Final Design idea

Evaluation

During this project I have created a band name, band identity, tour poster, album cover and album packaging. In order to create these final designs I spent a lot of time carrying out initial research into a number of decades and existing albums.

To start with I used my initial research to create a number of mind maps and moodboards, I used these plan out what works in an album cover and why it works. I then reviewed these mind maps and moodboards in order to create my 6 initial ideas, this is a wide range of different ideas spreading across a number of different genres. Along with my six initial design ideas I also looked a several different ideas for packaging as this can be crucial to an attractive album. Once my initial ideas and packaging ideas were complete I began to carry put some ideas into photoshop and draw some out so I could be sure the packaging would work successfully,

The initial idea I decided to carry on with was for hip/hop group Steady Dollar, this design featured a clever contrast between how live performance were view in the past and how they are viewed in the present, this initial idea was somewhat inspired by Eminem's curtain call album. I began creating my initial idea in Photoshop and once this was finished I began experimenting with my design in order to create the most attractive and interesting final design.

Finally, I am very happy with my final album design because I have developed upon it well in order to create an attractive poster to all. The main example of my development on the initial design is the use of elements from modern music events e.g. flames and smoke. My initial idea was to use scenes from a traditional theatre in order to create a somewhat timeless appeal, I have also used the font Broadway to create this traditional image. I also wanted to make my design look completely unique to other hip hop album covers and I believe I achieved this well. I believe by combining this timeless imagery with more modern elements of live music I have made my album cover appealing to a large group of people, because the timeless appeal makes the album more appealing to older people however the use of more modern features such as smoke and flames makes the album cover appealing to the younger generation as well. Also, Steady Dollar plays Hip-Hop music and this is one of the most popular genres in the world, therefore Steady Dollar will be appealing to a larger group of people.

Album template

Inside

The inside of my album cover features two sections on either side, these two sections can be used to fold over the larger middle section and once these have been folded over you will then be able to see the outside of the album cover. 

I have also included a third section in the middle of the inside of my album cover, this middle section folds upwards in between the two sections on either side. The middle section also has two tabs on either side that stick down on the inside of the album cover, once these tabs have been stuck down this section will act as a pocket in the middle of the inside of the album cover, I will use this pocket to carry my booklet and I will use a cut out in the front of this section to hold the CD in place. This middle section will also feature the imagery for the middle section of the inside of my album cover, you can see this imagery on the bottom section of the outside of my album cover. 

Outside

The outside of my album cover features three sections and a bottom section that will fold upwards and stick down. The two sections on either side fold inwards to create the front image, this front image is of the outside of a classic theatre with the band name Steady Dollar in a Broadway font featuring heavily. The back of my album cover features closed curtains and this promotes the fact that the show is over once you get to the back of the album cover.

Mid Project Review

At the mid-point of this project I believe I have created 6 strong initial ideas that would work well as an album cover, I have also thought about two different band names that would be popular amongst certain target audiences. I believe I have selected the right initial idea because it has been inspired by a very successful album, Eminem's Curtain Call, also I believe the contrast between modern and traditional elements will be very popular amongst a wide target audience. My band Steady Dollar will play music from the Hip Hop Genre mainly as this is one of the most popular music genres across the world and therefore Steady Dollar will have a large fan base. I look forward to experimenting with my album cover further in order to create a real contrast between traditional and modern concrete experiences.

Hue and Contrast

I began experimenting with a picture of a Honey Badger because animals can be inspiring for artists and a Honey Badger is a specifically interesting animal.

I experimented with the Hue and Contrast on Photoshop in order to make it look as if the badger is walking through a red field. Honey Badger's have a reputation for being vicious and aggressive and this is why I have made field red as if to look like he is walking through blood. 

My final experimentation with this image was to initially make the field a toxic green colour, I then added two skull and crossbones to make it look as if the Badger itself is toxic. I have also written beware in order to enforce the fact that this Badger is dangerous and therefore you must stay away.  

My main idea with this design was to make the image look like a retro video game like Tekken for example. I have used the Hue and Contrast to turn the image into a dull black and white as this attracts attention towards the health bar I have included at the top of the page. Finally, I added the names of the animals into these health bars to reinforce the fact that these two animals are fighting. 

Christophe Szpadjel- Artist Study

Christophe Szpadjel is a Plymouth based logo designer who specialises in logos for metal bands. Szpadjel or the 'Lord of the Logos' has designed a number of logos but I have picked out these two to analyse. Szpadjel designed the logo for experimental black metal band Nutrition, Szpadjel has used bold, straight, glimmering lines in the background of the logo to reflect the genre, I believe the shimmering line looks like metal reflecting light. Szpadjel continues to use these glimmers on the band name along withe bolt holes in the letters to make it look almost metalic. I believe Szpadjel has reflected the name nutrition well because all of the lines leading into the band name almost make it seems like they are giving nutrition, a lot like the roots of a tree.  

