Building the brand & website for HEART OF GOLD DJS

The brief: reposition Heart of Gold as a talent agency, not a collective. Build an identity that could hold weddings and corporate events with equal weight. Create a visual language that felt premium without losing approachability.

We started with strategy. From collective to talent agency. From wedding-focused to full-spectrum events. The visual identity needed to feel editorial, confident, and culturally rooted. Cool enough to stand out, approachable enough to book.

For the visual direction, we went straight to '90s Bay Area radio culture. Not nostalgia for nostalgia's sake, but as a cultural anchor that actually made sense. In that era, radio wasn't background noise. It was how tastemakers shaped the city's sound. DJs were curators, selectors, storytellers. Radio is the OG home of the DJ. That felt right for Heart of Gold. Cruising through the Bay, windows down, sunset fading, radio up.

The wordmark blends handcrafted script with refined serif letterforms. Inspired by vintage car emblems and iconic '90s album covers like Diamond Life, it's elegant without being precious, crafted without being fussy. The system flexes across multiple lockups so it works everywhere without losing personality.

Typography references '90s music culture without cosplaying it. Items Wide, a contemporary take on early digital typefaces, carries headlines with sophistication and approachability. Eurostile brings billboard chart energy for subheads and details. Alte Haas Grotesk, a digitally remade Helvetica with deliberately bled edges, adds warmth and texture to body copy.

Graphic elements pull from billboard charts, OBI strips, and late '80s album packaging. Frames guide focus. Linework adds structure. Stickers highlight key info with a playful nod to vinyl culture. These keep the brand dynamic across touchpoints without getting repetitive.

The website became the clearest expression of the repositioning. Editorial and refined. Large-format photography that puts the DJs front and center, not buried in a grid. Interaction design is purposeful. Hover states that shift colour. Smooth transitions. The homepage doesn't push bookings immediately. It sets a vibe. "Soundtracking your moments." Then it introduces the roster. Then it invites you in.

Service offerings are clearly segmented. Weddings get their space. Corporate and lifestyle events get theirs. No confusion about what Heart of Gold does or who they do it for.

The result: Heart of Gold now shows up as the professional talent agency they've been operating as all along. The new identity supports growth beyond word of mouth, allows for premium positioning, and gives them the visual tools to confidently approach new markets while honouring the community that built them.

A decade of credibility, now packaged to match.