In the DJ world it’s all about the name. If club owners, booking agents and the public recognize your name, then a successful career is not far away. Getting your name out there will require years of hard work, dedication and a dash of luck- but it all can go to waste if your name is not memorable. So how does one DJ set himself apart from the crowd and make his name memorable?
mem·o·ra·ble
Function: adjective
Etymology:
Middle English, from memorare to remind,
: worth remembering : notable <a memorable occasion>
So according to that definition, you need to remind people of your name and make it worth remembering. One tried and true method used by DJs and corporations alike is to make yourself a great logo. While a logo may go against everything your artistic personality stands for, the fact is that a logo WILL help people remember your DJ name and take it more seriously. Our friends over at Mixed in Key created a handy tutorial on DJ logos and here is a portion of that article:
“Musicians and DJs benefit from having a strong brand. It gets you booked more often. Fans will remember your name. You don’t need major label support: you can design your own identity.
The most important thing to realize is that most DJs don’t have a logo. If you have a symbol or custom font associated with your name, you’re already ahead of the competition.
Here is how you can design your logo:
1) Your goal is to come up with 5-10 different variations of your DJ name and some symbols that inspire you. Take a pencil and sketch some ideas on paper. Think about the music you play. If it’s friendly and vocal, use smooth and elegant fonts. If it’s minimal and techy, use sharper edges and corners.
2) Ideally, your logo should fill this rectangle:
A horizontal logo is easier to read than a vertical logo.
3) Take the ideas you sketched, and ask your close friends to pick their favorite design. Take the winning sketch, and draw a bigger version of it. Add extra details. For example, Kaskade’s logo has vines and leaves:
He plays organic, soulful House Music, and these symbols make sense for him. I like adding small details because they make the logo more interesting.4) Don’t overthink it – you can always change your design later on. At this point, ask a graphic designer to create your logo in Adobe Illustrator and JPEG formats.”
continue reading this article on mixed in key.com
Here are some additional principles for creating a good DJ logo:
- Avoid distracting elements.
- Avoid taglines if possible.
- Avoid dull colors.
- Do not use more than three colors.
- Realize that you may not create a perfect logo.
- The logo should look good in black and white
- Make sure that the logo is recognizable when resized.
Here’s some additional reading on the topic:
http://www.jerm.com/blog-1301-Creating_a_Great_Logo.htm
http://archive.designnewz.com/designnewz-2-20030729GreatLogosandWhy.html
