Rhode Island School Of Design Design Cases

News & interviews

• Playing with Balls: what happens when art school kids start a sports team?

  It's Nice That · Nov 18, 2025

  The article explores the quirky history of the RISD Balls, a student-founded basketball team at the Rhode Island School of Design that merges art school creativity with athletic culture. It traces the evolution of RISD’s sports identity from early 20th-century teams to the humorous and self-aware 'Balls' founded in 2000 by Joe Gebbia. Through archival photos and anecdotes, the piece celebrates how design students used humor and visual identity to redefine sports culture within an art school context.

  Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)branding