The document discusses the design process for a digipak album packaging for a fictional artist named Christina. Key points: 1) Images used in the digipak design include black and white photos relating to the album's themes of separation and a broken heart. 2) Design elements like fonts, imagery and color palettes are consistent throughout the digipak, advertising, and music videos to create a cohesive brand identity. 3) Information on the back cover and inside panels follows industry standards and includes the artist's contact details, tracklist, and production credits.

1. The blue box that runs around the edge of our digipak images is not part of the finished product, nor are the red lines under non-dictionary words. These will all be removed and posted alongside the final products at the end, but for the purpose of analysis, we will be using this version. Front Cover Back Cover Insert Flap

2. The blue box that runs around the edge of our digipak images is not part of the finished product, nor are the red lines under non-dictionary words. These will all be removed and posted alongside the final products at the end, but for the purpose of analysis, we will be using this version. Right Panel Reverse panel to Insert Flap Central Panel CD Panel Reverse panel to Back Cover Left Panel Reverse panel to Front Cover

3. Front Cover We shot each image in black and white, but each had to have editing changes made so it matched the others. We also edited in a soft fish-eye effect and some lighting effects to create the look of a light on the album. We decided to leave the lines between each image to continue the theme of separation, which was used in the advert too. However, we did ensure that each photo was taken from the same distance to help with sizing. The typography used on the cover is the same used throughout the advert, video and the digipak, which adds continuity. It is a serif-based font, but is soft at the same time, which helps describe our music and create a brand. The black and white effect was something that we used throughout the advert and the video, so we chose to use it in the digipak too. We didn’t want to clutter the front cover of the album, as our research showed that artists like Christina don’t tend to have a lot on their covers, and it depends on their brand identity. For this reason, we chose to have all writing at the top, and let the image be the stand-out area of the cover. By designing the digipak with the finished article in mind, we built a template that incorporated spines that would fit the whole project together. The use of Christina’s major record label, RCA, on this spine, is something we found happens a lot through our research. With our house colours being orange, red and black, we felt that the images were more effective in B&W, so left them as that. The motif of the stool is used within the digipak, but the more prominent motif across the projects seems to be the B&W effect.

4. Back Cover The image of a torn-up diary behind the text relates to the album title, ‘The Diary of my Broken Heart.’ Some of the songs are written on dates, which can be seen through the text. It also acts as a good background, as it is white. We wanted a stark contrast between front cover and back, so we tried to fill the cover as best as possible whilst not obscuring the image. The typography is the same used throughout the projects, and is has a 1920’s vibe about it. This is very similar to our music and our style for the video, and it helps define our brand. By including ways to contact Christina, we have opened up the album to our target audience, who will access the website. Although we haven’t designing the website, it acts as a way of keeping in touch with her fans, and adds some intimacy, which we found during our research is very prominent. The use of two colours for the tracklist again helps display the theme of separation, and relates to the song titles. It also helps incorporate the house colour of red against the white background. The use of the record label logos above the barcode is a traditional convention of a digipak, and was also used on our magazine advert. All relevant industry information that we saw throughout our various sets of research was used on the back of the album cover. This includes copyright information, production info and record company details.

5. Insert Flap We didn’t want any writing on this panel, as we felt that the image was quite important and so nothing should take away from that. This flap shows the star image motif and the house colours. It was an image taken on a day of shooting, and as a standalone image, does not mean a lot to the viewer, however, is very significant to the project and specifically the storyline of the video. We decided to use an image of the stool having been kicked over, rather than still on four legs, as this is a defining image from the video. The woman kicking the stool over signifies that the man is out of her life, lending itself to our theme of separation again. By not showing someone on this panel, we have been able to create a brand that is not reliant on selling the music through the person, and that the identity of the artist is not necessarily compulsory. This is the only use of the house colours on the whole of the digipak, as we felt that with this being the first image you see as you open the front cover, it should stand out.

6. Inside the Digipak By covering the man’s face with the CD, it continues the theme of separation, as once fully opened out, you would only be able to see the two women, with a gap running through the middle. By shooting the images initially in black and white, we were able to gain the lighting effects immediately, rather than having to choose a filter once editing. We shot these images to look vaguely like police mug shots, to show that they were in the wrong, but also very upset. Right Panel Reverse panel to Insert Flap Central Panel CD Panel Reverse panel to Back Cover Left Panel Reverse panel to Front Cover We wanted to keep our genre characteristics very traditional, and we chose to keep to as many conventions as possible. For this reason, everything on the inside is simple, yet carefully thought through to ensure this happens. By using the three images used on the cover, we help unpick a puzzle and it also adds another side to each character. The slight smirk on the male’s face adds a sense of mystery around the image. Again, we used the B&W effect, which is our secondary motif. The lack of colour will make the CD stand out from the packaging, which we plan to have as one of the house colours.