GCSE Applied Media
MODULE ONE – AUDIENCES and INSTITUTIONS
Design a CD COVER
for a new artist
Name: ________________________________________
Form: _____________________
http://www.eatmedia.co.uk 2
Task
• Analyse a CD cover
• Create your own CD cover
• Evaluate your CD cover
How to use this booklet
This booklet will guide you through the process of completing Module 1. It is split up
into five parts. You should aim to complete the work in your own time. You can also
use the VLE to do this online, if you want
Each part contains hints on how to design your CD cover and short tasks to complete.
These can be written straight into the booklet, you can do them on file paper if you
want or you can do them online. This will help you write your analysis and your
evaluation. I will help you do the best work you can. You may also want to include
images and sketches; these can be scanned or downloaded and included as part of
your written work.
Your written work does not have to be in continuous prose; you can write in notes and
bullet points, or annotations if you want
Each part also contains sections marked “Extension Activities (B-A*)”. These are for
students who want to achieve grades of B or above. They are slightly more difficult.
If you have any questions, you should ask Mr. Earl.
Timetable
• October 16th-20th
– Analysis of CD covers
• October 20th-November 6th
– Design own CD cover
• November 10th
– Evaluation completed
What you must show
1. How Institutions (e.g. record labels) construct products
(e.g. artists, CDs)
2. How products are marketed to audiences (e.g. you!)
3. How important image is to the process
4. USE OF CORRECT LANGUAGE IS VITAL!!!
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CD Cover Project – Progress
Tick the tasks you have finished
Task Completed?
Part One - Research
At least 3 CD covers looked at
What makes a good CD cover noted down
What makes a bad CD cover noted down
One major and one “indie” label researched
Differences between major and “indie” labels noted
down
Part Two - Choices
Style of music chosen
Appeal of style noted down
Name of artist invented
Reason for name noted down
Title of album invented
Reason for title noted down
Part Three – Details
Audience of artist identified
Reasons for audience noted down
Name of record label created
Logo for record label designed
Ideas about record label noted down
Other details (e.g. track listing, names of artist/ band
members) invented and noted down
Part Four - Design
Artist logo designed
Ideas encoded by logo noted down
Cover sketched in rough
Ideas for front cover discussed with Mr Earl
Final idea for cover agreed on
Photos/ pictures/ images for cover produced
Front cover and back cover produced
Reasons for images, colours and fonts noted down
Part Five – Inlay
Ideas for inlay sketched in rough
Inlay designed
Reasons for design noted down
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PART ONE – RESEARCH
The first thing you need to do is look at some real CD covers. You can do
this with your own CD collection or by using Google. All CD covers have
certain things in common. What are they?
Front Cover (usually quite simple and striking)
CD Title
Artist Name/
Logo
Image
Artist Website
Address
Back Cover (usually contains more information)
Spine
Album Logo
(optional)
Artist name
and album
title repeated
on spine Barcode
d
Catalogue
Number
Track List
Record
Label
Record Copyright
Label Logo Information
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Task: Identify the elements on this CD cover
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Now try to answer the following questions
1. What information must you have on a CD cover?
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2. What information is optional for a CD cover?
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3. What makes a successful CD cover?
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4. What makes a poor CD cover?
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5. What is the best CD cover you have ever seen? Why?
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because
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You would be sensible to design a cover similar to one you have found effective
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You should also think about the inside of CD booklets.
Now pick 2 CDs from your own collection
CD1 CD1
Artist Artist
Title Title
Describe Front Describe
Cover Front Cover
Info on back of Info on back
booklet of booklet
Info on back Info on back
inlay inlay
Info inside Info inside
booklet booklet
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Extension Activity (B-A*) – Visual Presentation
Record companies need to present their artists in the right way for the audience
they're targeting. Compare a Westlife CD with a Marilyn Manson CD...