Szpadjel also designed the logo for Black Metal band To Storm The Fortress. The first thing we see with this logo design is the obvious outline of a fortress in the background with the band name in the foreground, I believe the imagery of the fortress represents the genre well because when you think about a fortress the main words that come to mind would be strong, hard, tough and I believe these words can also be used to represent Death Metal as a genre. Szpadjel has also managed to incorporate the band name 'To Storm The Fortress' within the fortress itself and this adds to the impact of the design.  

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

Initial ideas

I based this initial design on a classic envelope and although this is a fairly simple idea I believe it would work quite well as packaging. In order to keep with this simple design idea I would probably feature some sort of address on the envelope or I could put the tracklist on the front in the style of an address. I believe this simple design could actually appeal to a wide range of people including more alternative people who want a more unique album cover and older people who just want something simple. 

This initial design was based on a traditional theatre. This design is 3 fold, this means that the case folds out into three sections and this allows me to put a larger image on the inside of the album cover. The first thing you see on this album is a classic scene of people waiting outside a theatre for a show. Once you open up the album you can see the stage with the classic red curtains and the audience in the stands. I will also feature an image of the album on the cd so they are directly in the middle of the stage. This design was loosely inspired by Eminems curtain call album.

This initial design is another one that is simple yet effective, I understand that animals a lot of people are interested and inspired by animals and this is why I have chosen to dedicate an initial design purely to animals. This design is a classic cardboard sleeve and I have put a group of gazelle on the cardboard sleeve and although this seems boring at first it is actually crucial to the scene I am trying to create. Once you get the CD out of the cardboard sleeve you can see a cheetah running and I believe it actually looks like the cheetah is running towards the gazelle, this makes the entire album cover seem a lot more dramatic and a lot less boring.

My next initial design was created to be amusing more than anything else. I have taken inspirational from the more typical hip-hop album cover in which the musician shows off all the money they have through their album cover (see below). I have taken this boring idea and I have gone in the other direction by using coins as opposed to notes, this means I am still using the same sort of design with the artist showing off all their money however the amount of money I have added is actually quite small and I believe this play on the traditional hip hop album cover could be viewed as funny by the right audience. I believe this design would work quite well for an alternative artist as the design is both ironic and unique. 

My next initial idea features a clock in machine, these are used to track the times of employees shifts. I believe this image reflects my band name 'Steady Dollar' well as a person has to clock in and out of work in order to receive payment for the hours they work. A classic clock in/out machine like this is often used in supermarkets, restaurants and department stores, therefore, I believe that this image reflects the name 'Steady Dollar' well because the majority of people who work in jobs like this receive a decent wage but nothing massive, therefore the wage is steady.  

My final initial idea is for a band called 'Murder By Bass', this band plays a drum and bass genre of music and this is why I have used the club scene on the album cover as this is where drum and bass music is played mostly. I believe I have created an interesting an exciting scene on my album cover by using a chalk outline of a body in order to represent murder, This alum cover would be appealing to men and women between the ages of 17-26. 

Initial Research Part 2

Initial Mind Map

Hip-hop

Hip hop as a genre was first introduced in the 1970's by young black men in the USA. The hip-hop genre is mainly characterised by four key elements all of which represent the different manifestos of the genre, rap music, D-Jing, b-boying and graffiti art. The main target audience of the hip-hop genre is mostly males with some females and both are likely to be young/ middle aged. The 3 artists that I selected to research are listed below and these are the three artists that I listen to most.

Eminem

Eminem's Curtain Call The Hits was designed by Karin Catt and was released on December 6 2005, under Dr Dre's aftermath entertainment label. The imagery used in this album cover could be described as retro because a classic performer with roses at his feet is depicted on stage, this artwork is unlike the classic hip-hop album cover. I believe this imagery has been used to promote the fact that Eminem is unlike any other artist because this album cover is unlike any other hip-hop album cover. 

Clearly this album cover was inspired by the traditional on stage performers e.g. Frank Sinatra as the album depicts a singer bowing at the end of a performance with roses at their feet. I dont believe the imagery on this album cover reflects the hip hop genre or Eminem's music specifically because the album has used imagery from a more traditional genre of music instead of the hip hop genre. I believe that this album artwork promotes the fact that Eminem is unlike any other artist in the hip-hop genre, therefore this album artwork sells Eminem as an artist to his target market. 

