ROLI creates revolutionary instruments that are designed for endless expression, deep sonic exploration, and a joyful playing experience. We created a new brand for ROLI, one of the world’s most innovative music instrument makers. The new brand unites two previously siloed audiences under one inspiring vision.

At the heart of the collaboration was Roland Lamb’s dream of empowering one billion people to make music. Through a highly collaborative process, we distilled his philosophy, vision, and ambitions into a cohesive brand strategy. This strategy would guide ROLI’s breakthrough products and experiences, moving beyond instrument-making to unlocking music’s potential for people everywhere.

We repositioned ROLI from targeting too narrowly 
to embracing a broader, more aspirational idea that resonates with a wider audience and amplifies the brand’s impact.

One of the greatest challenges was creating a brand that resonated with everyone – from Grammy-winning artists to beginners, investors to professionals. What united them all was the desire to express themselves, to “free the music” within them. This insight became the brand’s core idea: ROLI is here to help people express their inner music without the pressure of perfection.

ROLI has always been about innovation, from reimagining the keyboard with the Seaboard to developing tools that change how we interact with sound. The new brand identity reflects this, with the ROLI symbol inspired by five piano keys – a visual representation of musical possibility. This universal logo is elegant, timeless, and invites everyone to explore their creative potential.

With ROLI’s teams, we united two siloed parts of the business and streamlined the product ecosystem, integrating a consistent naming and identity system. This makes it easier for musicians at every level to find the right tools and feel a connection to the overarching ROLI brand. The new logo system brings cohesion where there was once fragmentation, creating a more sophisticated and unified product experience.

The new identity, rooted in the keyboard motif, expands into an intelligent, tactile system that engages every audience. It balances ROLI’s cutting-edge technology with a warm, approachable aesthetic, using subtle, tactile colours that depart from the usual vibrant hues of tech brands. Every interaction is designed to evoke the experience of playing a ROLI instrument.

ROLI’s instruments are defined by their unique gestural controls, and this inspired the motion language of the new brand. The same five dimensions of touch used by musicians to create melodies are reflected in the distinct animation behaviours across ROLI’s marketing and digital experiences.

Taking cues from the Circle of Fifths in music theory, we developed a flexible colour system that adapts to ROLI’s wide range of audiences. Darker, more vivid tones appeal to professional creators, while lighter, playful colours invite learners. This adaptive palette mirrors the way musical chords combine to create harmony, reflecting ROLI’s mission to make music accessible to all.

ROLI’s new voice is warm, encouraging, and direct, cutting through the often technical jargon of music technology. The focus is on simplicity and earnestness, speaking to the heart of why people make music: to connect with themselves and others.