C89.5 Radio

C89.5 is a beloved radio station based in Seattle. They have a very varied audience in terms of demographics. Many listeners connect with the high school where the radio is based. We partnered with them to give back to this vibrant community and provide design services.

The radio crew wanted to find avenues to grow and extend their reach. The look and feel needed to resonate with multiple audiences. The visuals had to be easy to implement for students across various deliverables. Also, the solution should maintain the lighthearted and quirky personality that the radio has established.

Through field research and interviews, we collected information about potential opportunities. We developed personas to prioritize our brainstormed ideas. The proposed areas of improvement were to create a new brand identity and interactive digital experience that would engage younger audiences.

For the digital experience part of the project, I worked in a small team on a web application that allows users to vote on which song should play next. We used the idea of gamification and gave the audience a piece of influence and control to shape the community. After storyboarding and brainstorming ideas, we started a short sprint to make the app a reality. The app prototype is connected to a Spotify playlist to play songs. Users could either vote through a website or manually through Arduino button inputs to influence which of the two listed tracks will play next.

For the branding part, we wanted to reflect the radio‘s community focus and individual expression. We decided to make a system based on circles and doughnuts representing individuality and togetherness. These two elements build the logo and are the basis of other visual identity elements. Their arrangements make dynamic compositions, allowing them to “dance.” The RGB bright colour spectrum captures the youthful spirit and fun.