Jay-Z

The Blueprint was designed by Jason Noto and was released by American rapper Jay-Z in September 11 2001. The artwork for this album cover reflects the confidence and popularity of the hip-hop genre as we see a confident Jay-Z smoking a cigar. I believe the imagery in this artwork has been used to promote an almost timeless aspect to the album because the album cover is in black and white, the imagery is also depicting a traditional scene in which a man is sat on his own smoking a cigar and I believe this imagery is traditional because its unlike the more modern and loud album covers. 

The typography in this album artwork almost reminds of a retro newspaper print because the font features bold lines and a classic colour, this old fashion typography also promotes the timeless aspect of this album. The main inspiration behind Jay-Z's blueprint album is vintage soul, this means the artwork in inspired by old fashioned soul music. I believe this artwork reflects vintage soul as a genre because it is depicting a very traditional and timeless scene as a man sits in a plain room smoking a cigar in a black and white design. I believe the name of this album reflects the confident and popular nature of both Jay-Z as an artist and his music, the name The Blueprint makes me think that this album will be the measuring stick for all rap albums in the future, traditionally a blueprint is an initial design for a building therefore if an album was to be called the blueprint it would make me think that this would be an album to inspire other albums in their construction.

Kanye West

The College Dropout album was designed by Mike Godshall and released by Kanye West in February 10, 2004. The production of the album was handled completely by Kanye West and I believe this highlights his personality as he has great confidence in himself. I believe the album artwork also reflects Kanye's unique personality as the College Dropout artwork is unlike the standard Hip-hop album cover e.g. The Blueprint. 

The artwork depicts Kanye West's mascot and trademark the 'dropout bear', this is a teddy bear which appears on three of West's albums that are all school related (College dropout, Late Registration and Graduation). West claims that he used the imagery of the Dropout Bear on all of these album covers because as a child he always loved teddy bears as a child because his mum used to bring them to him when he was little and that stuck with him. Therefore I believe it is fair to assume that Kanye West's childhood was the inspiration for this album artwork, however I do not believe that this album artwork reflects the music on the album as songs like 'Jesus Walks' are quite controversial featuring swearing, racism and general obscenity.  

Alternative Rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980's and became popular in the 1990's. Alternative rock is often expressed with a distorted guitar sound, subversive or transgressive lyrics and a general defiant attitude. 

Foo Fighters



Foo Fighters Greatest Hits was released in November 3, 2009. This album includes a selection of Foo Fighters hit singles from the previous decade. After the release the album received a positive reception for the compilation. I believe the Foo Fighters greatest hits album reflects the alternative rock genre well as they have used a metallic background with bold colours and lines to highlight the loud and powerful music they produce.

The typography used in this Greatest Hits album reflects the Foo Fighters music well because they have used bold black lines to highlight the heavy rock music they produce. I also believe that by including the zig zags inside the O's and G's Foo Fighters are trying to promote the fact that their music is alternative to traditional rock music. Finally I believe the imagery and typography used on the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits album reflects both the Foo Fighters as a band and the alternative rock genre well. by placing the iconic Foo Fighters logo onto a background of sheet metal this artwork clearly reflects the heavy and loud music produced by the Foo Fighters. Also the unique typography reflects the Foo Fighters band band identity as a unique band.

Arctic Monkeys



The album Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not was designed by Juno Liverpool and released by the Arctic Monkeys on 23rd January, 2006. This was Arctic Monkeys debut studio album and it quickly became the fastest selling debut album in British music history, selling over 360,000 copies in the first week. The imagery on this album depicts a 19 year old Chris McClure squinting at a camera and smoking, I believe this artwork reflects Arctic Monkeys as a band because the band gave McClure, his cousin and a best friend money for drinking and a night out, therefore I believe the album artwork promotes the fact that the Arctic Monkeys are just a group of people that want to have fun. 

Kasabian

The album Velociraptor! Is the fourth album by English Rock Band Kasabian and it was designed by Aitor Throup. This album was very popular and it became Kasabian's 3rd number one album in the UK. The album cover features a collage of iconic lead guitarist Serge Pizzorno covered in feathers in his trademark screaming pose, also the single releases each have a different feather on the cover. I believe this genre of music is reflected well by Serge Pizzorno's trademark screaming pose represents the rock genre well.

