CASE STUDY:
Core Visual Development
PROJECT/
Edgars Legzdins Tour + Disc Artwork
CASE STUDY #20
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com

CORE VISUAL CASE STUDY
There’s something about bringing life to an idea that energizes me.
I take on projects that will be both creatively challenging as well as
meaningful to my client. Assignments are kept to a minimum so
there is a focus on developing on great work that drives business.
Chicago rock musician, Edgars Legzdins received an invitation to tour
Latvia and in the process audition for a record label. I have collaborated
with Edgars on several art projects for his music, however the stakes
were higher for this project due to the global interest. The goal was
to create an core visual that could crossover both US and Latvian
markets as well as visually capture the essence of the music.
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG2

PRESEnTATIOn 1
CORE VISUAL DEVELOPmEnT
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG3

music is your own experience, your own thoughts,
your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of
your horn. They teach you there’s a boundary line to
music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art.
- Charlie Parker
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG

ThE ASSIgnmEnT
The Opportunity
Develop a core visual for disc packaging and other media to support an
overseas tour and record lable audition.
Positioning
To indie music enthusiasts including industry executives, Edgars Legzdins is
the brand of independent rock that is rich with authenticity and musical depth.
Identity Objective
Visually support the “sound” of the recording so that music executives have a
distinct image of his band beyond the music.
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG5

CURREnT PhASE OF DESIgn PROCESS
DEFInE DISCOVER DESIgn DELIVER
• Business Objectives • Research • Identity Architecture • Create Production Ready Assets
• Communication Objectives • Competitive Audits • Icon Development • Package & Deliver Assets
• Design Objectives • Conceptual Explorations • Brand Applications
• Internal and External Dynamics • Typographic Explorations
• Present and Approval of • Color Palette Explorations
Strategy Brief and Estimate
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG

VISUAL PERSOnALITY SPECTRUm
COmPLEX SImPLE
IDEnTITIES IDEnTITIES
INITIAL VISUAL DIRECTION
InTERPRETIVE + EXPRESSIVE LITERAL + gRAPhIC
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG

DESIgn COnSIDERATIOnS
• “The American and Latvian flags need to be the
focus of the imagery.”
• “The simpler the better.”
• “The art needs to have a sense of a damaged
persona mixed with the spontaneity of music.
This is for a rock tour after all.”
- Edgars Legdizns
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG8

COLOR DIRECTIOn
Color strategy must visually connect the Latvian and American cultures
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG

InITIAL COnCEPTS
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG10

PEnCIL COnCEPTS FOR DISCUSSIOn
Visual concept selected to advance.
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG11

PRESEnTATIOn 2
TYPOgRAPhY EXPLORATIOn
AnD CORE VISUAL ADVAnCEmEnT
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG12

InITIAL TYPE EXERCISE
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG13

InITIAL CORE VISUAL DESIgnS
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG1

PRESEnTATIOn 3
CORE VISUAL ADVAnCEmEnT
CREATIVE DIRECTIOn:
BRIng A LEVEL OF RAWnESS TO ThE DESIgn
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG15

CORE VISUAL ADVAnCEmEnTS
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG1

PRESEnTATIOn 4
FInALIZATIOn OF CORE VISUAL
CREATIVE DIRECTIOn:
FInALIZE APPROVED DIRECTIOn AnD CREATE REST OF PACKAgE
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG1

FInAL CORE VISUAL + CD PACKAgE
CLIENT PROJECT DATE
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Graphic Design // 312.852.0223 // smithdidit@me.com Edgars Legzdins Album & Tour Artwork 2008 PG18

If your brand is in need of a visual identity,
a complete visual overhaul or a something
in between let’s talk about how I can help.
Patrick Smith // Art Direction + Design
312.852.0223
smithdidit @ me.com