Community Supported Audio Brand
During my time in Chatham University’s Interdisciplinary Design Program, I was challenged to create a mark for CSA (Community Supported Audio), a group seeking to connect listeners with the many genres of music within their city. CSA was piloted in my hometown of Pittsburgh, and required branding that would reflect this but which could also be adapted for other markets.
Challenges included creating a mark that could represent and be respected by musicians of many different genres, from classical to blues to rock and metal; creating a mark that would speak to the target audience, (middle-class Baby Boomers with expendable income and discerning musical tastes); and creating a mark that could be recognizable no matter where one was in the country, but which nevertheless could be changed slightly depending on the region.
The finished mark draws from the vinyl record motif and incorporates two “handshakes” to represent both the coming together of a community and the four pillars of the musical economy. This mark inspired the rest of the branding and was recognized at AIGA Pittsburgh’s PGH365 Award Show.