Final CD Cover

CD Cover: Initial Ideas

Throughout the design process, I wanted to use polaroids to create a nostalgic feeling and polaroids link to the influential 80's era. As polaroids are popular and used to demostrate "vintage" I wanted to twist how they were used, in order to make the polaroids more interesting. As seen in the image on the left, I used one image but multiple polaroids so the image flows.

Progressing on from the idea above, I decided to create an entire image, however make it appear as though it was individual polaroids achieving this. I found that this idea worked incredibly well and with the use of Photoshop Elements I was able to create the desired idea. Although, the image on the left was the one I originally used, I realised that the singer wasn't the main focus of the image, because he wasn't positioned in an obvious place. The singer was shadowed in the darkness and on the left of the polaroid, which takes the focus off him and places it on the microphone and the light as these are more central.

Due to the fact I had a few ideas, I experimented with different ones to see which idea worked best. As well as looking at the idea of just using one image in the polaroids I also experiemented with using more than one image. Although, this created a different effect and gave the consumer more to look at, I felt for a front cover it was too busy. It also didn't look as impressive as using just the one image, because it wasn't as challenging; however, the image does portray the bands genre well and because of this I felt it would work better on the inside cover with the lyrics; the image gave too much away about the band and didn't leave anything up to the audience's imagination.

This is the beginning of my CD cover design and how I positioned all the the polaroids in order to create a "thrown down on the table" effect. I wanted the cover to have a natural messy desk feel to it, which is another reason why I have created a "thrown down" look to the polaroids; I also layered paper behind the polaroids to imply the idea of a desk clearly. The writing on the paper added depth to the cover, because I experimented without the writing and I felt the paper blended too much with the desk wood. Before deciding on the image of the singer, I had an image of a small, old street from the back streets of Norwich, I felt that the image linked well with the genre of the band because it was quirky, however when I incorporated it into my design although the quirkiness linked to the genre the image itself wasn't relevent to the band and I wanted the audience to be able to relate to the band.

This was the original finished design and although the image and the font tie-in well with each other because they are both traditional; I think the font is too traditional and too busy with the image as well. It isn't accessible to the audience either; it gives the impression that that band aren't engaged with their audience, compared with my second experiment. The image is that of the singer from the video and because of this exposure in both the video and the CD cover the audience are familiar to him and therefore can engage with the music differently. The simplisity of the font doesn't place a timeframe on the font, because it is relatively nondescript, whereas the previous was slightly "olde-worlde" which again would distance the audience because it's not something they can necessarily relate to as a majority. The main reason I kept the idea of the paper was because of the theme of school that runs throughout the video and I wanted to link the CD cover with the video. I also experimented with the positioning of the writing on the cover, because I decided that perhaps generic wasn't best. The writing frames the polaroids rather than crowding it and by having the titles near each other instead a width apart concentrates the audiences focus onto the image because they're not having to change their attention between three different areas on the cover as they would have to in the second experiment I did.

My original inside pane was going to be the lyrics of "The Exam" although this worked well, I decided to use lyrics from two different 'Blighters' songs because the paper was layered on top of each other, the audience couldn't read all the lyrics anyways; it also gave a variety and linked well the songs that were on the CD. I finally decided to have three pieces of paper, each with the beginning of three different Blighter's lyrics on (one of which was "The Exam"). I decided to experiment with the use of images on the inside panes as well and because I didn't feel the montage of images was appropriate for the front cover I chose to use them inside the CD case instead. I felt this engaged the audience more because there is the sense of mystery on the front cover, because it doesn't give much away (imagewise) and in order to find out more they just have to look inside the case where there are more images that suggest slightly more about the band. The use of polaroids also link the front and inside cover, as does the paper, creating a smooth flow between each pane.

I wanted the CD cover to resemble a desk; this was the base of my idea and through experimenting I was able to create the effect I wanted. The most difficult pane to make realistic was the back pane, because I wanted it to appear as though it was the underneath of a table; however I wasn't sure how to incorporate graffiti and layer it to make it look realistic. By scanning a piece of paper with random pieces of graffiti written on it and layering above the background and changing the transparency I was able to replicate the underneath side of a table. Due to the font being simplisitc throughout the CD cover the graffiti, similar to the writing on the paper, added depth rather then making it appear too busy.


As well as the back pane being difficult, the pane behind the CD was also difficult. This can sometimes be forgotten and it doesn't need too much design because it is behind the CD, however I decided to create something that was better to look at than a blank wood effect pane. I experimented and attempted to incorporate the exam idea, however the handwritten element didn't work well and neither did the pen and paper idea. Instead of the exam idea, I experimented with just using polaroids and titles without paper and the effect worked better than when I included paper as well. The choice to use the website address again (I used it on the back pane as well) was to familairise the audience with the band more because it is although the band truly want their fans to visit their site because they've mentioned the site twice.

