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UCD Design Studio 3: CAM Records reBrand Style Guide and Rationale by Skye Sant Last modified August 31, 2011 version 1.3
Student Records Style Guide
Intro History
Market Approach
CAM Records is a class at the University of Colorado Denver in the College of Arts and Media department. The purpose of the class is to give music business students practice in choosing and promoting a local band.
The CAM Records class offers a unique opportunity to practice critical music business skills in a real-world situation. This program is unique in Denver and one of a handful of student-run music labels in the USA. CAM Records gives the local bands represented free publicity and other marketing assets which is a great value to an up-and-coming band.
Class Purpose The class promotes a previously-chosen band by giving the bands the opportunity to play for Spring Fling/ Fall Fest and other small local concerts on campus. In addition, the CAM Records class also makes available to the student body USB wristbands that hold music and can be reloaded the next semester with new music. The class also researches local bands and chooses the new talent for the next semester's class.
Audience The audience for CAM Records is the students, current and prospective, that are interested in an applied class like this. CAM Records is an entity in itself and should have a strong corporate identity.
CAM Records Redesign
Design Goal CAM Records should be a stable entity with goals, values, purposes and a strong corporate brand. CAM Records branding should not change regardless of the type of band or music represented and should be constant across every class that goes through it. Because this is a student class, the website should be fun but professional in order to attract potential students and the respect of the wider public and the music industry. Alumni should be able to use the website for a strong resume builder.
Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
last modified 8-30-11
Student Records Style Guide
Design Focus Difficulties
Name
Because CAM Records has no coherent corporate identity it is loosing institutional knowledge and has little name recognition. Because the website is in disrepair and isn't professional, students don't use it for a current tool, as a record of student experiences in the class, as an appropriate and strong online presence to potential students and music industry professionals, nor as a resume builder.
CAM Records should be renamed to something meaningful which is more aligned to the purpose of the class. This name should be appropriate regardless of the genre of music represented. The name of this record label, for the purpose of being a corporate entity, should be renamed "Student Records".
There has been little attention given to research into user experience with this brand or the website, so there's little knowledge about how the class would optimally use the website nor what CAM Records stands for or what unique value it offers the community.
Recommendation Because of these difficulties, I recommend a renaming and rebranding of CAM Records. This rebrand should include an appropriate name with a clue as to the function of the class, new logotype, and a new website to reflect the focus of the CAM Record class and serve as a professional yet appropriate online presence. CAM Records Redesign
Student Rec rds In rebranding CAM Records with the name "Student Records" we are making a strong connection with the dominant idea of the class. Using clear visuals such as the play button in the logotype, we are cluing our audience into the pun – we are connecting music with students just as this class does. Using the play button activates this logo, and the use of a typewriter font further builds the timeless, classy nature of this student endeavor.
Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
last modified 8-30-11
Student Records Style Guide
CAM Records Redesign
Inspiration:
bettermyths@
The central aesthetic look should reflect the purpose and the unique value of the CAM Records class: that it exists as a vehicle for students to get hands-on practice in business management. The logotype and visual identity should be clean, simple and visually appealing – though it can be fun, it should be straightforward so as to improve name recognition. Visuals should strive to be ‘artifacts’, or look like actual objects, with pictures in a rich and light-bathed space. Just as hipster culture repurposes older culture to suit a modern feeling, Student Records will use nostalgic artifacts in a modern way in order to play with the idea of a modern student experience through a nostalgic lens.
gmail.com
Aesthetic
by: Story Cory O'Brien gn by: zine Desi Skye Sant Skyelinedesigns@gmail
Websites: "From Me to You" and "Heavy Rotation Records" and back page of a hipster zine by Skye Sant Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
last modified 8-30-11
Student Records Style Guide
Logotype The colors involved in the Student Records logotype should be kept simple so as not to compete with the visual aesthetics of the design and photography. The font is an integral part of the logotype and should not be changed. The colors of the type will be either black or white with a red play button. Accompanying subtitle information will be black text on a white ‘label’ or white text on a black ‘label’. In some cases where the background is too busy or inappropriate conceptually for typewriter type, a "scrap of paper" can be used ‘under’ the logotype.
CAM Records Redesign
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Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
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last modified 8-30-11
Student Records Style Guide
Color Palette The colors of Student Records are black, grey, white and red. Also included is the gold of a yellowing sheet of paper, which color invokes the colorspace of the photography. Logotype guides are above, and body text should always be in black or white using "Another Typewriter" font. The pop of the artifacts themselves will supply much of the color.
CAM Records Redesign
Student Rec rds
Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
last modified 8-30-11
Student Records Style Guide
Typography Student Records, in keeping with the feel of modern content and photos existing inside actual nostalgic objects, uses two fonts. These fonts are "Another Typewriter" by Johan Holmdahl and Impact Label/Impact Label reversed by Michael Tension (of Tension Type). In the case a handwritten font must be used, English Essay by Brittney Murphy (Brittney Murphy Design) may be inserted.
Another Typewriter: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Impact Label: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Impact Label: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz English Essay: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
CAM Records Redesign
Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
last modified 8-30-11
Student Records Style Guide
Artifacts Nostalgic Artifact containers The use of nostalgic artifacts to frame modern experiences mixes old and new in a very pleasing way. Artifacts should look as ‘real’ as possible and not computer generated. If possible, match the purpose of the modern picture, object or text to an appropriate nostalgic artifact container. Some examples follow.
CAM Records Redesign
Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
last modified 8-30-11
Student Records Style Guide
Artifacts Photography Photography should not be anything too studio – action in a real setting should be included as much as possible. Pictures should be postprocessed to give the photos a colorspace reminiscent of the 40s – 70s, either in Photoshop or by running the digital pictures through any number of digital apps (such as Instagram) that have specific filters for looks such as this.
CAM Records Redesign
Design Studio III Michelle Carpenter
last modified 8-30-11