AIGA Raleigh has been hard at work developing the B-side- a program all about the business side of your creative business. Today we share a peak behind the curtain to the creation of the B-side logo, done by talented Amy Lyons.
We are SO EXCITED to share with you the B-side!
When the concept for our newest programming series, The B-Side, began, we referred to it as “Creative Business 101, but with a better name” or “The Biz.” Fortunately, neither name made the final cut for this series designed to demystify the business side of creativity. The B-side: The Business Side of your Creative Biz, features a series of presentations from local industry leaders on creating a business entity; handling finances, accounting, and taxes; writing estimates, contracts, and creative briefs; project management; client relationships; and self-promotion/marketing.
With a name selected, we needed to create a logo to use in promoting the series, and you know because we are a bunch of designers, of course we are going to brand our programs. I volunteered to create the logo, because I had a fun idea in mind for the logo.
When I first heard the name The B-Side, I thought, first that it’s the perfect name, and second I thought of the b-side of records. You know, records, those big black round discs that played music before CDs and MP3s, (side note records are making a comeback!). Just like records of an A-side and a B-side, so does a creative business. The A-side being, of course is doing what you love for a living, and the B-side is the necessary stuff you have to do if you want to work for yourself.
So my idea for the logo was to play off the record theme, and then go all Happy Days, Rock-A-Round the clock on it, with some hand lettering thrown in. And in all honesty I was able to resurrect an rework a logo concept from another project, that I loved but wasn’t right for that project, but would be perfect for this one.
I hand lettered and then vectored the words “The B-side” and set them in the circle, and they looked great, but I needed to work in the tagline. I chose a simple and fun rounded typeface for the tagline that complemented the monoline weight of the lettering in “The B-Side.” After some tweaking and input from my fellow board members, we got the arrangement of the tagline right.
I was happy with the results, but felt that it needed a little bit of color, and I chose to put that color in with some neon. Not only was the neon effect a fun touch, but when set in motion it represents turning on the “open” sign for your creative business.
Want to learn more about what the heck the B-side is?! Visit here!
Want to buy tickets?! Visit here!