CD Covers

Although this is a simple design, it impacts the audience because of the bold solid use of colour against a solid blackground, by using a bold red and cream against a black background makes the band's name stand out. Also, the use of perspective suggests to the audience that the female on the cover is shouting out "Franz Ferdinand" this is also strengthened by the use of strong block capital letters that are opposite to the colour they're against (cream "Franz" against a red background); by shouting out the name of the band, or at least appearing too, suggests that she is trying to capture the audiences attention. The use of dots to implicate shadows on the female create an more interesting image and also allow her to stand out against the black background because of the where there aren't any shadows her skin is white.

There are aspects of this CD cover that could be interesting to experiment with when designing Blighters CD cover, for instance the dots would make a plain image interesting because it looks as though the image has been printed, similar to images seen in a comic strip. The link to comic strips would also echo the 1980's, as comics were popular around this era. Using perspective also gives the image a twist because on this cover it is as though the female is speaking to the audience.

Similarily with "Franz Ferdinand", "Tears for Fears" album cover is basic, however the colour scheme is blander compared with the bold colours used above. However, "Tears for Fears" album cover is perfect as the image and blank empty space used reflects the title of the album, because people often feel empty and blank when they're hurting. The audience are attracted to the image because they want to help the "hurting" child, and can feel sympathy towards him. Although, pastel colours are used the child still stands out against the off-white background because there is a light illuminating him, from behind him. He also is dressed in dark colours that contrast with the off-white background. Despite on Franz Ferdinand's album cover they have used a bold strong font, "Tears for Fears" opted for a minimalistic font that is simply placed in the top right hand corner. However, "Tears for Fears" title is strategically placed directly above the image of the boy; this could work either way, the audience look from the title down to the image of the boy or from the image of the boy to the title, either way the audience will be informed who's album this is. The strong black colour used contrasts with the off-white background drawing attention to it, because apart from the boy it is the only difference in colour.

Although the CD cover is powerful, the blankness of the image isn't appropriate to the genre of "Blighters" who, compared with "Tears for Fears" are more flippant. The contrasting of colours is something that could be experimented with as it draws consumers attention to the cover, however I would probably experiment with bold strong colours as used by "Franz Ferdinand." The title is attention-catching because the colour is the inverse of the white background and the font is simplistic, which would work well with my idea for a CD cover, because of the busyness of my cover (multiple polaroids, one image); also by using a simplistic font on my front cover, it would be attention-catching as it wouldn't blend in with the polaroid image because the font would be clean cut.

Jack Penate's album 'Everything is new' uses a black and white scheme which suggests a traditional tone, because the black and white palette is reminiscent of old photo's. The font is also traditional and ties in well the nostaligic tone that the album is implying. The sense of nostalgia that 'Everything is new' is suggesting is a theme/tone that I have attempted to interweave throughout my music video and will imply through my print production. I chose to have the artist on the front cover of my CD cover as it promotes the artist and familiarises the audience with the artist, although my image isn't as obvious as Jack Penate's image, which perhaps makes it harder for the audience to relate to my artist but it creates a sense of mystery which lacks in this album cover because you are able to not only see the artists face, but also the style of clothing that he's wearing. Due to the fact that there isn't obvious connotations to the indie/alternative genre on 'Everything is new' the style of clothing is included to implicate the genre; for my design I decided to use polaroids which are related to the indie/alternative audience (I found this out from research on social network sites by seeing the types of photo's that consumers associated with this genre use).

'Silent Alarm' has been created in a similar way to Tears for Fears album cover; the lack of colour, the simplistic font, the dramatic image - although dramatic in different ways. The blur effect used on the tree line suggest reverbs from an alarm which has direct links to the name 'Silent Alarm' - all the audience can see is the effect of the alarm, they can't hear the sound. Similarly with the album cover idea I have decided on, my images will have direct ties to the name of the song 'The Exam'. Direct connotations assist the audience into imagining what the album is like and what the songs are about; this helps the consumer relate to the album and music better because they understand it. The blank white background makes the blurring stand out more on the black tree line because they contrast the white so obviously. The use of image connotes a sense of deathly silence, which again would link well to the name of the album; the vast open space and perspective allows the audience to imagine that the emptiness is neverending which in turn highlights the sense of loneliness and silent alarm as there is no one around to hear cries of help and therefore an individual's alarm would essentially be silent. The block font suggests cold hard reality and ties in well with the emptiness of the CD cover because it is simple and the steel grey colour complements the white and black palette; steel grey block lettering could symbolise industrialisation and the effect it's having on the modern world or on the human race, because the blank space could be the devastation it can potentially leave behind or the emptiness and loneliness that humanity experiences; this allows the audience members to engage with the music on a different level. Although the band themselves aren't shown on the album cover, the audience can possibly still relate to them on an emotional level because the individual consumer can assume that the performers felt a sense of this emptiness/loneliness when creating the music and instead of allowing the audience to relate to them on a physical level by having images of themselves they decided to let the consumer in on an emotional level, perhaps to create a deeper understanding.