In my opinion the best design element of this album is on the CD itself as Aitor Throup has created a new logo featuring four 'humanoid raptors' and this new logo is a combination of  the four band members and the album name Velociraptor! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_rock 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090807104109AAfLngN
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blueprint
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtain_call
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_College_Dropout 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_People_Say_I_Am,_That%27s_What_I%27m_Not
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_%28Foo_Fighters_album%29
http://thefw.com/album-cover-model-artic-monkeys/
http://kasabian.wikia.com/wiki/Velociraptor!
http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2011/08/kasabian-unveil-velociraptor-album-artwork/

Initial Research

1960's

Fashion: In the 1960s the main fashion trends were influenced by the London Modernists, known as Mods. Mod is a British youth subculture that focused on music and fashion, after the WW2 ended Britain were more affluent than in previous times and this is how the Mod subculture was born, as young men had more money to spend on high quality clothes such as suits. The main fashion trends for women in the 1960s were often inspired by their new found freedom after WW2, women wore mini-skirts and tie dye t-shirts and this fashion was inspired by  the hippy culture throughout the 1960s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod_%28subculture%29




Icons: Two of the biggest icons in the 1960s were Martin Luther King Jr and Audrey Hepburn. MLK was an American pastor who campaigned for equal rights for blacks in the USA. MLK is most famous for his I have a dream speech and he was assassinated in 1968. Aretha Franklin is an American singer and musician with 17 top ten singles. The most famous songs she released were Respect and (You make me feel like) a Natural Woman. Aretha Franklin was well regarded as the queen of soul and she had great influence on the 1960s.





Fonts: The font above has been inspired by the hippy culture of the 1960's, this culture encourages freedom and individuality and it inspired a whole culture of people.

 

Art: One of the most popular art movements in the 1960's was the introduction of pop art. Pop art was a revolt against the prevailing orthodoxies of art and life. Therefore artists such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein used pop art to create modern and vibrant pieces of art to revolt against the more boring pieces of art from that period of time.

Social and Political events:






1980's



Fashion: As you can see above I have highlighted two of the main fashion trends of the 1980s. Shoulder pads may well have been one of the most decade-defining trends of the 1980s. This trend was most likely introduced as women gained more power and influence both in the workplace and in general life, It is believed that women wore these shoulder pads to look strong and to show that they are not to be messed with. The second fashion trend I have highlighted was the introduction of the Nike brand in the late 1980s. In the late 1980s Nike vs Reebok was the athletic wear battle of the decade. Nike won the battle with the help of Micheal Jordan. By 1988, every kid had to have pair of Nike Air Jordans and a Chicago bulls baseball cap. 

http://www.liketotally80s.com/2006/10/top-10-80s-fashion-trends/ 
http://www.retrowaste.com/1980s/fashion-in-the-1980s/#

Icons:








I believe that these are some of the most iconic men and women of the 1980s. Diana Spencer was seen as the nations sweetheart, she married the prince of Wales in 1981. Diana was well recognised for her charity work and her support for the international campaign to ban landmines. Sylvester Stallone was already well known for the Rocky that had been released in the 1970's. However Sylvester Stallone increased his iconic statement by appearing in the film Rambo in the 1980s.

Typography:



I believe this is a good choice of font for the 1980's as a decade because a lot like this font the 80's was a bold, brave and loud decade.

Art trends:



The most popular trends amongst artists in the 1980s was the resurgence of Neo-Expressionism. A Neo- Expressionist artists such as David Hockney treated their subjects in an almost raw and brutish manner, newly resurrecting in their frequently large-scale works, the highly textural and expressive brushwork and intense colors that had been so recently rejected by major preceding art movements.

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-neo-expressionism.htm

Social and Political Events: 





1990's



Fashion: The main fashion trends in the 1990's were inspired by popular famous people and groups in that decade, like the images above of Will Smith and girl group All Saints. In the 1990's teenage girls imitated the look of All Saints, this consisted of baggy jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tanktops and trainers. This trend of wearing baggy clothes was not started by All-Saints as hip-hop musicians such as Will Smith began wearing baggy clothes in music videos and on television, this inspired young men in the 1990's to imitate them. The hip-hop fashion trend of the 1990's slowly declined as the decade went on and the grunge trend was introduced in the late 1990's. This encouraged people to wear black clothes as colour was the enemy.




Icons: I believe the main icons of the 1990's was music related, this is why I have selected Noel Gallagher and the Spice Girls as two of the main icons of the 1990's. I believe the Spice Girls were icons for many young women in the 1990's as they sung about things like girl power and having fun, clearly this ideology influenced a number of young women throughout the 1990's. The second icon of the 1990's I have selected is Noel Gallagher, his band Oasis was one of the most popular bands in the world during the 1990s. Oasis played an alternative rock style of music that became very popular in the 1990's and inspired a lot of new bands such as Kasabian and the Arctic Monkeys.



Art Movement: One of the main artistic movement of the 1990's was digital art. Digital art is an artistic practice that uses digital technology as a key part of the creative or presentation process. The impact of digital technology has transformed activities such as painting, drawing and sculpture. There are many examples of digital art such as, computer generated visual-media, computer generated 3D still imagery, computer generated animated imagery and digital installation art.

Political events:





Typography:


This font was inspired by the popular film in the 1990s Jurassic Park. This was one of the most popular films throughout the decade as it featured a park full of dinosaurs. This film was so popular it is still being watched over 20 years later.