Misa Hourani Logo Design
Misa Hourani is a London-based independent singer and songwriter. Misa wanted a new logo to represent herself during the launch of her new album, 'On My Own'.
Date:
May 2024
Type of project:
Freelance Project
Client:
Misa Hourani
Industry:
Music
_About the artist
Hailed as one of the “10 Most Promising Music Acts of 2020,” trip-hop artist Misa Hourani takes you on a lyrical journey using a fusion of soulful melodies, dub grooves, and acoustic beats to evoke the mind and reawaken the soul. Her thought-provoking narratives capture themes such as love, heartbreak, and memories of the past. With deeply emotive lyrics, Misa’s inspiration stems from a love of songwriting, using breath-taking vocals and synthesised beats to rhythmically bring her stories to life.
_About the project
The client is looking for a logo to represent her updated artist name, 'Misa Hourani', for her new album, 'On My Own'. While discussing her identity and values, Misa explained how she left the traditional and warm Lebanon for the more modern and buzzing London, and how the contrast between the two cultures and the internal schism of not belonging to either permeates her songwriting, particularly in her new song 'On My Own'. She wanted her logo to be contemporary and appealing, yet somehow hint at her roots. She expressed a desire to move away from her previous direction, though she wasn't yet sure exactly what the new direction would look like.
_Concept
For Misa, I produced four different logo designs for her to choose from. Each design highlights one or more aspects of her identity, giving her a full spectrum and the chance to choose what felt closest to her. As she is transforming her visual identity and is not sure what direction to take yet, I made sure to give her four very different mood boards. This way, the choice was facilitated and very instinctive.
_A glimpse in the process
For my first concept, I decided to highlight the raw creative energy that permeates Misa's songwriting style and her attraction to street art and decadence, which she encounters in her London life in an urban and underground way, and also in her home city, with a different sort of decadence driven by years of war and social instability. This first logo expresses authenticity, reminiscent of a signature: personal and real.
In my second concept, I took a different route. I approached the concept of contrast in different terms, as a visual representation of the cultural divergence felt by the artist. I chose a typeface with high contrast lettering, not only as a visual expression of this cultural divergence but also as a nod to traditional English typefaces like Baskerville. Complementing the traditional Roman lettering are some decorative elements, such as ligatures and rhomboid-shaped details, hinting at the Arabic writing system. This second concept is more crafted and refined, expressing a desire to build a brand behind the person.
For the third concept, I pushed the details that inspired the second concept even further. The logo is more feminine and dreamy, in line with contemporary visual trends. It uses a sans-serif font for most of its letters, with a decorative embellished font for the letters 'S' and 'O', once again creating a sense of visual contrast. The 'S' is reminiscent of an enchanted cobra, dancing to the sound of music. The 'O' represents a starry sky seen through beautiful Arabic windows.
The fourth concept's inspiration came from the geometries of Middle Eastern architecture. The logo is cleaner and simpler in form, highly curated, feminine, and bright.
_Outcome
As previously explained, all four options are very different from one another, to help the artist choose her new identity with confidence. Misa loved the logo designs but instantly resonated with the first option. Even though it is the least polished, she loved the raw and messy look, feeling that it was exactly what she was looking for.
