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Culver City, CA

Website showcasing the past and present work of graphic designer/artist, Mike Williams.  

Branding - Cautionary Tail

CAUTIONARY TAIL STUDIOS

BRAND IDENTITY - LOGO

 

Project Objective: Design a custom record label logo and motion asset incorporating vintage audio engineering equipment motifs to align with a production studio's brand philosophy

Role: Lead Graphic Designer & Animator (Logo Design, Brand Identity, & Motion Graphics)

Intended Audience: Music artists, audio engineers, record studio clients, and music industry partners

Software & Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects

Brand & Design Considerations: Styled classical analog recording hardware into a modern vector logotype, using symbolic color cues (the "red zone" needle) to reinforce the brand name concept

Accessibility & Production Considerations: Rendered scalable, vector-based visual assets for high-resolution print applications, paired with motion graphics optimized for web, social media, and video introduction cards

Project Description: As lead designer, I conceptualized and executed the brand identity and animated logo for music production studio Cautionary Tail. To honor the client's passion for traditional analog music engineering, I integrated vintage audio hardware elements directly into the visual mark. Working in Adobe Illustrator, I designed a stylized logotype built around an iconic VU meter, featuring mechanical screw accents and a vibrant red needle pushed into the peak "cautionary" zone. I then brought the static identity to life in Adobe After Effects, animating the meter and typography to create a dynamic brand reveal for video intros, social media, and digital platforms.

Logo Design Variations

Process

I led a visual discovery process with the studio founder to translate their passion for vintage audio engineering into a symbolic visual identity. Through a structured series of visual brainstorms, mood boards, and iterative vector design rounds, I explored various executions of classic hardware motifs. I compiled these concepts into a polished pitch deck featuring real-world product mockups, allowing the client to systematically evaluate visual hierarchy, scale, and color application before arriving at the definitive logo and motion asset package.