Album art lesson

1. Today’s question:
How can you ensure consistency of
‘branding’ across your music video
and digipak?

2. Album art
Is your digipak really going to sell?

3. CD Sales Based on Album
Artwork, Cover Design
• http://voices.yahoo.com/cd-sales-based-album-artwork-cover-design-150924.html?cat=35
• Have you ever purchased a CD solely based on the
cover design, or been attracted to an artist, band,
producer or record label based on their logo, poster or
web site?
• Print and web design in the music industry is really
about identity. What our audience, potential customer
or client can expect to hear, feel, experience, or
identify with is communicated visually.
• A talented designer understands the power of text
(typography) and images, and knows how to use them
creatively.

4. Sweet Sign Of Success
• There are well-established industry criteria for every product: logos,
posters, CDs, business cards and stationery, advertising, and Web sites.
Here are some main criteria to help judge a design success:
1. Is it unified with the content or message you are trying to get across?
This creates an immediate connection and sense of belonging.
2. Is there an information and visual hierarchy? This means there's a focal
point or image that grabs your attention first, and then your eye is led
around the design in the order of what's important after seeing the main
image or reading the main text.
3. Does the design have graphic impact? Is it distinctive or memorable?
There are many CDs competing with yours for attention (lots of demos
are sent out to producers, potential crew, record labels and distributors),
so yours must be a major contender.
4. Is it appropriate for whom you want to attract and the environment in
which it will be presented? A poster or CD for a country audience will not
have the same look and feel presentation as for a heavy metal one.

5. • Who can forget the strong
identity between the
Stones and that bright,
red tongue sticking out
logo? It's a very powerful
example of a highly
successful design. The
Stones logo has graphic
impact, is distinctive and
memorable, and is
appropriate for its rock
audience.
WHY IS THIS IMAGE
ICONIC?

6. • http://www.wtsduplication.com/blog/post/2011/02/09/Graphic-design-history-of-record-album-cover-art.aspx
• The golden era of cover art design began in
the early to mid 1960s and lasted into the
early 1980s. During this time the major format
for music was the 12 inch, long play disc or LP.
Cover art became a part of the musical culture
of the time. Often used to express graphically
the musician’s artistic intent, it helped
connect and communicate to listeners the
message or underlying theme of the album.

7. • Designers, photographers,
and illustrators sometimes
became famous for their
cover art creations. Such
notables as Andy Warhol
and Frank Frazetta were
taken from being known in
their industry to becoming
household names due to
their cover art graphic
design work. So respected
and desired are the designs
and illustrations found in
cover art that there are
numerous art galleries that
specialize in helping
collectors find rare album
covers.

8. • Album cover art, now almost exclusively CD and CD
packaging artwork, went through a period of change
and rebirth in the 1990s. Designers learned to capture
snapshots and portions of the artist’s musical intent
rather than trying to convey the entire message. Also
designers started conveying the emotion of the music
rather than the musical intent.

9. • In the present, CD design is undergoing a true renaissance.
Rather than becoming obsolete in the digital age as many
thought it would, graphic design is once again proving itself
as the difference maker. The internet is now the largest
record store imaginable. Now rather than browsing a few
hundred albums or songs at a time you may be exposed to
thousands and thousands. Since it would be impossible to
listen to portions of all those thousands of songs the design
of the accompanying artwork must cause potential listeners
to stop and take notice and give this album a try.

10. The Design Process
• Professionals have processes to assist them
creatively. There will be an initial consultation
during which lots of questions are asked. Most
designers use a design brief form. The questions
on the form are designed to crystallize and
solidify your identity and vision, so you and the
designer are clear about it. Both get a copy, and
sometimes you'll be asked to sign it to approve
the accuracy before concept development
production begins.
• See example

11. • Mick Jagger’s brief to Andy
Warhol – “do what ever you
want….. and please write back
saying how much money you
would like”.
• The album in question was
Sticky Fingers, which famously
had a huge bulging penis
imprint on a pair of jeans with
a working zipper:

12. NEXT STEPS
• Read article on The Iconography of the Album Cover, pick
out useful/interesting points, add to your blogs and
comment.
• Research Album Art work – find iconic covers and perform
textual analysis, discuss what made the cover iconic – try to
find examples from within your own genre
• Individually write a design brief for you digipak – YOU
MUST NOT TALK TO OTHERS IN YOUR GROUP – this is a test
to see how well you know your artist. Post your brief on
your blog – others in your group must then comment on
whether they agree of disagree/agree with the design brief.
• Make hand-drawn designs for your digipak.
• Plan & schedule your photo shoots.