Album Design - Cohesive Style

Spine: Conventions - Research Existing Products

Spine: Conventions - Research

The final part of the album I am going to research is the spine of the album; even though this is the smallest part visible on the album it is also very important as it distinguishes the album when it is stacked alongside other albums. As I have done in my research for the front and back cover of the album I have found typical features which are used on existing CD spines. Here is a list of the conventions used;

• Name of the record company in recognised font, or logo
• Name of band
• Name of album
• Code linking to the record company

As shown in the pictures below, CD spines are used to organise albums so that it is visible for consumers to recognize them when they are stacked. Usually the design of the spine will follow the same format and style as the front and back covers of the album to show continuity and to continue the established style and image of the artist or band.

From my research I have found that one of the main styles used on CD spines is the simple white background with black text and maybe a hint of colour, this is a clear and easy style for the audience as it is easy to read. By choosing this style the main focus of the design can be on the font as the background is plain and simple therefore making the name of the artist and extra information included stands out more. Another main choice for spines on CDs is similar to what I have mentioned above but instead of white background and black text it is reversed to a black background and white text. The final design used is to add colour as shown on the screen shot to the right, this type of design is usually chosen if there is artwork followed throughout the album, I think using colour is a brave choice as it can sometimes make the album look confusing and make it hard for the audience to read the context on the spine. 

In conclusion I have found that the majority of spines on CDs it needs to be clear and neat, also the artists/band name, album name, record company logo and serial need to be featured on the spine as well. Usually only two to three colours are used max this is to keep it clear and easy for the audience to read. Overall the spine works the best when it shows continuity with the front and back covers of the CD. 

Back Cover: Conventions - Research Existing Products

Back Cover: Conventions - Research Existing Products

After researching front cover designs, I’m moving onto back cover designs of albums as this is usually the next part the customer would initially look at as they automatically flip over from the front cover. Similarly to front covers there are conventions followed on album back covers, here are some examples of the features that are generally found on back covers;

• Name of artist/band at the very top
• Name of album beneath the name of the artist/band
•  Lists of song titles featured on the album, often with numbers displayed next to the track
• Barcode in the bottom right hand corner
• Name of the record company
• Copyright and year
• Art work or images that are related to the front cover and artist/band
• Who owns the copyrighted material
• Who the album has been distributed by

As mentioned in my research for album front covers, these specific conventions can and are being broken in the music industry. Specific artists especially those associated with the indie genre are breaking these rules and conventions as it is a way of them expressing themselves as an artist and testing society.

Front Cover: Conventions - Research Existing Products

Front Cover : Conventions - Research Existing Products 

Front Cover: Cnventions - ResearchFirstly for my research I am going to look at the CD front cover, in order to get a clear idea of how to conventionally create a CD front cover I am looking at existing CD front covers from all different genre backgrounds. The CD front cover is the first thing the likely buyer would see, therefore it is very important in promoting and selling the artist.

From my research I have discovered certain conventions that are included on the majority of CD front covers, here is a list of the conventions.

1. Main Image - either illustrated or photograph of the artist or unique interesting style to represent the artist or band 
2. Artists name - The artists or bands name is appeared on the front cover in a specialised and eye-catching font 
3. Album name - feature used for all albums, gives the audience a feel about what the songs on the album are going to be about
4. Logo - an iconic logo which is associated with a band or artist is used so fans can recognise the artist or band.

I have also noticed from my research that certain artists like to challenge these conventions to stand out from the crowd. For example the famous Beatles album often referred to as ‘the white album’ featured a plain white CD cover just the word ‘The Beatles’ simply featured in the corner of the cover. This is an effective way to grab the audience’s attention. In todays society especially within the indie genre artists and bands will use unconventional fonts and images to attract younger audiences to engage and pick up the CD.

Conclusion

In conclusion from my research of album front cover, I have found that there is a vast diversity in album covers, especially because of all the different genres of music available. For example it have noticed generally with the pop genre the main image is always focused on the artist, however with the indie genre random images or icons associated with the band or their image is used instead. In general the design of the album cover is usually eye catching and simple, and predominantly conventions are usually followed however sometimes these conventions are broken which allows me to play around with my design and see what conventions fit well with my concept as my artist is associated with the sub-genre indie-pop.  

Ancillary Text: CD Cover, Back and Spine

Ancillary Text: CD Cover, Back and Spine 

As part of the digipak I have to create for my ancillary texts, I need to design and produce an album case, which includes the front and back covers, inside sleeves and spine. To do this I will using a template, the template will be useful and helpful as it includes measurements I need to work from when creating. I will need to research and plan from existing products and gather information and inspiration before I start designing for my own texts. Here is the template in which I will use.

Below is an example of an existing digipak from indie pop artist Lana Del Rey; hopefully my final product will follow this professional style and standard.

For the research and planning I will be looking at each element of the album separately, firstly the front cover then the back and spine, etc. When researching I am going to look at all aspects involved such as fonts, colour schemes, artwork, photography elements, and the conventions involved associated with both the artists genre and general conventions connected to album front covers.