Jersey Boys

Infante mixed monotone simplicity with inspiration from the guttural scrappiness of the Browns of the '60s and '70s.

Jersey:  He ditched the shoulder stripes in favor of solid colors. "[The players] should feel and look tough when they're playing," says Infante. "Nothing looks tougher than a whole solid uniform."

Helmet:  Infante ran across an image of Jim Brown's helmet, which prominently featured his number. "I thought, Wow, that's awesome," says Infante. "Why don't the Browns or any NFL teams still do that?"

City:  The 2014-15 uniforms say "Browns" across the chest, which Infante replaced with "Cleveland." "Putting Cleveland on there, with the sense of pride for the city, I think it'd be a hot-selling jersey," he says.

Konnor Bartels | junior industrial design student at the Cleveland Institute of Art

Bartels, whose focus is automotive design, went for a futuristic look and high-tech materials — the Tesla of football uniforms.

Materials:  Since the Browns play most games in the cold, he designed the bodysuits with the same material as wetsuits. "It maintains even body temperature and has small body vents on the chest, abs and shins that allows for unlimited flexibility," he says.

Screens: Flexible organic LED screens are built in. "You can just look right down at your hand and understand the play," says Bartels.

Helmet:  To lighten the weight, Bartels' helmet is made of polycarbonate and carbon fiber, with a sensor to detect hits. "This helmet sends a signal to your coach or the emergency staff if you're hit too many times," he says.

Little Jacket | design, branding and advertising firm

Little Jacket chose evolution instead of revolution, using elements inspired by the Seattle Seahawks and Oregon Ducks.

Jersey:  The color scheme changed slightly with minimized shoulder stripes, a new font and an outline around the player number. "By simplifying it, you actually bring it out a little more clearly," says Roger Frank, partner and creative director.

Pants:  Little Jacket chose orange pants without stripes. No white or abysmal brown pants here. "Orange is our ownable color," says Frank.

Stickers:  The firm suggests instituting an Ohio State University-style helmet-sticker system using redesigned circular logo stickers. "We have a little bit of a morale problem," says Frank. "Maybe showing both their strengths and missed opportunities on the helmet is a good idea."