Branding an organization preserving the roots of Southern music.
Music Maker Foundation tends the roots of traditional American music by meeting the day-to-day needs of the artists who create it, ensuring their voices are heard, and giving all people access to our nation’s hidden musical treasures.
Music Maker Foundation needed a brand redesign and a new website to ensure their mission and work were clarified and up-to-date for their supporters across printed and digital platforms.
Musicians are the heart of the Music Maker Foundation. Their voices and their instruments, like the guitar, are central to the work. This notion inspired the new Music Maker Foundation logo. The brand was grounded in keywords such as rooted, clever, spunky, heartfelt, and essential. It was intentionally forward-looking but rooted in the past. It aimed to capture and celebrate an active and vibrant community of musicians. This was achieved by the use of large untouched photography of the artists, all photographed by the Music Maker Foundation Founder, Tim Duffy. The primary typeface, Lydia, was inspired by hand hand-painted typography, a common part of the Southern musical culture seen on signage and flyers, and references warmth and humanity.
Role: discovery, concept/creative direction, design
Website design: Alex Rosales