DixonBaxi’s Roli rebrand is tactile, warm – and purposely non-tech

Music technology brand Roli has partnered with design studio DixonBaxi on a new identity to reflect the musical potential the brand facilitates. The studio has developed a unifying brand, led by the physicality of Roli's music-making products, encouraging audiences of all experience levels to pick up the keys.

Roli’s logomark draws inspiration from piano keys, the motif made up of five lines (or keys), also symbolising the five gestures one makes when interacting with Roli instruments: glide, press, strike, lift and slide. This has also influenced the brand’s motion language. The result is, for a technology-led brand, ultimately tech-avoidant, instead opting for a more tactile aesthetic.

Senior designer Jas Welsh calls the symbol “pure” and describes the overall brand as “poetic, elegant and premium – not like typical tech. Above all, it’s accessible, which was crucial to the project’s success.”

Fellow senior designer, Hollie Sanderson, says the new identity needed to “align with Roli’s core values while also resonating with a diverse audience,” from Roli learners to seasoned studio professionals. “When we kicked off this incredible project, we gathered as a team and asked ourselves: what’s the one song or band that inspires us?” Hollie cites nostalgia as a unifying theme across all of their music tastes: “Personal memories attached to music make it meaningful. This insight became a key source of inspiration for us throughout the project.”

As part of the brand identity, DixonBaxi developed Roli’s direct and welcoming tone of voice, “avoiding the usual technobabble of music technology”. It’s a tone that reflects Roli’s personal connection with musicians, and the unpretentious practicality of its products. Likewise, its balanced colour palette – inspired by the Circle of Fifths musical theory – enhances the warmth and immersion of the brand, using rich, dark hues and brighter tones to create a welcoming feel. By focusing on “earnest encouragement and simplicity”, DixonBaxi and Roli “get to the heart of why people make music”.