Inspired by Veronica West and Sarah Kucserka’s adaptation of Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, the featured record store is the basis for this self-driven identity project. In an industry often dominated by white male “tastemakers,” proprietor Robyn Brooks imagined a place where women could celebrate their musical preferences in an environment free of condescension. As a small business owner in a gentrifying neighborhood, Brooks aimed to create an inclusive space that served both the long-time residents of Crown Heights, Brooklyn and their new neighbors.

To kick-off the project, I researched the company origins, the music industry and the neighborhood. Discoveries from this research were added to a mind map where I tracked connections between the three categories and used a hypernym/hyponym brainstorming technique to uncover visuals associated with those connections. While choosing a base typeface for the logo, I prioritized typefaces that had ties to music history, celebrated analog technology or were designed by women.

Brain Map of Championship Record brainstorm — Snapshot of the brainstorm process

After considering a wide list of options, I narrowed to two typefaces, LoRes by Zuzana Licko (Emigre) and Discourse by Dave Bailey (Delve Fonts). Ultimately, Discourse was chosen because the dark horizontal color created by its reverse contrast model and its long narrow counters resembled the dark wax grooves of a vinyl record when used in a circular orientation. To complete the final circular logo, each glyph was modified to create a smooth, continuous interior curve. A secondary stacked logo was created for instances where legibility at small sizes is a necessity. Finally, an animated rotating logo was created to evoke a record on a turntable for social media and web.

Following the logo, I selected type for copy. Inspired by the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival poster designed by Invisible Creature, Liza Display (Underware)—a swashy brush script with multiple alternates—was chosen for headlines, Bello Caps (Underware)—an upright small caps brush typeface—was chosen for subheads and short-form copy. These were selected to accentuate the funky retro flavor of the logo while moving away from any associations Discourse’s reverse contrast model has with Western films.

The photography celebrates two heroes. First, I focused on portraying a diverse group of hip, confident women with a Black millennial woman as the central hero. The photos are free from the objectifying male gaze but their subjects are not territorial or aggressive. Second, I focused on the store itself. I selected images that captured the personality and individuality of an independent record store; from the hand-lettered crate labels to the collection of music ephemera that dots the walls.

In combination, the brand identity is welcoming and inclusive. It illustrates a space that is open to all music lovers, regardless of gender, sexuality or musical knowledge. The only requirement for entry is a desire to get lost in the crates.

Championship Records Case Study