Case Study
Problem
HONK! Fest West is a Seattle-based music festival driven by the energetic performances of street bands in public spaces. Their current brand is eccentric and colorful, and rightfully so - these grassroots artists march to the beat of their own drums! Unfortunately, that energetic vibe can also be overwhelming and unprofessional to novice festival-goers.
Solution
I set out to give HONK! a brand refresh with a new identity mark and set of brand guidelines. HONK!’s new brand should be cleaner and more unified, while retaining the quirkiness and the fun of the original. I would ultimately be inspired by warm, funky 70’s colors and bold, blocky typography.
Research
HONK! Fest West is 100% volunteer run and community funded, which strengthens the need for a friendly & accessible brand. For this reason they may also benefit from a stronger social media presence, so the identity mark must be legible at small sizes for mobile viewing.
Competitors
HONK!’s competitors include the Wintergrass Festival, Capitol Hill Block Party, Watershed and Bumbershoot. HONK! distinguishes itself from its competitors by being completely free, thus being accessible to a wider range of ages and income levels. It was important that the new brand feel welcoming and fun for all.
Research | Brainstorming | Development | Final Product
Brainstorming
After my research, I started by sketching as many different ideas as possible on scrap paper. My process is loose and messy in this stage so I don’t get too attached to a singular idea and I’m more able to fully explore every avenue.
Research | Brainstorming | Development | Final Product
Further Development
I scanned and imported my rough sketches into Adobe Illustrator and began building my favorites out into polished identity marks. The blocky “H!” concept was an early favorite.
Problem Solving & Finishing Touches
While the blocky “H!” concept was strong, it was redundant to pair it with the unique “HONK!” word mark. The final logo combines the blocky look of the “H!” with the modern, funky “HONK!” word mark and elongated “O”. I still kept the “H!” concept to later build into the brand as a social media icon.
Research | Brainstorming | Development | Final Product
Final Brand Guidelines
