Harmonizing the Visual Rhythm: Designing a Logo Refresh for a band
August 2023
In the ever-evolving world of music, a band's image is just as vital as the tunes they play. The Dead Flyz are a dynamic band duo in Baltimore Maryland that reached out to me looking for a logo refresh after the spelling of their band changed from "Flies" to "Flyz." A logo is more than just a graphic; it's a symbol that encapsulates the sound, style, and personality. This logo refresh is like a musical evolution, where the band's essence remains intact, but it gains a new and exciting dimension. In this blog post, I'll walk you through the thought process I had designing this logo refresh for The Dead Flyz, combining nostalgia with modernity.
1. Understanding the Band's Evolution
Before diving into logo redesign, I like to look at 2 different angles; where they started and where they want to go. So for The Dead Flyz, I first took a step back to examine the band's journey. Why did they want a new logo? What has changed? What inspired them to start a band? Any artists that they look to for inspiration? Understanding the evolution is key to designing a logo that truly represents the band's current identity. The Dead Flyz had a spelling change to their name and wanted a new design to reflect that. Originally, they wanted something that represented their previous design which was very 90's/early 2000's vibes, but when I showed them this new, more modern concept, they loved it. Their old design also reflected some bands they get a lot of their inspiration and style from, including Green Day and Nirvana.
2. Seeking Inspiration, Maintaining Continuity, and Experimenting with New Concepts
The Dead Flyz previous logo had homages to the early 90's, bands they loved, Green Day and Nirvana being some of the top favorites, as well as their previous band name, The 5th Wheel. Not only did they want the new spelling to be reflected in the new logo, but they also wanted it to go in a slightly more modern direction. Before, the logo was a dead fly represented with "x" eyes as a double meaning and the fly also had a missing leg to shoutout their old band name. I really liked this "dead fly" concept and wanted to play with it in a different way. I thought having the fly represented as a skull could still show the "dead" concept, and I kept the Nirvana "x" idea for the eyes. The lead singer for The Dead Flyz is also a big Ravens fan, so I took inspiration from that NFL team's color palette to help with this design. This logo still holds some aspects of their old design while simultaneously moving into a new direction.
3. Feedback from Fanbase
I gave The Dead Flyz 2 different logo concepts to choose from, the 2nd one being much closer to their previous design but with the body of the fly being a guitar instead of just a regular fly. The band took both ideas to their fans at a local open mic night and ended up voting on the skull design. Truthfully, I thought they would select the design more closely related to their old design because that was the original request, but to my surprise the one that was selected was the one that went in a more different direction. Loyal fan basees can be the ultimate judge. Sharing logo refresh concepts with them and asking for their feedback can be crucial. They can provide valuable insights and make you aware of elements that resonate with your particular audience.
4. Conclusion
Once the community helped decide on the final logo concept, The Dead Flyz hosted a virtual launch party on their interactive Twitch channel. The perfect livestreaming platform to create niche communities based on special passions. I was apart of it and it was very fun and exciting.
Additionally, launching this new logo in digital mediums, the band also wanted to launch new merch to celebrate this new chapter. A logo refresh for a band is more than just a design project; it's a visual representation of musical evolution. It's a fusion of nostalgia and modernity, a reflection of where they've been and where they're going. By understanding the band's growth, and maintaining brand continuity, I was able to successfully harmonize the visual rhythm of The Dead Flyz journey, creating a logo that resonates with both loyal fans and new listeners alike. Embrace change, stay true to the roots, and let the logo become a symbol of the band's artistic evolution. It was so much fun working on The Dead Flyz band logo, and be sure to check them out for new music and a dun, chill stream to vibe out to!
"Yeah we think color, style, everything is 100. I like simplicity plus the fact that it looks like a skull almost, reinforces the whole dead theme. You are awesome….for a Steelers fan!"
- The Dead Flyz lead singer