In 1971, Nike, a new sports clothes company, hired a student named Carolyn Davidson to make their logo. Nike's ________, Phil Knight, asked Carolyn to create a logo that showed Nike's love for sport and high ________. After working hard on many designs, Carolyn made the "Swoosh" logo. This simple ________ looks like a quick checkmark and shows the idea of speed and movement. Even though Phil Knight was not sure about the logo at first, he decided to use it as Nike's ________ symbol.

Carolyn was paid $35 for her design, a small ________ even for 1971. However, in 1983, Nike gave Carolyn some of their company's ________ as a thank you for her important work. Even though we don't know how much these stocks are worth, it's likely a large amount. Carolyn's story shows the power of good design and how important it is to value creative people.

In 1971, Nike, a new sports clothes company, hired a student named Carolyn Davidson to make their logo. Nike's co-founder, Phil Knight, asked Carolyn to create a logo that showed Nike's love for sport and high performance. After working hard on many designs, Carolyn made the "Swoosh" logo. This simple symbol looks like a quick checkmark and shows the idea of speed and movement. Even though Phil Knight was not sure about the logo at first, he decided to use it as Nike's official symbol.

Carolyn was paid $35 for her design, a small amount even for 1971. However, in 1983, Nike gave Carolyn some of their company's stocks as a thank you for her important work. Even though we don't know how much these stocks are worth, it's likely a large amount. Carolyn's story shows the power of good design and how important it is to value creative people.

Quiz

  1. Who did Nike hire to make their logo?
  2. What did Phil Knight ask Carolyn to create?
  3. How much was Carolyn paid for her design?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. Nike hired Carolyn Davidson to make their logo.
  2. Phil Knight asked Carolyn to create a logo that showed Nike's love for sport and high performance.
  3. Carolyn was paid $35 for her design.

True or False

  1. Carolyn Davidson was a student when she made Nike's logo. T F
  2. Phil Knight loved the logo at first. T F
  3. Nike gave Carolyn some of their company's stocks in 1971. T F

True or False Answers

  1. True
  2. False
  3. False

Conversation

A:Did you know Nike's logo only cost them $35?
B:Seriously? That's cheaper than a pair of their socks!
A:Yep, Carolyn Davidson, a student, created it.
B:I hope she negotiated unlimited sneakers for life.
A:She actually got stocks in the company later.
B:Smart move, those stocks are worth a lot more than socks!

Discussion

  1. Do you like Nike's logo? Why or why not?
  2. What is your favorite sportswear brand? Why do you like it?
  3. Can you think of any other famous logos? Which one is your favorite?

Further Reading

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Davidson_(graphic_designer)


MORE: