THE EVOLUTION OF THE RADICAL RMT COVER DESIGN

When I am asked what I do for "fun" or what one of my hobbies are, I honestly can't come up with one that most people can relate to or is "cool"-  I just enjoy having a project and the process of creating to make it a reality. My husband and I refer to it as "tapping" because most of these projects and "creating" happen on my laptop.  I have no experience in graphic design and I have yet to grasp coding (though I have taken courses with the amazing #Ladieslearningcode).  

For the podcast, I felt that this early in the game I could get the basics started and if it needs some professional help along the way I would be happy source it out. These elements of the podcast; the website, the logo, the podcast cover, the facebook posts, the instagram posts etc. take up my free time to create but, right now I enjoy it and continue to have a million ideas of how it might evolve.

I hope that this post will be a reminder that you don't have to be creative or tech savvy to just start working on your idea. If I have learned anything from this whole podcast experience it is that you have to be open to the process. It is an example of accepting that your original idea will be terrible at the beginning but, through growth and a willingness to learn, it will become something you are proud of for simply trying! Most people are not even willing to try for fear of not looking perfect or as an expert. It is an impossible expectation because, when you learn something new it can't be perfect or look good at the same time! 
​
Check out the evolution of the cover design for The Radical RMT... 

Each logo was created in CANVA

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS...

The Main idea I wanted to represent was from the classic example we all know that "just outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens." The RMT in the box representing your comfort zone and the word "Radical" representing "where the magic happens."  Radical RMTs are definitely living "outside the box." 

Originally I didn't put the word "podcast" in the logo design as I knew the logo could be used to represent branding which could extend beyond the podcast.  
​
The colours were chosen based on orange representing creativity and joy and a complementary turquoise colour found with the adobe color wheel. I'm not surprised I was drawn to the turquoise as it brings back memories of my own Radical RMT experience living and working in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

AVOID JUST FILLING THE SPACE

Then came the addition of the Lotus flower or some variation. When I showed the logo to my husband, he suggested there should be something "massage-y" in the box and that it looked too plain. Fair enough, it did look a bit empty.

Upon searching for massage images that were neutral to the cause, all I came up with was the lotus flower. However, it didn't really suit the "radical" side of the podcast. 

BOLD COLOURS AND A CLEAR MESSAGE 

Now, we are starting to get somewhere! 

Taking a look at podcast cover designs that stood out, the characteristics were bold colours and  eye catching design. The cover layout filled the entire space effectively, it was simple and it was also very obvious what the podcast was about, even if it was only with words or an image alone. 

Going back to the original idea of  "where the magic happens" I made changes based on the above observations and I was way more happy with the result. I felt it shared the right message and it represented the listener I wanted to attract. 

The Font is "Selima" and "League Spartan." Why? Because I liked how Selima looked as "Radical" and then I google searched the best font pairings that go with Selima.
​See, if I can do it, you can do it! 

THE LATEST RESULT

The current design is a result of my first meeting with JP Davidson of Pop-Up Podcasting. JP has provided guidance on the entire process of podcasting and his help has been invaluable! If you have been thinking of starting a podcast but, you are scared of the tech side or not sure how to get started- JP is your guy! 

When it came to the cover design, he gave his feedback on the designs I had completed and the one that worked best, he suggested to make the text bigger, the proper dimensions to use, and also to remove the word "podcast" from the title as it was obvious since people would find it on a podcast platform. 

I darkened the turquoise colour so that the text would be more legible and voila, I now have the latest cover design!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

So what do you think of the whole cover design process? 
What do you think of the latest cover design for The Radical RMT? 
Do you have any suggestions for creating an eye catching cover design? 

Are you having any challenges creating your own cover design?
​I would love to try and help! [email protected]