In my involvement with Shortwave, I collaborated closely with a visual designer as we jointly brainstormed ideas, and I took charge of executing the final logo type. Within our embedded Google team, I worked alongside a content strategist and one other visual designer to establish the naming, logo, and visual identity for the brand. Originating as a Googler’s 20% project idea, Shortwave transitioned into a full-time pursuit, reflecting a testament to innovation within the company's ecosystem.
Branding process completed in 2018
Shortwave is the streaming app that curates short-form audio content for eager listeners to discover.
Project overview
Shortwave emerged with the mission of alleviating information overload for listeners, offering a sanctuary from the cacophony of digital “noise”, so to speak. The app was conceived to cater to the demand for easily digestible audio content, providing a diverse array of podcasts, short stories, episodes, and excerpts from longer formats.
This project was a classic example of effective collaboration. During a multi-day workshop hosted at our office, the app's founders were immersed in exercises aimed at uncovering their objectives and inspirations. For the naming phase, our design team facilitated brainstorming sessions and activities to get ideas flowing, and refine them as we went. I actively participated in this process, contributing to name generation and validation. Subsequently, as my design partner and I delved into the visual identity phase, we shifted gears to strategize on how to encapsulate not just the literal meaning of the name, but also to evoke the desired audience response. I established a color palette and typography guidelines that would evoke a fresh, yet professional response.
Final logo, displayed in green against a dark background. The logo was selected both internally and by the client, was chosen for its symmetry, clean geometry, and welcoming demeanor. Its design resembles a segment of sound waves, metaphorically suggesting what the app itself provides.
The branding package
The following images are extracts from the branding package, the final deliverable of the project, which I executed and delivered to the client.
Our team's content writer refined the tagline and mission statement, synthesizing the collective brainstorming efforts of myself and fellow team members.
The typography system I put together utilizing a rounded sans serif fro the title font, and a geometric monospace font for the tagline.
Crafted to capture the brand identity, the color palette showcases our meticulous selection of hues.
Multiple color variations of the logo, shown against dark, colored, and light backgrounds, and against an image.
Logo concept exploration phase
Following the productive working session with project stakeholders, my partner and I gained valuable insights and a clear vision of the end goal, sparking a surge of creativity for our logo execution. We each sketched out a handful of ideas, presenting them for internal team review. After refining the top selections, I crafted mockups of the favored options. Two rounds of narrowing down ensued before arriving at a well-received final logo choice.
A few of the logo concepts that my partner and I quickly sketched up, based on ideas that came out of our brainstorming sessions with the client.
A selection of identity marks that we explored, featuring a mix of concepts generated by both myself and my design partner. Themes explored include integrating the "S," experimenting with "SW" initials, wave motifs, and sound-inspired elements.
Design for the “runner-up” logo design, which featured a small “S”-shaped segment traveling along the path of a “W”-shaped sound wave.