Magis
Date 01/20/2025
The Brief
MAGIS is a video game brand inspired by classic American muscle car culture, blending vintage aesthetics with high-performance energy. The goal of the visual identity is to evoke the raw power, speed, and nostalgic spirit of the 1960s–70s muscle car era while connecting with the rebellious attitude of retro '90s design.
Team Members
Myself (Graphic Designer & Illustrator)
My Responsibilities as a (Graphic Designer & Illustrator ) :
Concept Development: Researched vintage muscle car aesthetics and racing culture to inform the visual direction.
Logo Design: Sketched and refined multiple logo styles, focusing on retro emblems, speed, and high-impact visuals.
Typography Selection: Chose a vintage-inspired font (Harlow Solid Italic) to convey motion, power, and attitude.
Color System Creation: Developed a bold yellow-based palette inspired by iconic 60s and 70s muscle cars.
Brand Style Application: Designed a logo that could extend to in-game branding, packaging, social media, and merchandise.
Tools:
Adobe Illustrator
Timeline:
4 weeks
Concept Inspiration
The MAGIS identity is heavily inspired by the retro design of muscle cars, especially models from the '60s and '70s like the Pontiac GTO, known for their vibrant yellow paint jobs and bold automotive styling. Yellow is central to the brand, reflecting energy, excitement, and speed, while also triggering a nostalgic emotional connection to vintage car culture.
Logo Design
Typography: The wordmark uses Harlow Solid Italic, chosen for its bold, slanted style that suggests motion, speed, and power. Its sweeping curves mimic the flow of vintage car emblems, adding a dramatic, expressive character to the logo.
Style: The script-style typography echoes classic automotive badging, reinforcing the brand’s heritage roots while maintaining a modern edge.
Color Palette: A gradient of gold and yellow tones is used to represent both the metallic finishes of real car paint and the warmth of retro style. The black outline adds strong contrast, mimicking muscle car decals and emblems.
Color Theory
The brand uses a range of yellows, from bright goldenrod to mustard, symbolizing:
Speed and Performance
Warmth and Nostalgia
High visibility and Bold design
These tones recall iconic muscle car finishes and stand out visually in both digital and printed formats.
Symbolism & Elements
Sun iconography and racing stripes integrated into the design reflect:
Open-road freedom
High-octane energy
A love for cruising under the sun, tying back to American car culture.
The grunge texture and vintage touches keep the design grounded in retro authenticity.
Brand Personality
MAGIS is:
Bold and nostalgic – evoking a past era of unfiltered performance
Energetic and fast-paced – just like the cars it celebrates
Rebellious and stylish – appealing to gamers who love high-powered thrills and retro aesthetics
Conclusion
The MAGIS brand identity merges vintage muscle car culture with modern design to create a dynamic and emotionally resonant logo. Through bold typography, nostalgic color choices, and retro-inspired graphic elements, it captures the spirit of speed, power, and rebellion, forming a strong visual foundation for a muscle car-themed video game.