EJ: Artist Branding
︎ Brand Identity Design
︎ UI/UX Design
︎ Poster Design
︎ Merch Design
Collaborators: Kendall Gregory, Emerson Lawton
Portrait Photography: Steph Larsen
KEG Studios
2022
Overview
When singer-songwriter Ella-Jane Sharpe approached us with a vision for her personal rebrand, we simply couldn’t say no. Two other designers and I had recently launched our freelance studio-–KEG Studios––and we were ecstatic to brand a musician as our first project. Ella-Jane, also known as EJ, had an inkling for her new aesthetic, describing her vibe as groovy 70s meets Teen Mag Y2K. She needed a new logo, branding, merch, posters, and a website, and we were more than ready to step up to the challenge.
Process
Our first step in rebranding EJ was creating her a new logo. Our team split up and drafted a number of different logo sketches to present to EJ. She ultimately decided on one of my iterations––a logo that was her initials in a typeface that felt both funky and youthful. The swooping ornament in this typeface, and the yellow, orange, and red color scheme helped this logo feel both groovy and playful, topped off with a heart to dot the J.
EJ’s new logo, topped off with a heart
After EJ decided on her logo, we proceeded to fill out her personal branding. We completed the brand with a warm color palette, and playful typography choices. I also took on the challenge of creating custom social media icons for the musician. When pitching these icons, EJ requested “bizarre, weird, and psychedelic imagery,” so I got working on potential symbols and playful color options. These icons are used for Instagram highlight covers, stickers, patterns, website buttons, and more.
Full suite of custom icons designed for EJ’s rebrand
EJ’s new brand guide, complete with color choices, typefaces, and logo treatments
Midway through our design process, we had to pause and redirect our efforts to work on some live show posters for EJ. These show dates were coming up quickly, so we utilized her new branding for a number of poster iterations––some of which followed brand guidelines, while others broke the rules.
Two poster designs for a live performance by EJ
With these posters complete, we proceeded to work on artist merch, starting with stickers and acrylic keychains. We utilized EJ’s new logo for these products, and conducted product manufacturer research to find the right fit for EJ’s budget. After presenting our findings, we decided to order through StickerMule, a company able to create both high-quality vinyl stickers and acrylic charms.
StickerMule was able to deliver quality products that were on budget for EJ
Saving our largest project for last, we got to work designing EJ’s new website. The artist knew she wanted a “trippy” user experience, with design elements moving as the user interacts with the site. To accommodate these requests, we converted my custom icons into gifs, which move and warp as you explore the site. EJ’s new website uses her new color schemes and typefaces, and has pages featuring live shows, music releases, and press. We finished everything off by making custom buttons for the website: yellow shapes with bright red text and drop shadow to engage the user.
Custom buttons use bright colors to catch the user’s eye while exploring
EJ’s new website uses her new color schemes and typefaces, and has pages featuring live shows, music releases, and press.
(above) Poster design for a live performance by singer-songwriter EJ
(below) Select custom icons created for EJ’s rebrand
(below) Select custom icons created for EJ’s rebrand