LOW FIDELITY. HIGH ENERGY.
Soft is a band that blends the abnormal with the angry, making them anything but boring. The local hardcore band, started in 2024, reached out and asked for a simple shirt design with their concept, which had been hand collaged by their vocalist. The image featured a tokay gecko with "Soft" bubble lettered under it. I wanted to honor the concept while also elevating it to better represent their music and personal style.
Using the tokay gecko as a sort of mascot, I further developed the design into a sharp, crunchy, punchy graphic that both echoed the DIY style of the punk movement, as well as standing out in a crowd. For the text, I wanted to remain faithful to the irony of the name, making the word mark both playful and aggressive, combining soft letterforms with sharp starburst shapes, and ultimately uniting them with a drop shadow effect to create a logo that stands on its own as well as with the gecko behind it.
Additionally, when tasked with designing a run of shirts, I wanted them to represent the range of the bands talents, while still keeping within the fashion style of the punk and hardcore scene. After completing a crowd pleaser featuring just the logo and lizard, we pivoted to subverting expectations. The goal was a soft-hearted bug diagram shirt, that weaves the band's name and album title through with a swooping, dramatic typeface. This design echoes the irony that the group is built on, standing out as the most delicate design on a punk festival merch table.
Finally, in an effort to appeal to those wanting to make a statement and still look tough, we decided to pursue a vintage mock-jersey style print to round out this run of shirts. This is common with bands in the area, so in order to stand out, in addition to the name of the band itself, I made the choice to print on black and white ringer tees, a choice has led to much success for piece, quickly becoming a favorite among fans and friends alike. This only reinforces my belief that care should be brought into not just the design itself, but also the garment selection and material, as working both the digital and physical aspects of a design can create a much more compelling work overall.
