CD Cover

[HaroldDesign]

Any thoughts on this as a CD cover?
Fire away!

 

[Rick]

What kind of music?
What are you trying to say with it?
What does it mean?

 

[Marlene]

a line between...what yes, what? not sure I get what what is

 

[EddieGallivant]

Nice Cover

 

[HaroldDesign]

What kind of music?
What are you trying to say with it?
What does it mean?

The music is rock (www.alinebetween.com)
The name itself is quite ambiguous.
I'm not looking for "meaning" in a CD cover. We're not looking to "express" ourselves in cover art. I want it to be interesting enough to look at, but not suggest anything that takes away from the name being ambiguous itself.

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

my only suggestion would be to apply a filter or create an effect to 'tone' down the speaker symbol as it has no depth it just looks placed on top because it is.

 

[B Snyder]

The modern icon clashes with the rest and I'm not fond of the lines under the I, N and T.

 

[HaroldDesign]

Thank you for the comments! It's great getting suggestions on concepts, because there's no time wasted on things that should not be developed. Dan - I did just "put" it there. It needs help - I wasn't about to go further with that if the general opinion was that it's stupid to begin with. B Snyder - It does clash too much, but with Dan's suggestion I think it will work. The line under the letters aren't really that (it may appear that way on screen), but in print or better picture there is a logical pattern to what looks like a line running through the letters, not underneath. Hmmm... maybe I should ditch that part. Something to think about!

 

[Rick]

First Caleb, thank you for a well thought out response, and a lot of bands pretty much have that same idea about album cover design. Bands want to express themselves with music, just thinking with a designers hat on about how to put that across to the potential buyer. So I get what you are saying. But like most designed things, ambiguous is still saying something, and your CD also has to have shelf appeal. Obscure is difficult to pull off without some deeper concept driving it. How would it stack up against other similar bands? I listened to the 2 tunes you have.

Below is a scan of a book I usually recommend on communicating graphically certain ideas... this is what it says about obscure/ambiguous... I think it can be more interesting and more appealing. I think your band logo and the speaker icon fight each other because of the different graphic styles. I would to to come up with a concept then obscuring it graphically.

 

[HaroldDesign]

Thanks Rick! I think I could go for something that works into the design, but plays on a "hidden" quality. I like the example of a refection that is not the original image, too. That's great what it says about getting information about what people don't want (I use the all the time), just as I am never "offended" when someone points out a fault or negative opinion of my work, because it always still says something about what should or shouldn't be. Thanks!

 

[HaroldDesign]

Did some work on it...

So I had some time to work on this CD art some more. Now that the CD is done and mastered the only hold up is the art. This is showing the back/front. Thank you all for the input!!

 

[Circleville Signs]

First, congrats on getting the disc finished! I've been involved in the making of over 15 in my day, and the effort is usually worth it!

now, for the design. I REALLY do not like the speaker symbol. Why do you want it in there? Are you concerned that people won't know that your CD contains music? The rest of the design has a certain feel to it, and that speak icon just looks ridiculously out of place.

I think hat if you just lose that, you will have a fully rendered concept.


Gary

 

[HaroldDesign]

First, congrats on getting the disc finished! I've been involved in the making of over 15 in my day, and the effort is usually worth it!

now, for the design. I REALLY do not like the speaker symbol. Why do you want it in there? Are you concerned that people won't know that your CD contains music? The rest of the design has a certain feel to it, and that speak icon just looks ridiculously out of place.

I think hat if you just lose that, you will have a fully rendered concept.


Gary

Thanks Gary! The speaker thing is just something that "stuck" when I used it on a couple of show posters. For whatever reason people asked to keep those ones after shows, so I figured people like it. So far I thought it made for a nice clash between modern and ornate. ...Now I'm not so sure! I'll be taking a print proof to practice tonight (even though I still have to finish the inside art), and I'll make another one without the "icon". We've been using that speaker symbol for branding.

 

[Circleville Signs]

If the speaker symbol is something that you are branding with, then it needs to be included - but what about "remaking" it to flow more with the ornate piece flowing off to the right of it?

just dropping the texture over the top of it isn't making it blend at all...

Of course, my opinion and $.50 will get you a bad cup of coffee


Gary

 

[HaroldDesign]

If the speaker symbol is something that you are branding with, then it needs to be included - but what about "remaking" it to flow more with the ornate piece flowing off to the right of it?

just dropping the texture over the top of it isn't making it blend at all...

Of course, my opinion and $.50 will get you a bad cup of coffee


Gary

I agree. Something about it. I looked at it again, and I think I'm going to use the speaker shape as a mask over an area of the background of the back cover so it's not so "look at me", and helps a sense of flow.

 

[Circleville Signs]

First, great use of that icon

I like the mask idea. I'd say, maybe set it at around a 30% opacity?

Gary

 

[HaroldDesign]

Thanks again for the input! I don't want to get these things printed and then think, "this sort of sucks". I'll post an update of "final" cover and inside art some day soon. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[HaroldDesign]

So I've finished the inside of the jacket (forgot to make a file to bring for show and tell) and I've changed the cover again. And again. I like this route a lot more. What do you think?

 

[Circleville Signs]

You didn't post anything!!!


Gary

 

[SD&F]

I dig.