Mary Simon
A visual identity that grew alongside the music.
Ongoing creative support for musician Mary Simon, spanning logo refinement and promotional photography for albums, performances and artist communications across shoots in 2019 and 2026.
THE PROJECT
Mary Simon is a long-term creative client whose work with Ballad Creative has evolved alongside her music. Our collaboration began with logo refinement: Mary already had the typeface she wanted to use, but the mark needed a designer’s touch to make it feel finished, distinctive and unmistakably hers. Photography became another part of that visual identity, with promotional and album-focused shoots in 2019 and again in 2026. Mary is also part of the Human Doings portrait project in recognition of the support she provided in helping Heritage Santa come to life.
THE CHALLENGE
Support an independent musician with a visual identity that felt personal and polished without replacing the ideas she had already developed. The logo needed refinement rather than reinvention, while the photography needed to create useful promotional imagery that could support albums, performances and ongoing artist communications over a number of years.
THE APPROACH
Start with what Mary already knew felt right. Rather than replacing her chosen typography or imposing a completely new identity, refine the existing idea through proportion, detail and graphic treatment to give the logo more character and finish. Approach each photo session as a new chapter in the same visual story, creating images that reflect Mary at that moment while remaining connected to her established artist identity.
WHAT WE MADE
I refined Mary’s existing logo concept, working with the typeface she had chosen and adding the graphic detail and polish needed to turn it into a practical, recognizable artist mark. We then created promotional photography in 2019 for album and artist use, returning for a second shoot in 2026 to build a fresh image library for current promotion. The work has continued beyond traditional client projects through Human Doings, where Mary became a portrait subject as a thank-you for her contribution to Heritage Santa.
THE RESULT
The result is an artist identity that has been able to evolve without being repeatedly reinvented. Mary has a recognizable logo built from her original idea and a growing body of professional photography spanning multiple stages of her music career. The continuing relationship also reflects the broader Ballad Creative approach of building creative work around genuine relationships, with Mary’s contribution to Heritage Santa later becoming part of the Human Doings story.