version 1 native instruments design process and … · lennar digital sylenth 1. page 12 4. design...

NATIVE INSTRUMENTSDESIGN PROCESS AND RATIONALE

VERSION 1

Rebrand by Andrew Johnson

[email protected]

aetherpoint.com

https://soundcloud.com/aetherpoint

1. INTRODUCTION

2. INITIAL RATIONALE

3. RESEARCH

4. DESIGN CONCEPTING

5. LOGO EXPLORATION

6. LOGO DEVELOPMENT

7. LOGO REFINING

8. SUPPORTING MATERIAL

9. IMPLEMENTATION

10. THANKS

1. INTRODUCTIONVERSION 1

For a Typography II assignment I rebranded the audio

hardware and software company Native Instruments.

Native Instruments is known for its leading software

(Massive, Kontakt, Reaktor and Traktor) and

hardware (S2 Mixers and Maschine)products for both

novice and professional musical artists and

audio designers.

My goal was to refresh the dated visual language used

by Native Instruments to something that could be

applied easily to the wide variety of products the

company is responsible for.

2. INITIAL RATIONALEVERSION 1

Native Instruments original logo is a reliable logo that

speaks to the solidarity and quality of the company’s

products. The slate color is neutral, but also

sophisticated. Additionally, the axehead shape alludes to a

spreading soundwave or an axe itself held by a indigenous

tribe. The bold type reinforces the strong presence of the

Native Instruments logo in a balanced manner.

Despite its strong voice, the Native Instruments logo is

clunky. The thick black borders, while increasing contrast

and alluding to a physical button, wiegh down the logo.

Native Instruments leading, cutting edge, role in both

audio software and hardware is not apparent within the

logo. Native Instruments typically utilzes drop shadows

bold type, glossy graphical treatments, and dynamic

imagry. While aesthetically, engaging, it adds to the

unnecessary clunkyness of the brand that could be an

incredibly sharpened, flexible and dynamic leading audio

software and hardware brand.

2. INITIAL RATIONALE: Cntd.VERSION 1

I set out to rebrand Native Instruments with a fresh and

modern take on the leading role company. I intended on

creating a system that would unify Native Instruments

with its products. My focus was to create a container

brand that could support various treatments and visual

styles to encompass the the different products.

3. RESEARCHVERSION 1

Native Instruments held key markets and attributes that

its competitors did not. My goal was to identify elements

of the company and their products the that needed to be

emphasized throughout the brand. The Native Instrument

arsenal consists of several main products:

Kontakt: software sampler

Maschine: rhythm machine

Massive: wavetable-based software synthesizer

Reaktor: modular software music studio

Traktor: DJ software and hardware

These products make up the current backbone of

Native Instruments. They have specific visual style that

can be compared and contrasted with other competition.

Most of the other brands lack in visual cohesiveness and

appear less exciting and antiquated when compared with

Native Instruments bold imagry. Competitors lack a visual

system to tie in their products to each other and to the

brand itself (some simply lack integrated products).

3. RESEARCH: ComparisonsVERSION 1

Propellerhead

Native Instruments

Ableton

u-he Akai


Other companies are a direct rip off of another visual

style. REFX is more or a less a clone of Apple’s design,

and Image Line’s imagery is striking similar to the visual

style of Native Instruments. This observation provides

even more incentive for Native Instruments to distance its

branding from its competitors.

Other companies like Moog have different imagery to draw

from (in Moogs case classic, extremely well known

hardware) and are able maintain a relatively tight brand.


Image Line

Apple

Native Instruments

REFX

Moog


The User Interfaces of Native Instruments products both

reinforce and help define the brand. Visual cohesiveness

is apparent between Native Instruments software

products. User Interface elements remain the same, even

when comparing different sub synthesizers within Reaktor

and the separate program Traktor Pro. The only exception

are standalone synthesizers like Massive, which are still

wrapped inside the Native Instrument sub-brand visuals

alone with Kontakt, Komplete, Reaktor and the like.

Competitor User Interfaces tend to lack this consistancy.

This is partly due to the fact that few companies have the

large amount of products to integrate with each other to

form a visual system. Instead, they create more

standalone products. Regardless, the design of

competitor’s software shy toward skeumorphism or

physical simulation and lack visual consistancy.


