What Makes an Effective Logo in the Music Industry?
Effective logos get your brand across to readers, plain and simple.
Features of a Great Logo
Wordmark with an Icon that can represent your brand together or individually
Easy to read from far away or when really tiny
Can be printed in black or white and isn’t color dependent
Horizontal 4:3 size ratio to optimize your real estate on event flyers
Reflects your overall brand image and how you want to be perceived
What stands out in these logos? What ones are most readable? Are there any that can stand without the word mark & you still recognize them?
Define Your Identity
What do you want your brand to say to people? What does it represent to you? List out adjectives and key terms that you want to be associated with. Consider who your audience is and what need do you fill in their life?
We will be using font, shapes, and color to convey your message to people.
What is your brand personality?
To make answering this question easier, look at these pre-determined brand archetypes and take inspiration from them. Each comes with a list of adjectives that can be used as brand personality traits.
Learn about brand personality here. For a deep dive and image source, visit Brand Master Academy.
Leave Legacy
The Outlaw
Destructive
Revolutionary
Pioneering
Nonconformist
The Magician
Transformative
New Age
Creative
Spiritual
Contemporary
The Hero
Impactful
High-performing
Competitive
Tough
Efficient
Positive
Provide Structure
The Caregiver
Supportive
Nurturing
Caring
Healthy
The Creator
Expressive
Innovative
Artistic
Creative
The Ruler
Powerful
Organized
Elite
Safe
Stable
Leader
Explore Spirituality
The Innocent
Simple
Good
Childlike
Virtuous
Nostalgic
Straight-arrow
The Sage
Expert
Thoughtful
Wise
Scientific
Knowledgeable
Data-driven
The Explorer
Individualistic
Nonconformist
Rugged
Pioneering
Sturdy
Natural
Pursue Connection
The Lover
Loving
Friendly
Sexy
Romantic
Intimate
Elegant
The Jester
Welcoming
Jokester
Fun-loving
Freewheeling
Humble
The Everyman
Welcoming
Everyday
Down-to-earth
Regular
Make a Brand Moodboard
Look at existing logos from people with brands similar to yours, what do you like about them?
Screenshot as you go along, not just logos but images that inspire your brand overall. Colors, shapes, graphics, photos, fonts, layouts, etc
Create a ‘moodboard’ for your brand. Paste your collected images in one place, use free software like Google Slides or Canva for this
Using other logos to inspire yours is a good starting point but remember the goal is to make your brand stand out from the crowd. See what they do well (or not so well) and think how you can apply that to your brand. Sometimes going in the opposite direction of the competition is exactly what you need.
Find a font that represents your brand
Whether you’re just starting out and want something for your logo or you plan on working with an expert designer to create your logo, you’re going to need a font for your brand.
If you know what your brand’s personality is, as mentioned above, then you already have a pretty good idea of what font you should use.
Fonts have personalities too. Some are serious, some are fancy, some are strong. You need one that represents your brand. Serifs or san-serif? Decorative or classic? What am I even talking about?? Take a look at this image and start to understand how fonts can convey personality traits:
This is the best starting block for creating your logo. Even if you don’t know what it should look like, hopefully you can find a few fonts that you gravitate to. Ask friends and family what suits your brand the most. Take your favourite fonts and moodboard to a graphic designer and they’re sure to spin up something that encapsulates what you’re going for.
Design & Refine
After you make your moodboard, do any common elements jump out at you? Have you found a font that matches your brand personality? Try and combine a font and some simple shapes to get a starting point for your logo.
There are a few configurations you can try:
Horizontal Icon + Text
Vertical Icon + Text
Hybrid Text w Icon
Icon Standalone
Remember, for people in the music industry (DJs, producers, photographers, performers, production companies, etc) it is paramount to have a strong horizontal mark to represent your brand on event flyers.
You don’t need every one of these variations but having variety helps you to have a logo for any situation or spacing that comes your way.
Invest in Professional Branding
If all else fails, maybe you just need an external perspective to tease out your brand identity. Especially if you have gone ahead and made a moodboard and found some fonts, it might be really easy for someone to help guide you to a design that represents your brand.
If you find yourself in this situation, contact me for help in defining your brand and making an effective logo for your needs.
