Javiidesignz articulates the importance of graphic design to a musician’s identity –

Having a strong brand is critical for an artist to maximize their potential and become successful in the music industry; whether it be the Hip-Hop, Reggae, Pop or the UK Drill industry, a successful musician is synonymous with a successful brand. Successful musicians have understood over the years that a successful project or album release has always been chaperoned with a well-defined identity. Marlon Richards, creatively known as Javiidesignz, is a popular local Jamaican graphic artist, well known for his artistic contributions to the development of several unique branding for popular Dancehall musicians.
According to Javiidesignz, he sets himself apart from his peers with his ability to captivate the essence, vibration and symmetry of a song using clever visual imagery that helps to strengthen its identity. “Before I begin a design, I normally examine a song deeply by playing it several times on repeat while visualizing the art concept, piece by piece with each bar that is uttered”, Marlon told Vents Magazine. Graphic designs usually grab the attention of audiences as most art displayed on a project cover seeks to visually tell the story of an album or contextualize an entire song. Aesthetics and Branding are equally significant to successful musicians, as are the sounds and styles in their music. A strong brand plays a critical role in the level of success an artist achieves.
A lot of what we remember as humans is of a visual nature. It’s not a coincidence that the memory details within our minds, especially the details within our dreams, can be so vivid at times that we mistake virtual reality for reality. Dreams have the power to imitate reality and take you on a tour of your past, while Graphic design has the power to attract audiences to an artist. Javiidesignz agrees, sharing with Vents Magazine that “Art imitates life; it’s as simple as that. We love to live, and we love the essence of life. Art continuously demonstrates life to us, so we love it; we cherish it.” he said. According to Javiidesignz, designs can go a very long way in hurting your brand, just as an exquisite work of art can go a very long way in complementing your brand. “Sometimes the graphic designers tasked with the responsibility of branding lack the experience to efficiently represent the artist”, Marlon told Vents Magazine.
Aside from the music itself, what you represent yourself with as an artist is one of the first impressions you will make on your potential fans. Design is a handshake; it initiates a snap judgment on your identity. A good design speaks loud, but a bad design screams much louder. Javiidesignz knows a lot about good design as he has helped to shape the brand identity for many popular dancehall artists such as Tommy Lee Sparta, Yaksta, Gold Gad and CMR as well as manifesting the initial brand identities for hundreds of upcoming dancehall artists. “I value my art as it shapes an audience perspective of the artist by acting as an integral visual representation of their brand identity”, Marlon told Vents Magazine.
As a musician develops their identity through marketing materials created by graphic designers, the accessibility of their music is widened while their brand gains more recognition and in turn contributes massively to the popularity and success of the musician. Musicians are always in the market seeking new creative ways to attract wider audiences, and graphic design has always come to the rescue as it is evidently one of the best ways of doing so, by far.