LIMELIGHT RECORDS REBRAND
LIMELIGHT RECORDS REBRAND
Problem
Limelight Records, Elon University's student-run record label, emerged from a COVID-19 hiatus needing more than just a refresh. The previous logo was overly complex, existed only in raster format, and couldn't flex across the digital and print surfaces a growing label demands. With new momentum behind the organization, the team needed a visual identity that felt modern, scalable, and true to its mission of spotlighting emerging student musicians.
Solution
I built a comprehensive visual identity system from the ground up, including a logo suite, color palette, typography, icon mark, and a pattern system designed to scale seamlessly from social media graphics to physical merchandise. Every decision was made with versatility in mind: a brand that looks just as sharp on a vinyl mockup as it does in a digital campaign. The result is a cohesive system that gives Limelight a consistent, professional presence across every platform it touches.
Logo Deepdive
The concept came straight from the name. "Limelight" carries a double meaning, the spotlight of performance and the lime fruit embedded in the word itself, and the logo leans into both. Rather than illustrating a literal stage light, the mark abstracts the idea through geometry and symbol, letting the name do the conceptual heavy lifting while the mark delivers visual punch. The goal was something unique, memorable, and flexible enough to live anywhere.
Logo & Typography
The green does the heavy lifting, energetic, unexpected, and instantly associated with the brand, while black and white give it the contrast and versatility to work across any background or format. The two darker greens allow a more versatile selection for future branding opportunities.
For type, Montserrat and Source Sans Pro are paired as a deliberate contrast of structure and warmth. Montserrat's bold, wide geometry commands attention in headlines and display contexts, while Source Sans Pro's humanist letterforms make extended body copy comfortable and readable. Together they strike the balance between confident and approachable.
Logo Variations
The suite includes three variations: a primary stacked version, a vertical word mark version, and a standalone icon for favicons, profile images, and contexts where the full wordmark would be too small to read. Each version is built to hold up at any size, in any color combination, without losing legibility or impact.
Brand Patterns
The brand icon is a split symbol. The top half reads as a vinyl record, the bottom as a lime. It's a direct nod to the phrase "step into the limelight," collapsing the label's two core ideas (music and the lime) into a single, clean mark. Used as a repeating pattern across merchandise and brand materials, it builds texture and recognition without relying on the full logo.
Vinyl Mockup
The vinyl mockup demonstrates the brand system applied to one of its most natural homes. Seeing the palette, icon, and typography come together on a physical record reinforces how intentional the system is and how well the lime green holds up against real-world materials and print contexts.
Bag Mockup
Merch is a brand's loudest ambassador, and the reusable bag mockup shows the identity holding its own in the wild. The pattern system, bold color, and icon work together to create something people would actually want to carry, which is the real test of whether a brand has personality beyond a screen.