Presenting the new MuseScore wordmark

• Oct 23, 2009 - 14:53

A question often asked is when MuseScore will be ready for a 1.0 release. While it's hard if not impossible for a young open source project such as MuseScore to set deadlines, the answer so far was that MuseScore needs to complete a couple of things first. One of these things was the ability to run MuseScore on Mac which became possible this past summer, another one was to create a house style and artwork for MuseScore. Today, the very first step of the MuseScore redesign will be presented: the new MuseScore wordmark.

Currently, we are confronted with the style of MuseScore via the website and the software interface but that doesn't do much justice to the MuseScore project. So after an internal call for redesigning MuseScore which stayed unanswered, we reached out to the graphic design students from Hogeschool Gent - KASK in Belgium to help us rebranding MuseScore. From all the wordmark proposals made by the 22 students, the decision was given to the design teachers to select the wordmark that they believed would best represent the MuseScore image. And here is the result:

The teachers selected the wordmark from Raúl Posac, a Fine Arts student from Cuenca (Spain) doing his Erasmus year in Gent (Belgium). Marc Popelier, one of the design teachers, shared with us the reasons why they selected Raúls wordmark (translated from Dutch):

We have chosen the wordmark for its neutrality, its discreet presence and also its clear vision, purity, balance and its link with music. Also its timelessness, it is not trendy so it will likely survive longer. This can not be said of the other logos, although there are very good ones in between.
When used, it will not put a "heavy weight" on a page or other media. It will not ask too much attention, it will not cause inconvenience to other content but it will be there, working in silence ... in all its simplicity.

I want to end this post with first of all a big thank you to the teachers Marc & Bieke and all the students for their efforts and supporting MuseScore. Besides the wordmark proposals, they also made promotional videos which you can enjoy below or directly on YouTube.
Second, I invite anyone to leave a message who has some designing skills and wants to create artwork for MuseScore building further upon the style of the wordmark. Raúl will be helping us more as well with creating artwork for the software (splash window), handbook cover and more, so don't hesitate to jump in.


Comments

First of all, I'd like to say that I very much like your new work mark and agree with the instructor's assessments of what is mean and how it will be perceived.

I'm interested to know if there are plans for a companion software Icon to accompany the new word mark?

One other issue that comes to mind is that the work mark is all lower case letters. However, MuseScore is usually spelled with a leading capital 'M" and a camel case 'S'. Would adopting the new word mark change this? Just curious.

Of all the musical symbols, and in particular, articulation symbols, I'm curious as to why the fermata was chosen. I think its a good choice--especially graphically, but was there any other reason for choosing this symbol.

Looks great.

EulerOperator

In reply to by EulerOperator

I share the same question, After this WorldMark is implemented would it change the ordinary MuseScore written world to musescore...?
I wonder. If i had no previous knowledge of MuseScore would I even be able to read it correcly in a first glimpse?
I mean without the separations or contrast between the words Muse and Score, it is a new word with 9 letters... to me it can be musescore as much as muscevroe...
I like the mark but I think it needs some changes in the future.

Thank you for including the explanation from the teacher. I like the new design, and thought that both Eveline and Helien had some great ideas, as well. All the good reasoning from the teachers aside, I also wondered about why the student chose a fermata. Placing it over the letter u makes me think there is an implied umlaut or such, and also calls up images of a popular breakfast cereal :) If it is truly to have "neutrality" and be universal, it may not completely fit the vision to have it appear so Euro-centric. And why connect the "m" and "u"? Of course, these are very small nit-picks; such a simple logo works well because the name is already so very descriptive of what the software does.

Thank you for MuseScore.

Do you still have an unanswered question? Please log in first to post your question.