Branding
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About me
About me
Branding
Websites
Advertising
Photography
How I work
About me
About me
Brand Refresh for Brum Radio
Brum Radio is Birmingham’s independent radio station, broadcasting a fresh mix of music, arts and conversation. Rooted in the city’s rich creative culture, it exists to amplify local voices and offer an alternative to the mainstream radio landscape.
I studied Media Management at the Schule für Gestaltung in Bern, while working in Marketing and Communications at Leica Camera and now work independently as a freelance designer.
About the project
I joined this independent radio station as a volunteer graphic designer, drawn in by its perfect mix of music, media and Birmingham, the city I grew up in. I've created a full brand refresh for Brum Radio, creating a new suite of visual assets, including social media templates and show cover artworks, designed to give Brum Radio a clearer, more considered look. Something that feels a bit more put-together, without losing any of its character.
Brum Radio is Birmingham’s independent radio station. Rooted in the city’s rich creative culture, it exists to amplify local voices and offer an alternative to the mainstream radio landscape. With an established and eclectic presenter line-up, spanning DJs, comedians, raconteurs, promoters, musicians, and community voices, Brum Radio’s programming is as diverse as the city itself. Its independent status allows complete creative freedom, resulting in distinctive, locally-made shows that reflect Birmingham’s sounds, stories and subcultures.
Why a refresh was considered
Brum Radio already had a strong identity. People knew the station and what it stood for, so we didn't see a need for a full rebrand. And so all it really needed was a bit of a tidy-up. At the same time, the project gave us the chance to build on what was already there and develop the visual language a little further.
With around 70 people involved in presenting, production and promotion, everyone had their own way of using the brand. Different versions of the logo started to spread, with people making new ones or changing existing files to suit what they needed. Over time, the visual side of the brand became a bit messy.
Show artwork also varied from one programme to the next. Logo placement, layouts and the overall style changed every time, so there wasn't a clear way of tying everything together.
Early challenges of the refresh
One of the biggest challenges was bringing everyone together. Around 70 people were already using their own versions of the logo and other brand assets. The aim wasn't to take that freedom away, but to give everyone something they could easily get behind.
Brum Radio is home to all sorts of programmes, from experimental music and comedy to interviews and local conversations. The visual identity needed to work across all of it without feeling too narrow or too plain. It had to feel at home wherever it appeared.
The templates were another important part of the project. They needed to be simple enough for anyone to use, while giving presenters enough room to make each show feel like its own. If they were too rigid, people wouldn't use them. If they were too open, the same problems would come back. Finding that balance was a big part of the process.
The visual identity needed to work across over 90 shows.
The Refresh
Visual Identity
The Brum Radio logo wasn't redesigned. Instead, it was carefully recreated from the original artwork and exported as a clean new logo set. A simple set of guidelines was also put together, making it easier for everyone to use the right files.
With so much of the station's content now living on social media, the longer version of the logo became the main choice for posts and show artwork. Using it on a transparent background gave it much more room to breathe across different layouts.
The original boxed logo still has its place. It's used for profile pictures and anywhere the main logo would appear too small.
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The colour palette also had an update.
In place of the old turquoise came two new colours: Brum Canal Blue and Brum Digbeth Dew. Both take their inspiration from Birmingham and reflect the station's independent, creative spirit, while giving the brand a stronger sense of place.
These colours aren't used heavily. Instead, they appear in small touches across the brand, adding little moments of recognition without taking attention away from the content.
Brum Digbeth Dew
Brum Canal Blue
Brum Archway Black
Brum Reverb White
Typography is built around a selection of sans serif typefaces. Tilt Warp was chosen for digital and social content, while Lato and Montserrat support the website and are used where extra characters or wider language support are needed. Porter remains exclusive to the Brum Radio logo and its custom adaptations.
The system isn't overly fixed. Many show covers are totally free to use their own typography, giving presenters the space to match the style and personality of their programmes.
Rather than limiting type choices, the aim was to build a brand that could sit comfortably alongside a wide range of fonts. That flexibility helps each show keep its own character while still feeling part of Brum Radio.
The Refresh
Show Covers
Show cover artwork also varied wildly in style, with no consistent logo placement, hierarchy, or system to tie everything together visually.
With more than 90 show covers, trying to fit everything into one strict template was not going to work.
Many of the covers had been created by the presenters and producers themselves. That creative freedom is a big part of the station's character and replacing it with one fixed design would have taken a lot of that away (and It's not like we would've got away with it either).
Instead, the aim was to give every show the freedom to look like itself while adding one simple element that linked everything back to Brum Radio. Every cover includes the Brum Radio logo in the same place, making it clear where each programme belongs without getting in the way of its own identity.
It's a simple approach, but one that's familiar across radio stations and podcasts, and it felt like the right thing for Brum Radio.
The Refresh
Social Media Tempates
Unlike the show covers, posts on the Brum Radio feed all sit next to each other. We wanted to share upcoming shows, catch-ups and station updates without the feed feeling like a total mess to followers. This is where a template made sense.
Each post still features the original show cover, so every programme keeps its own look and personality, but the layout stays the same across the feed. It also gave us the chance to make the most of Instagram's new post format at the time. A small set of templates was created for show promotions and Track of the Week.
Show cover artwork also varied wildly in style, with no consistent logo placement, hierarchy, or system to tie everything together visually.
The Refresh
Website & Socials
Show cover artwork also varied wildly in style, with no consistent logo placement, hierarchy, or system to tie everything together visually.
The new brand was then rolled out across the Brum Radio website, social media channels and Mixcloud, giving the station a fresh and more joined-up presence across its main platforms.
What's next?
It's been great to see the refreshed brand in use over the past year and at the same time it still sits comfortably alongside the older parts of the brand. Existing merchandise, signage and older social posts don't suddenly feel out of place.
While the main brand is now in place, the show covers are still gradually being updated. I'm really happy to still be working with Brum Radio as their graphic designer, creating social media content, adverts and new show covers.
❞
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