Experimental Album Designs

I have spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with my chosen initial idea of an old fashioned theatre. The first design shows how I would like the front cover of my album to look like, as I have added a list of tracks and the name of the band to a traditional box office scene. 

Through me experimentation I have tried to add a touch of modernity to this classic scene, the two designs above feature elements of a modern gig such as the fire, the lazerlight and the smokescreen. I believe by combining the traditional venue with the more modern elements of a gig I have created a powerful image. 

Artist talk, Gig poster, Lauren Rothery

Above you can see the tour poster I designed for my band. I took my inspiration from my actual album design and my band name, I believe the use of the red curtains and a Broadway sign at the top of the poster clearly reflects my design on the album cover, I have also used the same font for the name Steady Dollar that I used on the album cover in order to create a real band identity. I have also used dollar bills to symbolize my band name Steady Dollar, I believe the money falling from the sky and the pile of money at the bottom makes my poster very interesting and attractive to the general public. 

Lauren Rothery

Lauren Rothery is a Plymouth based artist specializing in band posters, Rothery works at the Underground in Plymouth which is a live music venue in Plymouth. The first poster I will be analyzing is for a gig by We Are The Ocean and Twin Wild at the Underground in Plymouth. Rothery has managed to visually portray the two bands well in this poster, firstly she has used two children snorkeling to represent we are the ocean, also Rothery has included two children specifically in order to represent Twin Wild. 

The second poster I will be analyzing is for a gig by Smokin Durrys, Tinned Fruit and Last One Out at the Underground in Plymouth. The design of this poster has been tailored toward one of the bands specifically and I can only assume that this is because they are headlining the gig, Rothery has put all of the band names onto a tin and clearly this is to represent the band Tinned Fruit. I also like how Rothery has put the date of the gig in the middle of the tin a lot like an expiration date on food because clearly the gig will be over after the date 16-3-15. The vibrant purple on the top of the tin makes the band name Smokin Durrys stand out, also I like how Rothery has put the band name Last One Out as the last band on the list. 

Packaging Ideas

My next initial design is inspired by phone cases with a pull tab, this is a piece of string that once pulled raises the phone out of the case. I believe I could use this device on an album cover so when you pull the tab the CD will come out, I believe this is a unique design for an album cover and this could tempt people into purchasing the album. I understand this idea may seem more like packaging than design however I believe that the innovative nature of the packaging is the most important part of the design.

My final initial idea was to use a belt buckle on an album, this means that in order to open up the album you would have to undo the buckle. I understand that this could be a fairly complicated design however I believe the final result would look good as the leather of the belt would look good on an album. I believe the introduction of the belt buckle will be more of a design feature than a packaging feature because it will become the most interesting and attractive thing on the album cover instantly because it is so unique. 

Another idea I had regarding packaging was an envelope, this packaging is a traditional envelope with a CD inside as opposed to a letter. I believe this simple yet interesting design will be very popular amongst anyone aged between 12-29 because it is fun and unique. 

Theatre album design

This will be the front cover for my theatre album cover, it depicts a traditional scene of people waiting outside the box office for tickets to the show,

Once the album has been opened I will have the scene of the band on stage with the curtains open, I believe by putting the band on the CD this means they are central and the most important thing in the scene. 

Moodboard