Work
Discover / Define
The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts promotes jazz performance, education, and community engagement in Philadelphia. While its current identity uses musical symbols, it could better highlight its educational mission, especially for youth. A more playful logo, expressive typography, and a warm, sunset-inspired color palette can make the brand feel more energetic and welcoming for families and students. Instead of neutral type like Lato, typography that reflects the rhythm of music would better fit its identity. The Clef Club’s branding should unify jazz culture, education, and community impact, supporting its mission to preserve and evolve jazz through accessible learning and performance.
Identity / Deliver
The brand identity for the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, with a focus on playful elements for youth music education and a sunset-inspired color palette, encompasses the visual and conceptual components that communicate the organization’s mission to engage and inspire young musicians. This identity aims to convey a calm and warm tone that reflects the essence of jazz, fostering an inviting atmosphere for learning and creativity.
Design Process
Typography
Dunbar Low:
Dunbar Low is a geometric sans-serif typeface with clean lines and balanced proportions, making it ideal for a modern and contemporary aesthetic. Despite its unique geometric forms, Dunbar Low maintains excellent legibility. This is especially important for exhibition branding, where text must be easily readable from different distances and angles.
Printmaking is a craft that requires precision and attention to detail, and Dunbar Low’s geometric shapes and clean lines echo these qualities. Its structured forms complement the meticulous process of creating prints, whether through woodcuts, etching, or screen printing.
A typeface like Dunbar Low helps modernize the image of printmaking, making it feel fresh and relevant to contemporary audiences. This aligns well with exhibitions that aim to reposition traditional arts for the modern world.
Visual Representation
The brand identity for the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts uses playful jazz-inspired elements to make music education feel fun, welcoming, and accessible to young people. Features such as expressive typography, dynamic shapes, and a friendly performer illustration help create an engaging and energetic personality. The performer’s face also builds trust and reflects the care and guidance parents expect from the Clef Club’s staff and educators. A sunset-inspired color palette creates a warm and inviting atmosphere while capturing the vibrant and uplifting spirit of jazz. Together, these elements communicate the Clef Club’s mission of nurturing young talent, spreading jazz education, and strengthening connections within the community.







