Pop Digipak First Draft Analysis and Feedback
- 1. DIGIPAK FIRST DRAFT ANALYSIS AND FEEDBACK
- 2. FRONT COVER The design of the front cover in simple and minimalistic like album covers such as Loud by Rihanna or 21 by Adele. This ensures that it is simple and eye-catching, ensuring that it is memorable. I decided to create a self-titled special edition digipak to maintain minimalism on the album cover so that the artist name is the only text that an audience will see. This will ensure that a strong brand image is created alongside the photograph. The font of the artist name is in a sans-serif, blue font and large across the middle of the frame. This further emphasises the brand image and artist name whilst maintaining minimalism. The artist name is in the same font and colour along the spine for continuity and to make the brand memorable. There is also a black institutional logo which is conventional of pop digipaks which aim to promote the record label as well as the artist for financial benefit. The main artist photo is naturalistic in style and taken in a long-shot. This means that the artist is featured in the entire frame and therefore a brand image is created.
- 3. TRACK LISTING The track listing features a medium-long shot image of the artist which emphasises the brand image further, making sure that the digipak has a heavy artist-focus which is conventional of the pop genre (Little Mix Get Weird, Taylor Swif t 1989). The sans serif font style and colour of the track listing is the same as the artist title on the album cover for simplicity and continuity, making the digipak memorable. Clear bonus tracks also convey that the digipak is a special edition version. The copyright/institutional information at the bottom is conventionally found on track listings of digipaks (Little Mix Get Weird). Although not meant for aesthetic purposes, it is always found on an album. It is written in a black sans-serif to ensure that it doesn’t stand out whilst continuing the colour of black found on the artist’s costume. There are website addresses below the copyright information to promote other brand products (like merchandise, for example) to encourage audiences to engage further in the brand whilst also promoting the institution. There is an institutional logo which is always found, whilst a barcode creates verisimilitude as a physical release would always feature one,
- 4. INSIDE PANELS A close-up, birds-eye shot of the artist is spread across two of the inside panels. I drew influence from the inside panels of Loud by Rihanna where the same effect is used to make the digipak memorable and eye catching. By having a large photograph of the artist, the digipak will remain conventional to the stereotypical artist focus. The disk features the artist name in the same blue, sans serif font which is seen on the album cover. This creates a sense of continuity so that the brand is always memorable and recognisable. The disk will also feature institutional information which is conventional of pop digipaks and the institutional logo to promote the record label as well as the artist.
- 5. THANK YOU NOTE I included a thank you note addressed to fans and producers that was written by the artist. The font style was the same sans serif style that is seen in the track listing and artist title. The black colour conforms to the colour scheme of black, white and blue. The white background conforms to the other panels which have light backgrounds so the digipak has continuity and an eye-catching, simple and memorable design. I featured a handwritten-style font for the artist name to act as a signature. This gives the note a personal tone. I chose to include the thank you note because it is something that is rarely seen on a regular physical album so suggests to an audience that it is a special edition digipak .
- 6. FEEDBACK “I am not convinced about the CD – the artist name is slightly too small and seems a bit empty. The font also could change for some difference” WHAT I WILL DO: I do agree that the artist name is slightly too small. To improve, I will enlarge the artist name and use only “ELLA”. This will fill the entire disk so that it remains minimalistic but also engaging and memorable. I have decided not to change the font or colour of the logo design because it will keep a sense of continuity. If I do change the logo, it could become confusing and could distract from the minimalistic style of the digipak which is conventional of pop digipaks. So, the brand image will still be conveyed but it will make the disk more engaging and memorable.
- 7. FEEDBACK “The message needs a bit of changing – perhaps more thanks to various people and her fans rather than it being so personal” WHAT I WILL DO: To improve the thank you message, I will rewrite the message to focus more heavily on the thanks rather than the process that the artist went through when writing the album. This will ensure that the note will address fans so will be more relatable to fans so will entice them to buy the special edition digipak.
- 8. FEEDBACK “I’m not massively keen on the bottom left image. I think it leaves too much space.” WHAT I WILL DO: I agree that the bottom left image does not fit well with the rest of the digipak. It leaves too much space above the artist so may distract the audience and isn’t too eye catching and memorable. To improve this, I will change the photo to one of a medium- shot, over the shoulder photo of the artist. This will ensure that the artist is in the centre of the digipak so that a clear artist- focus and brand image is conveyed. This will mean that the brand is memorable, encouraging audiences to buy the special edition digipak.