Design and music, as anyone with even a passing interest in either knows, are inextricably linked. It’s fair to say that an appreciation of one undoubtedly enhances the experience of the other; and that’s why for so many years great bands have emerged from art schools; and why some of the most renowned graphic designers of the past few decades cut their teeth designing for bands.—Emily Gosling
Background
Coldplay’s X&Y album has had a lasting impact on me. It really struck me both visually with its graphic simplicity and its complexity of communicating an idea—the blocks of color are a code that can be deciphered.
I recently posed a thought on Twitter that it seemed a lot of people in my generation and before got into graphic design through music, and because of the shift in the music industry and how music is now consumed, that the introduction into graphic design was slowly moving into different avenues. I never got a clear thought on this, but I still think about it.
Music and graphic design are married in a lot of ways. In a lot of ways, both have needed each other. The band structure is a fitting metaphor for how design studio Experimental Jetset operates.¹
Description
You will be randomly assigned a fictitious band/musician using a Random Wikipedia Page. The title of your album will be the last 4 words on this page. Although there will be preconceived notions from the randomly assigned band/musician name and album title, it is still for you to decide on the genre of music and its intended audience. Start here. With the story of the band.
Process/Media/Tools
This project is open to media of choice. The focus of this class is to create your own imagery, learn new processes, gain experiences using new tools, and to take risks. Try something. Have fun.
A suggestion: Build out a playlist from existing music(or create your own) that captures the sound and feel of your band. Treat this as the aural inspiration for artwork you’re creating. Listen to it while doing nothing. Listen to it driving in your car, exercising, designing, etc.
Objectives
— Visually interpret music
— Implement both analog and digital processes
— Form a better understanding and appreciation of craft and materials
— Develop an ability to problem solve using mock-ups
— Explore new methods of production
Deliverables
The deliverables for this project vary depending on your interests and the type of musician. Everyone will have some form of Album Art, but this project is open to explore different avenues of design and how they relate to music.
12” Vinyl or CD
Design the front and back of the case/sleeve. Consider designing the inside of the case/sleeve, an insert, and the artwork on the vinyl/cd. The album art can be a mockup or you can produce an actual album sleeve.
Bonus:
Gig poster
T-shirt
Music video
Animated album art
Other(feel free to propose an idea)
Final
The final will not be printed, but will be presented on the large screen. Each student will give a presentation walking us through their process of this project starting from beginning to the final cover design. This presentation will replace the printing of your cover and the Process Book that was discussed on the first day of class. Remember to make your presentation in 16:9 ratio.
Your presentation should include, but is not limited to:
— A cover slide with name, date, and band/musician name
— Final cover design
— Process work, ideas, etc.
How did you get from nothing to the final design?
Design and music, as anyone with even a passing interest in either knows, are inextricably linked. It’s fair to say that an appreciation of one undoubtedly enhances the experience of the other; and that’s why for so many years great bands have emerged from art schools; and why some of the most renowned graphic designers of the past few decades cut their teeth designing for bands. —Emily Gosling
Background
Description
Process/Media/Tools
Objectives
Deliverables