The document discusses the design of various components of a digipak for a music album, including the front cover, inside cover, disc, and back cover. Research was conducted on conventions for indie/pop album packaging. Key conventions followed include featuring the artist prominently and using cohesive color schemes and fonts. Some conventions were challenged, such as including a personal photo on the inside cover and using bright colors. The overall design aims to effectively market an unsigned band and link the packaging to the music video's theme of a relationship.

1. How effective is
the
combination of
your main
product with
ancillary texts?

2. After my music video was complete, my task
was to make an effective advert and digipak
that corresponded to the music video and
would attract my target audience.
Although my music video uses a female
actor to act the male artist, I felt it was
important to have the actual artist himself as
the primary focus of the digipak and advert
for the album. By doing this, the audience
can recognise him as an artist even though
he isn’t starring in his own music video.
During my research into digipaks I noticed
that along with using a powerful image of
the artist for the front cover, designers often
use a powerful colour scheme
that entices the viewer to pick up the
digipak. I thought this was especially
important due to it being an 'unsigned
band‘, that wouldn’t be typically well known
or heard of. So strong marketing was
important. Using a white background with
bright pastel colours on the font and the
artists outfit creates a contrast making the
cover stand out.

3. Front Cover
Before designing my front cover, I did some
research to find out the common conventions of
Indie/Pop digipaks. Florence and the Machine
inspired me to use an image of the artist as the
main focus of the album cover. As you can see, a
centre focus of the artist has been affectively used
therefore I used this convention to hopefully create
my own successful front cover.
Another inspiration was the band ‘Fun’. This album
also shows the convention of the band as the main
focus of the album cover. However, this album
cover expanded my ideas. The title is shown in a
formal font, whereas usually the word ‘fun’ is
expected to be written in a ‘fun’ way. This makes
the album cover different to others. Also, the colour
of the font matches with the clothes the band are
wearing. This creates cohesion within the cover,
linking it all as one. Therefore, I used this idea by
matching my title to the colour of the artists jeans.
However, whilst the ‘Fun’ album shows a formal
font and dull colour, I decided to slightly challenge
this convention by using yellow within my title, as this
is often seen as a ‘fun’ colour. I did this as I feel it
will make my cover stand out from the others, and
create individuality and furthermore attract my
target audience of Indie/Pop.

4. Inside Cover For my inside cover I decided
upon a simple image of the artist.
The image I took shows a personal
up close side to the artist, looking
directly at the audience. This
creates a more personal look
between the artist and the
audience as they will feel he is
looking at them, as apposed to
looking at the camera. By doing
this, I have challenged common
Indie/Pop conventions. The inside
cover will commonly be plain, or
showing some minor decorative
pattern. I didn’t want to follow this
convention as I felt this didn’t suit
the album ‘Fun’ and required a
more quirky approach.

5. Disc For the disc, I have used a similar
image to the inside cover – it is slightly
different. I have decided to follow the
genre convention by having the disc
include an image of the artist. I did
this as I feel it allows the disc to stand
out, and remain character without it’s
case. By using a similar image to the
inside cover, when the audience
open the CD case, they will have two
very similar images which have a
personal, direct look upon them. This
continues to create the relationship
between the artist and the audience.
Furthermore, the font used on the
disc is the same as the font on the
front cover, this continues the
cohesion of the digipak throughout.

6. Back Cover For the back cover, I have used an
image of the artist but with a girl aside
him, looking at him over her glasses. By
having the girl do this, this puts focus on
the artist but also focus on the song
titles. As she is looking in the direction of
the artist and the song titles, the
audience will follow her eyes. I have
chosen to include a girl within the
image as the album is focused around
a relationship and love. This image
therefore then gives the audience an
insight to what the album is about. For
this image, both the artist and the
female are wearing the same vest top.
This is to show the ‘indie’ genre by using
a multi-gender top, which isn’t
common. Furthermore this creates a like
with the girl character and the artist.

7. Back Cover
By including a female on the back cover
this links well with my music video, as the
focus of my song is a break up with a girl. By
having this shown on the digipak as well as
in the video this links them together nicely to
give the audience an idea of how the artist
feels and what they are writing about.

8. Magazine Advert
For the magazine advert I have used the album cover
the represent the album. I found this was a common
convention with all indie/pop adverts for their albums,
therefore it makes sense to use this convention to make
an affective advertisement for my own. This allows the
audience to recognise the album when they are
purchasing it, creates identity for the artist and
furthermore allows the album, any advertisements and
the music video to work together as a whole.
On the advert I have included the artist, the name of the
album and the release date. I have also included a few
of the other songs included in the album to give the
audience an insight of what the album includes and
encourage purchase. I have then included ‘pre-order
now!’ to encourage the sale as this gives the affect that
it’s likely to sell out making people feel it’s urgent that
they buy the album and don’t miss out. The use of the
word ‘now’ with an exclamation mark makes the
statement bolder and is giving the audience and
instruction to follow. I found this was also a common
convention of pop magazine adverts specifically.
Finally, I included a rating from the magazine. By giving it
a rating the audience will see how good the album is
and this encourages sales as if the magazine they like is
giving the album a good rating, they are likely to enjoy
the album due to similar genres. Furthermore, it could
increase sale through curiosity, and wanting to conform
to social demands.