The letters in the logo each represent a different part of this visual metaphor. The “E” represents a bass clef, the “Y” shows that youthfulness and celebration by depicting a person raising their arms, and the “O” represents a whole note but also the wholeness needed for an orchestra to play together. “Everyone is involved, and you work as a team,” says Yew.

 

Music holds an important place in Yew’s heart, and it was a no-brainer for him to design the logo for the EYO. “Music [has been] a very important part of me since I was 19 years old. I have studied singing, I played the oboe, I played the cello… [and] I still play the flute,” he says. He also conducted three choirs and two musicals. “To me, music is so important.”

At one point, Yew even wanted to become a professional musician, but his parents encouraged him to pursue other avenues instead. Yew initially studied architecture before realizing that his true passion was in graphic design.

 

“My favourite part of my design process is the ability to translate the objectives or aims and missions of the organization or company into a visual metaphor,” he says. “There are so many things I've done that [depict] the visual metaphor... and when you analyze it, you know why it's designed that way.”

 

Variety also inspires Yew, and he says, “over the last 42 years, I haven’t repeated any one style at all.”

 

Yew’s design process is relatively simple. He always starts with sketches before transferring a design to a digital medium. “My favourite is pens and paper,” he says.

 

He notes that music is very inspirational for him during the design process, and he encourages young musicians to foster their love of music, whether they go on to pursue music professionally or for fun.

 

When asked if he had any advice for young musicians, Yew stuck with a classic: “Practice, practice, practice!”