External Box Design

Now that my typography and ornaments are totally completed I can concentrate on putting them together and creating a solid 'brand' for the brief. Below are the final designs for the external box (not to scale), featuring both the typography, the borders and everything else I've made so far.

Final Border Design (digitalised)

These are the finalised borders, text ornaments and small details of the external box. From being hand rendered in my sketchbook I then used the Marquee tool, the Polygonal Lasso tool and the Fill tool in Photoshop to finish them off properly and to the high standard I wanted. An advantage of having the big files digitally also means I can edit them when and how I please and if I want I can play with colour really easily.

Border Final Design (sketchbook)

Again drawing influence from the extensive research I've undertaken I was able to again draw my own Art Deco border. Some other influences include the Great Gatsby film, and the associated design and branding with that.

What inspired me most from these designs were definitely from the sharp, angular lines shooting across the canvas from all directions. However, the geometry is still very precise and disciplined and it can be seen how delicately the features were placed. The custom text is the main focal point of the image and stands out because of its rounded edges and silver texture, distinguishing it from the bronze-gold present in the rest of the work. The diagonal lines down from the logo help draw the eye down to the release date text and are an example of how good graphic design can control a viewers appreciation of the image.

The same style of intricate design is present in this poster too, although in a slightly muted way. The borders frame the characters beautifully and although in their own right they hold a place in the stars they don't steal any thunder from the cast. Again it can be seen that the diagonal lines present to draw the eye in certain places are there, this time directing you to the title of the film and the young woman resting on the credits.


(images credit to https://www.behance.net/Likeminded and all belong to their respective designers.)

Vinyl Cover Research (1)

So after some initial research into the depths of the internet, I found some exotic examples of creative vinyl packaging. This design was the first that caught my eye because of the impressive origami- yes, this 'sleeve' is composed of screen printed, origami folded paper.

At first glance it may not even seem like a vinyl cover. The paper is folded in a way representative of a birthing flower and reportedly was supposed to portray the feel and atmosphere of the music inside.

The paper cover gives a hand crafted feel, with attention to detail all over the octagonal origami. 

I like it because it's so different- how many mainstream artists go the extra mile to ensure their work is so totally different from anything else? I don't know but what I do know now is that it's entirely possible to make a feasible design from the simplest of materials. 

At this moment I'm unsure as to how this inspiration could come across in my work, but I'm toying with the idea of possibly using some type of printing in the packaging. Possibly it will only be for the title or some effects but who knows yet. 

(Images via http://www.creativebloq.com )

Initial Album Packaging and Merchandise Ideas

So, I've been looking at producing this edition of the album as a 12" vinyl, mainly because they are bigger which gives me more room to wiggle in in terms of design and packaging. However I also wanted to view this project as producing a limited-run of this particular design, and I thought a vinyl would be something more distinct than a typical CD, especially in that serious music collectors often have record players and, more to the point, record collections. I also think a really outstanding vinyl has way more 'Oomph!' than a titchy CD!

For this reason I wanted to design the packaging as something different, not just a record sleeve or something that opens out. I'm also considering making a prototype for this though, so it must be feasible in means of production and printing.

Merchandise is something almost every single music artist has as part of their package now, whether it be cool, grunge-rock t-shirts and tote bags to cutesy comfy pillows with Elton John's face on. Iggy already has a range of merch including t-shirts and totes (of course!), along with a cloth fan, temporary tattoos, patches and artsy nail stickers. Therefore I don't really want to do something similar to these, they've been done before and it would be easy to make the mistake of creating something identical.

Ideas I'm throwing around at the moment include her own actual fashion range, maybe some provocative bikinis or swimsuits (sex and erotica are often underlying in her lyrics although not something I want to focus on too much), instead of the cookie-cutter t-shirts and hoodies with a logo on that she promotes at the moment. A make-up range could appeal to her female fanbase, however some market research would be needed to be able to make a definite decision on this.

Concept Mind-Map

As mentioned previously, this is the mind-map I made using the most important theme buzzwords.



 As seen in the map, everything I've deducted links to the most common theme of wealth.

Wealth is a result of a successful career because of the determination she writes about. This is because she puts in a lot of hard work, which again directly results in an abundance of money. Wealth also is a factor in living a high-class, luxury life which gives her access to the expensive fashion she obviously admires. The 'lone wolf' in her comes as a consequence of her drive and need for success, and so linking it to her career as a contributing presence.

These kinds of deductions give me the foundations of a really solid concept. A mind map like this allows me to think more about the direction I want to go with the idea, and I can always use it as a reference to go back to when I need to bring new thoughts into it.

From here I will finalise a concept and explain the process behind it thoroughly and how I will use it in my work.