Erik Herrström’s bespoke lettering for Danish band AYA MAI balances excitability and pragmatism

Vienna-based designer Erik Herrström, working in partnership with global consultancy Green Mountain Lodge, has created the visual identity for Danish band AYA MAI, an emerging act whose vibrancy and candour has been captured in a rich, compelling and type-driven solution.

Translating from ‘AYA MAI’ to ‘I AM AYA’ when reversed, the identity is led by bespoke geometric lettering that makes reference to the three members within the band, whilst also exuding a spirited, unique and somewhat sci-fi attitude. This exuberance is matched with the vivid, cheerful colour palette that directs the visual language. “AYA MAI really wanted colours to be part of expressing the mood in an abstract sense,” Herrström tells us, “with that in mind I made three colour schemes that all feel different while still remaining rather pop-centric,” he adds, allowing AYA MAI’s identity the flexibility to evolve over time.

Providing the robust foundations for the identity is General Type Studio’s Pilat, the chosen supportive typeface to the bespoke lettering of the logomark. “We needed a clean typeface for the supporting copy as it’s always shown in small sizes and all caps,” Herrström explains, using the neutrality and pragmatism of the typeface to ground the visual language. As a result, the brand is totally balanced; maintaining an avant-garde, excitable energy without becoming lost in the vibrancy of its context.

Erik Herrström

AYA MAI