When it came to designing a logo for a Chicago indie recording label, we ran with their name – Sinister Muse – and created a sexy, and quite sinister, muse.
Client:
Sinister Muse Records
About:
A logo design project for Sinister Muse Records, an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois whose stated goal is “to create an atmosphere of mutual respect between the artist and the record company.”
Project notes:
The great folks at Sinister Muse wanted to play off the ’sinister’ and ‘muse’ theme of their record label’s name. Some early logo design ideas saw the Sinister Muse logo incorporating a Chicago skyline but that was discarded fairly early on in the logo design process for a character driven motif. After a few rounds of sketches, our designers came up with the featured figure that, despite the implied detail, is a fairly simple treatment using flat colors, as opposed to blends. While a little ‘risque’ for traditional brand, the sultry figure seemed perfect for a record company dealing with non-mainstream genres like the punk bands featured on the label. Here she is:
The only point of contention through the project was the figure’s tattoo – the ‘dragon’ version featured here was discarded for a ’spider web’ for the finalized version. The color selection was designed to be almost ‘halloweenish’ and fits the ’sinister’ theme as originally tasked. Designing a logo around a character usually requires a designer who is fairly savvy at illustration, as well as knowledgeable at incorporating typography into the artwork to make a complete mark. Such logos have certain advantages, as the central character can be used in various situations and environments, lending itself to a variety of marketing possibilities.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. Sinister Muse Records is the recording label for alternative punk bands Random 55 and Dead Town Revival and The Logo Factory® designed their logos too (above). See here for the Random 55 Daily Logo.
Originally published on The Daily Logo: April 5, 2006.
