Visual Identity: Initial Musings

Through propaganda and merchandise that I will design myself, I will advertise myself as a musician. I am promoting myself as a musician instead of a visual artist because the resulting products (logo, business card, website, etc.) will not only be applicable to the class assignment, but they will also help me when I enter the music industry with an already existing collection of promotional material.

One advantage I have over other musicians is that I have experience in art and design, which will help in more ways than one. People always say that we should never judge a book by its cover, but everyone actually does in reality. This is because in the time we are living in now, with the prominence of technology and media in our lives, we are exposed to countless advertisements, popups, articles, text messages, emails, notifications, and many other forms of communication that are trying to catch our attention. With that in mind, it is important that I stand apart from the other musicians if I want to be noticed, which can be done by using visually interesting propaganda.

I am not certain what specific aspect(s) of myself I will advertise yet, which could include pedagogy, performance, sound production, and composition and arranging. I am still debating whether I want to focus on one of my areas of expertise, some of them, or all of them, which I may decide depending on which one I feel I am most skilled in.

I intend to communicate sharpness, boldness, and a sense of dependability, while also giving off the impression that I am friendly, open, and honest, which are all important characteristics of a musician looking for a job. Certain artistic elements will come into play when I design my promotional material. I want to use a clean, thin font without too many embellishments, which will convey precision and simplicity. Below is a sample from the business card I started designing, which gives a basic idea of what I want. Everything may change completely over time, but the idea of simplicity and conciseness will remain the same.