C l i e n t — H E L P M U S i C I A N S
w h a t t h e y d o — Independent UK charity that has been supporting professional musicians for over 100 years, providing financial assistance, health and wellbeing services, career development and creative opportunities.
o v e r v i e w —
I was tasked with creating a campaign identity for Help Musicians' Career Expansion Programme that would engage musicians, raise awareness of the service and work consistently across print and digital platforms. The identity needed to feel bold, approachable and flexible while aligning with the existing Help Musicians brand and reflecting the creativity of the music industry.
D E L I V E R A B L E S —
Brand Identity . Campaign Design . Art Direction . Print Design . Digital Design . Marketing Collateral
c h a l l e n g e —
The challenge was to develop a visual identity for Help Musicians' Career Expansion Programme, a new initiative supporting musicians as they diversified their careers and explored opportunities across the music industry.
The identity needed to feel contemporary, optimistic and engaging while aligning with the established Help Musicians brand. It also had to communicate a sense of progression and opportunity, reflecting the programme's purpose, while remaining flexible enough to work consistently across print, digital and event materials.
r e s e a r c h a n d d i s c o v e r y —
Before beginning the design process, I explored Help Musicians' existing brand identity and reviewed the objectives of the Career Expansion Programme. The programme centred on growth, opportunity, and support for musicians at pivotal moments in their careers. This research highlighted the importance of creating a visual identity that felt optimistic, contemporary and flexible enough to engage musicians across a range of touchpoints.
Research into existing charity identities informed the visual direction, helping shape a campaign identity that felt distinctive, engaging and aligned with Help Musicians' values.
c o n c e p t d e v e l o p m e n t —
r o u t e o n e — The first concept took inspiration from a bird's wing in flight, symbolising freedom, growth and new opportunities. The expanding form reflected the programme's focus on helping musicians broaden their careers, while creating a dynamic visual identity that conveyed movement, progress and possibility.
r o u t e t w o — The second concept drew inspiration from the rising sun, representing growth, new beginnings and the start of a broader career journey. Soft, radiating forms conveyed optimism and momentum, reflecting the programme's role in supporting musicians as they expanded their skills and embraced new opportunities.
r o u t e t h r e e — The third concept explored the idea of expansion through forms that stretched outwards in multiple directions, symbolising growth, opportunity and career progression. As the concept developed, these expanding shapes evolved into a visual inspired by the musical double sharp symbol.
In music, a double sharp raises a note by a whole step, creating a subtle yet meaningful connection to the programme's purpose of helping musicians take the next step in their careers. This concept combined a recognisable musical reference with a strong visual representation of ambition, progression and new possibilities.
f i n a l i d e n t i t y —
The final identity refined the strongest elements from the concept development into a simple, distinctive mark that communicates growth, progression and opportunity. While inspired by the musical double sharp symbol, the design evolved into a more unique and recognisable identity, moving away from resembling an arrow or being mistaken for the letter "X".
Rounded corners were introduced to soften the form and ensure it sat comfortably alongside the existing Help Musicians visual identity. The expanding element creates a sense of movement and progression, symbolising musicians taking the next step in their careers while maintaining a strong and balanced central structure.
The detached shape also became a flexible graphic device, used throughout the campaign as a standalone element across layouts, creating a cohesive visual system that could be adapted across print, digital and event materials.
The detached element represents musicians branching out into new opportunities, reinforcing the programme's focus on career expansion while acting as a versatile graphic device throughout the identity.
c o l o u r p a l e t t e — The identity uses Help Musicians' established colour palette to maintain consistency and reinforce brand recognition. Working within the existing colours ensured the Career Expansion Programme felt like a natural extension of the wider charity while establishing its own distinctive identity.
t y p o g r a p h y — The existing Help Musicians typefaces were retained to ensure consistency across the charity's communications. Maintaining the established typography created a cohesive visual language while allowing the new identity to sit confidently alongside other Help Musicians programmes.
