I created a number of logos to present to The Musary which is a musical instrument lending library nonprofit. Here you'll see my initial concepts that I presented to the organization, however if you want to see the final work, visit the Musary project page here.
Playable Logo: The Musary mission is big, to inspire people to “play on.” So we created a logo that does just that. We present to you the world’s first “playable” logo. More than just a logo, it is also an interactive piece that encourages and inspires people to play on. Here’s how it works: We’ll compose a Musary logo that works on multiple dimensions. Typographically, it will be a fun, whimsical yet structured piece that clearly communicates “The Musary.” Simultaneously, musical notes will be embedded into the type while also plotted against a music sheet. But beyond the words “The Musary”, this logo can actually be practiced and played by musicians everywhere.
No Strings Attached: The logo was handcrafted using Martin 41M1100 Marquis LT Acoustic Guitar Strings. The font is playful while also delicate and sophisticated symbolizing the care and attention that goes into The Musary process. The colors are copper with a gradient sheen that makes the letters feel metallic and dimensional to mimic guitar strings.
Energy: The logo started with a very structured powerful sans serif font, yet the corners have been manipulated to give the lettering movement and vibrancy. It is a strong mark that will be represented through bright bold intense colors. This logo screams sound without making a peep. The elements over the “U” were inspired by John’s prized instrument the drum and evokes both the blast of a drum beat and a bolt of noise honoring The Musary musicians. It is a powerful symbol.
Music Library: The fun part of the logo is the clever symbol that is both the silhouette of a book and a bended music note standing for "Music Lending Library".
Sound: While, the logo intentionally feels techy, it is 100% hand crafted for The Musary, built in sync with the sound waves. The waves are a stylized interpretation of sinusoidal sound waves which mathematically allude to repetition, flow and eternity.
Cultivating: The logo mark can be seen two ways: both as distorted sheet music and simultaneously as a field with growing plants. The dichotomy is a beautiful representation of both what The Musary does, by providing tools to create music and what The Musary does metaphorically, by cultivating the growth and creation of music
Here were even more options I created initially.
And the winner was!
This was the logo that we netted out with which was a combination of Playable Logo and Energy.
To see more about the final logo and more of my Musary work, click on the project page.