Just Deraj

As a designer/musician, it’s an inescapable fact that what I do is built around trying to thoughtfully and creatively communicate a message. However, every message needs some kind of vehicle to deliver it. Thankfully, we have the internet, a great tool to present a message to large audiences quickly. In Sept 2009, I decided to utilize that resource and launch my first website, JwellsDesign.com. The site was built to feature a blog, and showcase my current and past design projects to a wider demographic.

In addition to working as a designer, I was involved with producing music. In late 2009, I released my first solo hiphop project, Honesty Of The Heart. After the release, I became more involved with performing and doing local shows, and as a result, the need arose for a platform that could make my work as a songwriter/musician more accesible to the public. In 2010, I launched Derajmusic.com, a WordPress driven site, that allowed me to do just that.

As time progressed, I began realizing it was becoming a bit of a task keeping both sites updated regularly and wanted a more cohesive way of managing my web presence. The idea then came to merge the two sites and with this thought, gave birth to what is now JustDeraj.com. The idea for the site would allow a more streamline approach for an online portfolio and blog site that could showcase my work as a musician and designer.

Behind The Brand:
The foundation of the site rests on two things, namely the tagline and the brand name itself. The name, “JustDeraj,” I felt best described who I am, and the tagline, “I create things you can see and hear,” would help summarize what I do. Everything was developed from these two things. From the logo creation, to the color palette, to the font selection, the goal within every detail of the brand was to find something that reflected me as an artist. Much research and refining was involved in the process of this redesign. I found this to be essential in helping me identify with the strengths of my previous sites and resolve the weaknesses. The research enabled me to establish a more consistent look and feel site-wide, in addition to designing a site with better interactivity for the user.

In conclusion, this site and brand was my attempt to communicate in a more relevant and refined way, who I am and what I do and offer. Hopefully this site proves itself as helpful, but I’m always open to suggestions for improvements. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.