Native Intruments Traktor Pro

Native Instruments Reaktor - Titan 1.3

Native Instruments Massive

Native Instruments Reaktor - Atmotion 1.3

REFX Nexus 2 REFX Vanguard

Lennar Digital Sylenth 1

4. DESIGN CONCEPTINGVERSION 1

In order to develop the Native Instrument brand, I

indentified key points to flush out in the brand:

Native Instrument’s Inherent Brand Advantages• Only company that specializes in both hardware and

software.

• Native Instruments are well known and widely used.

• Somewhat strong Brand

• Somewhat cohesive product visual system.

Native Instrument’s Inherent Brand Disadvantages• Visual Brand is too similar to Image Line.

• Antiquated condensed type.

• The ‘glossy button’ graphical treatment is the easy way

out and less effective route to make things appear tactile

or of high quality.

• Native Instruments branding is clunky, antiquated and

lacks sophistication.

• Native Instrument’s logotype doesn’t make any clever

references to what the company is.

Native Instrument’s Unique Brand Attributes• Leading Software & Hardware Role

• Emphasizes Ease of Use and Integration

• Native Instruments markets their oftware products in

boxes to make them seem more tangible.

• Each Synth has it’s own Big Bold Logoz Native Instru-

ments has strong eye catching imagry to utilize from their

products, User Interfaces, and company vision.

4. DESIGN CONCEPTINGVERSION 1

Course of Action and Design Goals• Bring out Native Instrument’s unique Dominance in

Software & Hardware. It’s a marriage of both. The tac-

tile and the audio quality. The functionality and ability for

creative expression. Currently, the logo only appeals to the

physical aspect.

• Bring more integrated emotion into the logo. It often sits

to the side when it could be containing or interacting with

the products.

• Refresh the brand to negate other companies that have

a similar visual style to Native Instrument’s design.

• Emphasize Functionality / Usability.

• Emphasize Audio Engineering

• Emphasize the fun factor.

• Emphasize a broad range of products.

• Show how Native Instrument is the integration between

products leading to streamlined workflows.

5. LOGO EXPLORATIONVERSION 1

After identifying my goals, I began exploring potentials for

the Native Instrument logo.

NI

5. LOGO EXPLORATION: TypeVERSION 1

Potential type was explored at the same time.

NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI


NINATIVE INSTRUMENTS



NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

NI





NINATIVE INSTRUMENTS






5. LOGO EXPLORATIONVERSION 1

The grid found its way into the explorative design process

for refining designs, as it aided in creating a system.

NINI

6. LOGO DEVELOPMENTVERSION 1

The logos began to evolve.

N INI NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

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7. LOGO REFINING: RationaleVERSION 1

After spending a long time on flushing out possibilities I

settled on the box logo accompanied Geogrotesque Light.

My descisions were based around several design and

conceptual obervations:

• The logo is neutral enough to be applied to a variety of

situations and contain Native Instrument’s wide range of

products.

• The square is a solid form that can also be easily

integrated, just like Native Instrument products. It also

alludes to a box of software.

• The small triangle implies connectivity further reinforc-

ing Native Instrument’s integrative products.

• The logo is at home within a 3D or motion context.

• Geogrotesque Light suits the logo with a sophisticated,

technologyical, but warm feel.

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

7. LOGO REFINING: DesignVERSION 1

Using a basic grid system I tightened up proportions and

form relationships.

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

8. SUPPORTING MATERIALVERSION 1

MASSIVE

KONTACT

MASCHINE

REAKTOR

TRAKTOR

KOMPLETE

In order to ensure the sub products fit their parent brand,

I reworked their respective symbols using the same grid

and proportions.

9. IMPLEMENTATIONVERSION 1

In addition to creating a style guide for Native Instrument

logo use, a number of graphical elements and

explorations were derived from the logo were created for

varied User Interface and branding applications.

10. THANKSVERSION 1

Professor Farrier

Professor Bowden

Professor Roberts

Professor Currier

Alain Montes

version 1 native instruments design process and … · lennar digital sylenth 1. page 12 4. design...

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