Case Study: Redditor Radio
Detailing the logo design process for the podcast that analyzes the best content that Reddit has to offer.
The project details
As of 2017, Reddit ranked as the #4 most visited website in U.S. and #8 in the world. Reddit had 542 million monthly visitors (234 million unique users).
Like many of those Reddit visitors mentioned above, Ricky and Karen, the hosts of Redditor Radio, are not shy about sharing their opinions. Each week, they pontificate on the most intriguing Reddit content, while enjoying an adult beverage or two.
WHAT IS A REDDITOR?
…Registered members [Redditors] submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down by other members.
— Wikipedia
Ricky and Karen will need a super-cool logo and digital presence to represent their super-cool podcast.
THE ORIGINAL LOGO
When the podcast began, Ricky had a clear vision for the logo, which featured Snoo, the Reddit mascot. Snoo’s normally bent antennae would stand up straight and give off radio waves.
Redditor Radio was not officially affiliated with Reddit, so the similarities and inclusion of Snoo became problematic.
For the new logo, Ricky and Karen wanted to go in a completely different direction.
The Process
This project was somewhat informal (Karen is my sister-in-law), and I had a lot of creative freedom! With a project like this, it can be tempting to cut straight to the fun design stuff. But first, I did some research on other podcast artwork and their logos to get a feel for the various implementations and what others in the industry were doing. I also gave some thought to the brand mission statement…
Today, the transmission and exchange of ideas is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Tools like Reddit provide a place for people to gather and have their voice heard. The Redditor Radio podcast discerns and dissects the best that “the front page of the internet” has to offer. Grab your favorite beverage and discover the podcast that is already enjoyed by literally dozens of listeners.
THE COLOR SCHEME
Without the inclusion of Snoo, we sought another way of creating a connection between the podcast and Reddit. Using a color scheme that was similar to Reddit’s website was an obvious way to achieve this goal.
VISUAL ELEMENTS
I began to assemble some different graphics and icons for reference and inspiration.
Although we wanted to move away from the original logo, we were still fond of the visuals that communicated broadcast and the exchange of ideas. The waves surrounding Snoo’s antenna in the original logo was reminiscent of retro broadcast tower imagery and we felt that we could incorporate that concept into the new designs.
ICON IDEAS
I experimented with a few ideas including a multitude of “R” lettermarks.
The alliteration in the name “Redditor Radio” presents an opportunity to use a double ‘R’ somewhere in the logo. We also wanted something that helped communicate “podcast” to a viewer.
As I was working, I realized that the curved upper portion of the capital letter ‘R' could look a bit like the concentric circles of a Wi-Fi signal icon.
The inclusion of a Wi-Fi signal icon is somewhat risky because it can “date” the logo. As time goes by and technology improves, the logo could potentially appear irrelevant and not modern. Although we want to think long-term, we were not too concerned about this because…
- The show wants to communicate an upstart and simple (a.k.a. low budget) approach to the podcast.
- Although the Wi-Fi symbol may no longer be used one day, the concentric circles have become synonymous with transmissions and signals.
- The Instagram logo resembles a simplified vintage camera. When executed well, the function/services of an organization can remain clear and inspire nostalgia even if the symbol/image has become outdated.
I carefully crafted and aligned a signal icon within the ‘R' letterform.
Although Wi-Fi does not immediately indicate “podcast”, I was excited about this concept because I felt that it does bring connectivity and communication to mind.
The concentric circles even give an impression of a residual or duplicate ‘R’ within the letterform.
THE TEXT
Ricky and Karen were on board with the icon, so I began preparing the wordmark. I wanted to create a san-serif font that was clean looking but not too formal and utilized a similar line weight to the icon.
It was a lot of fun to create a full uppercase alphabet and a very informative exercise. I created a bold and light version of the font.
THE COMBINATION MARK
The combination mark was paired with the podcast slogan; “In Reddit veritas”.
Building a brand
A logo is just a part of a brand. I explored how the logo could be used in a variety of implementations.
ANIMATION
Today, movement is a consideration when a logo is developed. I put together a rough idea of how the icon could be animated.
The animation should really help to hammer home the broadcast “signal” concept and encourage potential listeners to “tune in” for the show.
ADDITIONAL ARTWORK
I created some caricatures of Ricky, Karen, and their dog Romeo.
In the early days of Redditor Radio, Ricky and Karen were occasionally interrupted by Romeo as he shuffled around the floor of their apartment. Sadly, Romeo passed away at the age of 14.
Here’s a quick look at how the logo could potentially be used on some branded items.
CONCLUSION
Although I was given a lot of creative freedom on this project, I found that it was still important to follow the proper process. Research of the industry and the competition helped to inform my design decisions. In the end, I think that we created a logo that was simple, versatile and contributes to a professional-looking brand for the Redditor Radio podcast.
Update: The Redditor Radio podcast came to an end after 100 informative and hilarious episodes.
Ricky and I worked on a second project together and you can learn more about it here.
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