This document analyzes the design elements of the digipak for the album "Cavalier Youth" by the band You Me At Six. Key elements discussed include the placement of the barcode, the band's name and logo displayed prominently on the front and spine for branding purposes. Inside, photos from recording sessions in LA give fans insight into the album's production. Design choices like the lighter color scheme and simpler track listing reflect the band's maturation compared to past albums.

1. Existing Digipak Analysis
You Me At Six – Cavalier Youth

2. Outside Cover
The barcode is placed
strategically on the back to
avoid ruining the aesthetics
of the front. However, it is
large enough to be found
easily when being
purchased.
The title of the bands name is at the
top of the album so it is obvious to
what the product is at a quick glance.
The font is also the band’s typical
choice. They do this so it is more
recognisable and is part of their
house style and brand.
The design of this digipak
is very aesthetically
pleasing. The whole of the
outside cover is one
panoramic photo.
The spine of this digipak has the band’s
name on it in their typical typography
making it easily recognisable, similar to
the Final Night of Sin I previously
analysed. The album name is also on the
spine. This is a popular convention for all
music genres. It is practical for when the
albums are stacked on a shelf, the owner
can easily identify which album it is.
This is also the bands logo. As it is small
it appears in various places in the
band’s products including music videos
and posters. It is the number six in
roman numerals. This represents a lot
of power as the romans ruled fiercely.
The main picture of this
album cover is the young
boy wielding a sword. This
is a direct interpretation of
the album title. It is also a
juxtaposition, as the
band’s previous albums
were released when they
were a lot younger.
This track list is very simple
and it is not even numbered.
This is a stark contrast to
their other albums where
their lists have been more
creative. This could be
evidence of how they have
matured as a band.
The band’s record label
BMG has their logo present
on the back of the album. It
has nothing surrounding it
so it stands out against the
digipak’s design.

3. Inside Cover
The pictures on the
inside of the digipak are
photos of the band that
they took in LA whist
recording the album.
This gives the fans an
inside into the
production of the album.
The drumsticks in the picture have the song
titles on them which the drummer, Dan used
to record the cited songs. As a way to connect
to the fans, he gave away twenty drumsticks,
these included and some from live shows to a
number of orders for his clothing label. This
was a way of promotion for his clothing
company as the fans would feel special
owning something that has been part of the
album.
The colour scheme of this album
is a lot lighter compared to
previous digipaks. This could be
interpreted as the band maturing
and this is also reflected in the
new sound of the album as the
songs being less heavy rock.
The album title is across all three
inside panels, with a font that is just
an outline. The font across all three
panels represents the process of the
making of the album. The first is the
input, the middle process, and the last
the output.
The CD is stored in the sleeve so it
does not obstruct the images on the
cover. Also, as it is plain white with
just the band and album name with
the record label’s logo on in black it
is not exactly appealing or striking.
This digipak design does not follow the
typical conventions of the rock genre as
the colours aren’t necessarily dark,
however the exposed tattoos do. In spite of
this, it could be argued that the typical
clothing of the rock genre has changed in
recent years. It is now common sight to see
bands like this to wear vest tops and in this
case, the band is following the conventions
and stereotypes of a rock band.
The can of alcohol follows the
stereotypical connotations of
the rock and roll lifestyle. It
indicates that they were
drinking whilst recording this
album and the filter effect on
the images represents the
haze that alcohol provides.