Presenting the new MuseScore wordmark

A question often asked is when MuseScore will be ready for a 1.0 release. While it's hard if not impossible for a young open source project such as MuseScore to set deadlines, the answer so far was that MuseScore needs to complete a couple of things first. One of these things was the ability to run MuseScore on Mac which became possible this past summer, another one was to create a house style and artwork for MuseScore. Today, the very first step of the MuseScore redesign will be presented: the new MuseScore wordmark.

Currently, we are confronted with the style of MuseScore via the website and the software interface but that doesn't do much justice to the MuseScore project. So after an internal call for redesigning MuseScore which stayed unanswered, we reached out to the graphic design students from Hogeschool Gent - KASK in Belgium to help us rebranding MuseScore. From all the wordmark proposals made by the 22 students, the decision was given to the design teachers to select the wordmark that they believed would best represent the MuseScore image. And here is the result:

The teachers selected the wordmark from Raúl Posac, a Fine Arts student from Cuenca (Spain) doing his Erasmus year in Gent (Belgium). Marc Popelier, one of the design teachers, shared with us the reasons why they selected Raúls wordmark (translated from Dutch):

We have chosen the wordmark for its neutrality, its discreet presence and also its clear vision, purity, balance and its link with music. Also its timelessness, it is not trendy so it will likely survive longer. This can not be said of the other logos, although there are very good ones in between.
When used, it will not put a "heavy weight" on a page or other media. It will not ask too much attention, it will not cause inconvenience to other content but it will be there, working in silence ... in all its simplicity.

I want to end this post with first of all a big thank you to the teachers Marc & Bieke and all the students for their efforts and supporting MuseScore. Besides the wordmark proposals, they also made promotional videos which you can enjoy below or directly on YouTube.
Second, I invite anyone to leave a message who has some designing skills and wants to create artwork for MuseScore building further upon the style of the wordmark. Raúl will be helping us more as well with creating artwork for the software (splash window), handbook cover and more, so don't hesitate to jump in.