Bloc Party also have a remixed version of 'Silent Alarm'; the album cover is the same, apart from it is in negative. Negative is an inverse of colour. The inverted colours could suggest an inverse emotions, changed emotions - different from the lonely, blank and empty feelings portrayed from the orginal 'Silent Alarm' album. The dark black background suggests a different time of the day compared with the original, whereas the brightness of the orginal suggests daytime, this suggests night; anything can happen in the dark (what you see isn't necessarily what you get) and Bloc Party are saying that anything could happen with this album, music connotes different things when remixed. Compared with the tone of industrialistation/factories implied in the font before, against the black background the font looks bright glowing, similar to city lights. As does the tree line, rather than trees as you see them naturally in the countryside, these trees seem as though they're lining a road or avenue, somewhere urban/suburban. The difference between these two 'Silent Alarm' albums suggest that there are two sides to every person, there are two different emotions you can have; sadness = the inverse is happiness, hatred = the inverse is love, anger = the inverse is calm; the audience are able to relate to the music with different emotions, because there are two different version of the same album; original and remixed.

Ideas for CD Cover

Photo Montage

Blighters are a modern band, first formed in 2005, however are heavily influenced by the 1980's and the bands of this era, such as Japan. I want to create an album cover that reflects the 1980's, but also is relevent and appealing to a modern 21st century audience. The idea of using individual sections of an object to create the bigger picture, similar to how it's used in the image above, would be appropriate for a band like Blighters, as the polaroid images creates a sense of nostalgia because polaroids were one of the first instant cameras. The use of polaroid images also creates an artisitc, creative feel and suggest individualism which should be considered as the product should appeal to audiences and give them a sense of individuality and collectiveness.

Images of the band

Rilo Kiley's album "under the blacklight" has the members of Rilo Kiley on the cover, this familarises the audience with the band members rather than creating an elusive image; also the outfits used suggests the genre of the music. Using a spotlight to highlight the band draws the audiences attention to the band, making them the main focus of the album cover. The title above the band divides the attention between the band and the title, as it is directly above the band and the space between the band and the title is shared equally.


"Black Kids" introduce the band using an image as well, but the audience can only see the tops of the band member's heads as opposed to the whole band. This creates an interesting effect as it suggest mystery, however at the same time doesn't allow the audience to familairise themselves with the band members. The use of the bubble font suggests the pop genre, however it is given a quirky edge because it isn't brightly coloured and the font doesn't fit all the way across the cover.

I like the idea of using images of the band, and I would try and use the people that the audience see when watching our video in order to create consistency and a sense of familiarity. It could prove effective as Blighters influence Japan use band images on the front of their album cover so would not only link well to their influences but also the era in that has influenced them as well.

Choosing a format : CD Designs

rounded clear cd case

This is simple minimalistic cd case design and is similar to how I would have my design for the cd case, however there are certain issues with this case compared with a generic cd case; for instance, there isn't alot possibility to have a booklet with the album art cover on it, because there would be nowhere to slip it and in order to draw attention to the case, there would have to be bright obvious artwork on the front of the cd.

conventional plastic cd case

This cd case is more of a conventional design; it is more practical design, and compared with the previous cd design displaying album artwork and including a booklet will be easier. In order to make the cd case interesting and appeal to audiences, the album artwork will have to be eye-catching. However, the case is fairly conventional, and although the most practical, I don't believe it looks as professional as the other cd cases. Millions of these cd cases are sold every year, and therefore I don't think they express 'Blighters' individuality.

3 panelled CD case

One of the more practical designs for designs for cd cases is the three-panelled case, as there is enough room for artwork on the front and within the inside of the case, also there is enough room for a booklet to be placed inside as well, or to have the information on the insides panels instead of having a booklet. I like this design as it's more professional, however if this was on sale it would normally have more than one cd inside it, because of the amount of space created by the panels.

Cardboard cd case with inside pocket

Although, this is a digipak, if it could be made into cd case size it would be appropriate, because there is the practical aspect in the plastic holding for the cd - so it doesn't slip out. The inside pocket of the case is practical and convenient as slipping the booklet inside it is easier than in a plastic cd case, however because there isn't anything holding a booklet into place when opening the cd case it could slip out.

Heeeeello =D

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