Branding a Musician: Design

The name of the band comes from the word ‘mamihlapinatapai’ which is “a look shared by two people, wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but that neither one wants to start. Within this meaning there is a lot of imagery and words that can be used as a basis to design upon. The most prominent idea within this definition is the concept of two people. Idea 1 is a logo signifying or capturing this look between the two people and representing it in an illustrative format, making for a icon as a logo.

Moving on from this idea, the next was to create more of a logotype. Taking inspiration from the use of type on the covers found in research, the second idea was to represent the concept of the upkeep of tradition within Mamilah’s music, using a scripted, serif typeface to do this.

The 3rd idea was to create something more modern and new, looking at the forms of the type and creating something more fresh from basic letterforms.

Intitially, the letterforms were sleek, echoing the more conventional typefaces seen on some soul album cover designs. The style of the type leans away from traditional typefaces however, and instead favours a more modern and futuristic appearance, linking to the youth of the band members and their fusion of modern and traditional music styles.

Instead of the modern typeface, the style regressed and more crude, simplistic letterforms created instead. Taking inspiration from the shapes within some cover designs found during research, the letter forms were primitive and simple, echoing the tribal inspiration behind the band name. These initial letterforms in this style were too harsh, so to suit the relaxed and flowing characteristics of the music, the sharp corners were softened to create less of a brash appearance. Now the letterforms appear more organic, echoing the bands sound.

The final logo for Mamilah reflects the band’s unique sound. Putting a spin on a traditional logotype, the basic and cruder letterforms represent the organic element of Mamilah’s music. The orange colour is representative of the youthful sound of the band and inspired by the bright psychedelic style of the funk/soul era. The handwritten approach to the letterforms shows their friendly and relaxed nature and reflects the personal intimacy of the small gigs they perform.   

Branding for Mamilah will continue on after this module hand in, giving an opportunity to collaborate further with the band and provide more promotional materials.