PROJECT 1: INTRODUCTION
For the first project we were tasked with creating a complete visual identity for an underground techno artist named Boris Schmidt. Working collaboratively in a team, I developed visual elements that reflected both his musical style and personal image. The aim was to craft a unique and recognizable brand identity that truly resonated with who Boris Schmidt is as an artist.
TEAM CHARTER
At the start of our branding project, our team established a clear team charter to guide our collaboration. This document outlined our shared goal: developing a strong and professional branding for our client. It detailed our working hours and emphasized the importance of clear communication through Discord, especially for reporting absences or schedule changes. We agreed to keep each other updated on task progress and to address delays or issues openly to maintain momentum.
The charter also set protocols for resolving conflicts—starting within the team and involving a supervisor if needed. Officially signed by all members and effective from February 10, 2025, the charter ensured a structured, respectful, and collaborative working environment for the duration of the project.
INTRODUCTION RESEARCH PROCESS
To kick off the rebranding process for Boris Schmidt, I began by thoroughly analyzing his existing presence on social media to understand how he currently presents himself to his audience. In addition, I conducted an interview with Boris to gain deeper insight into his vision, values, and future goals. Below is an overview of the things I did for the research process:
INTRODUCTION DESIGN PROCESS
After completing a quick research and getting a feel for the client's style, I moved into the design phase. Throughout the design process I gathered feedback from professionals. The things I was able to achieve within 4 weeks can be found below:
DESIGN: MOODBOARD
We kicked off the project by individually creating mood boards. It was a helpful way to align our ideas and inspirations early on. In my own mood board, I focused on exploring color palettes, nature, and the kind of atmosphere that would best represent Boris Schmidt. My choices were informed by our first meeting with him and checking out his social media.:
DESIGN: STYLESCAPES
After discussing the mood boards within our project team, each of us began developing several stylescapes individually. This allowed us to explore a range of visual styles, which we would later present to Boris. Below you can find the different iterations for these stylescapes:
DESIGN: STYLESCAPE STYLE 1
Below you can find the iterations for a specific style. Namely the cool, dark blue mysterious style that Boris Schmidt used for his Chase EP. Most of the elements that I use in these stylescapes, I directly took inspiration from his Chase cover:
DESIGN: STYLESCAPE STYLE 2
Below you can find the iterations for a specific style. Namely the dark orange and purple, night, safari style that Boris Schmidt used for his Ngonyama EP. Also there are similar elements from his Chase cover like the owl and the blue colors that are found within the design:
DESIGN: STYLESCAPE STYLE 3
Below you can find the iterations for a specific style. Namely an ancient, nature, tribal style that Boris Schmidt some elemnts for his Redemption EP. The elements that I used in this stylescape are more focussed on the safari, nature aesthetic:
RESEARCH: STYLESCAPES FEEDBACK 1
This part is going to prove how I reflected on the feedback regarding the stylescapes. The feedback summarized is:
1. Use material from other techno artists.
2. Fonts should not be chaotic and should be readable.
3. Look at other stylescapes for inspiration.
4. Try to get rid of unnecessary parts of the stylescape.
Below is proof of conversation 1:
APPLYING: FEEDBACK 1 STYLESCAPES
1. Fonts should not be chaotic and should be readable.
I got rid of the following fonts, I replaced them for the archivo font:
2. Look at other stylescapes for inspiration.
For my initial stylescapes I took most of my inspiration from the stylscape below:
3. Try to get rid of unnecessary parts of the stylescape.
I decided to remove the statue since it felt out of place:
RESEARCH: STYLESCAPES FEEDBACK 2
The feedback summarized is:
1. You dont have to use an image of Boris.
Below is proof of conversation 2:
APPLYING: FEEDBACK 2 STYLESCAPES
1. You dont have to use an image of Boris.
I got rid of Boris' face in my stylescapes based on the feedback:
RESEARCH: STYLESCAPES FEEDBACK 3
The feedback summarized is:
1. Create many stylescapes to show during your meeting with Boris.
2. Style changes per release so collect info on the next drop, or pre-make in different styles.
Below is proof of conversation 3:
APPLYING: FEEDBACK 3 STYLESCAPES
1. Create many stylescapes to show during your meeting with Boris.
2. Style changes per release so collect info on the next drop, or pre-make in different styles.
I have made a total of 9 stylescapes in 3 different styles, see below:
RESEARCH: QUESTIONS FOR BORIS SCHMIDT
Part of doing research in what the client wants and gathering information on which direction we should go towards, we prepared questions for our first meeting:
RESEARCH: ANSWERS FROM OUR MEETING
Below you can find the answers for each question I prepared:
RESEARCH: MY QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW
1. How would you describe the average person within your target audience?:
"Nature loving,
Left-leaning,
Energetic,
Young adult to adult,
And regular festival-goers."
2. Which other techno artists do you think your audience listens to?:
"Boris Brejcha,
Solomun,
Enrico Sanguiliano,
Jamie Jones,
Henrik Schwarz,
Rufus du Sol"
3. Where would you ideally like your fans to experience your music — in clubs, at concerts, or at home?:
"I’d prefer my more mellow tracks to be listened to at home, while my club tracks are best experienced in clubs or at festivals."
4. What festivals or events are you personally drawn to?:
"Awakenings,
Complex,
Kompass"
5. What is your vision for attracting more people from your target audience?:
"Creating interesting content that clearly shows what I stand for and what I aim to express through my music. I also want to keep producing and uploading music consistently. Lastly, I want to get people to come to my shows so they can experience the music live."
RESEARCH:
AUDIO FROM OUR MEETING
Below you can find the audio from the interview/presentation we had with Boris Schmidt:
DESIGN: LOGOS
In addition, we also had to make a new logo for the client. So I have made mutliple iterations on the logo. See below:
RESEARCH: MY TEAMS INTERACTION
I also had an important teams interaction with Boris Schmidt which was going to determine the direction we were going with the style. Are we going for the more warm safari kind of aesthetic or the cool midnight type aesthetic. Boris chose for the warm safari aesthetic, which was then used for the rest of the coming designs:
RESEARCH: CHOSEN STYLESCAPE
After asking the client which style he wanted us to go forth with. He chose the following stylescape I made:
DESIGN: MUSIC COVERS
I also made some music covers for Boris Schmidt. These were also made in the style of the chosen stylescape:
DESIGN: BRANDGUIDE
CONCLUSION TO CONTRIBUTION
I think I have contributed nicely to the research process during this project.