Westlife Marlyn Manson
1. All of the group are 1. Only Marilyn himself is
shown, smartly dressed shown, with devil’s horns
in suits growing from his head
2. The name of the 2. The name of the group is
group and the CD title shown in a gothic style
are written in a fairly font. The title of the CD is
conventional, old printed in a font that
fashioned font makes it look as if it has
been written messily by
hand
3. Clear, solid colours are used 3. A variety of colours is used, mainly red,
black and blue – the cover is made to look
dirty and grimy
The different images the two groups are trying to put across with these covers should be
obvious:
1. The Westlife cover uses posh suits and fonts. It's deliberately trying to look like a
1950s album cover - something by Frank Sinatra, say. It should appeal to young girls
and older listeners.
The Marilyn Manson cover uses devil imagery and more unconventional fonts to
appeal to an audience that would rather think of themselves as loud and rebellious.
2. The main difference between these two covers isn't that the musicians are smart or
nasty - the difference is the way they're being portrayed to appeal to a particular
audience.
3. The image created by the cover will be used in adverts and posters created to
promote the CD. This helps the target audience recognise the product in shops, even if
they haven't heard the music.
Extension Task
Write a brief account of one of the CD covers you have looked at today. You should mention:
1. Target audience
a. Who are they?
b. How do you know?
2. Cover
a. How it has been designed to appeal to the target audience?
b. What ideas are encoded there?
3. Cross-media links
a. Are there any obvious links with other artists or media?
b. How and why?
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Image analysis
When you are analysing any still image, you need to think about the following
things and how they relate to the target audience:
Picture
Is there a single picture, or a number of different ones?
What are they of (denotation)?
What ideas do they communicate (connotation)?
Text
Is there any text, and if so, what does it say?
Where has it been placed on the image?
What font has been used?
What ideas do the words and style communicate?
Colour
Which colours stand out?
What ideas do they communicate?
Format
How has the image been laid out?
Which elements are the most important?
A simple way of showing how easy it is to analyse an image is to look at
the logo of a band.
Here's Oasis's logo:
1. A simple, bold font is used. This stands out and is easily
recognisable, but is not too showy - it is hard, masculine and
focused
2. The logo has an italic slant, which suggests that the band is unusual
- not ordinary or boring - the italics draw attention to the name
3. The logo is very simple, which implies simple music
4. An "Oasis" is a place where travellers find water in the desert. The
name implies that the band is refreshment in a desert of "bad"
music. This makes fans feel special
Look at this Spice Girls logo. Try to analyse it in the same way we analysed
the Oasis logo.
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Think about:
1. Size and style of font
2. Choice of images
3. Choice of colours
4. Choice of format (where the images and the text are in relation to
each other)
5. Audience (who is the band aimed at)
For each element, explain why
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Every CD cover is different. They are designed to project ideas about the artist,
and to appeal to the target audience, as well as reflect the contents of the CD.
Here are some examples of analysing CD covers:
The Cure by The Cure
Image seems like it was drawn by a child
(implies that the band have a child-like
quality)
Bright, primary colours are used, which
contrast with the black of the letters and the
central figure (implies that the music will
have a "gothic" quality, although it may be a
little "quirky")
The figures are all warped (implies that the
music will be warped)
The image seems designed to appeal to
fans of the band (the main image is a
drawing of the lead singer, but only fans of
the band would know this) and to people
who like less ordinary music
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The album is just called "The Cure", the
same as the band
Although the image is childish, it is also quite
sinister, and is unlikely to appeal to children -
it is obviously quite ironic (since The Cure
sometimes produce quite "dark" music) but
you would need to be a fan of the band to get
this
Alright, Still by Lily Allen
Lily Allen's picture is the most important thing
on the cover. She is fashionably dressed and
good looking, although the fact that she is
posed on a bike makes her look a little
"kooky" (which may make her appeal to a
wider audience than if she seemed
"straight"). She will appeal to boys (who will
fancy her) and girls (who will want to be like
her); probably aged between 12-16
This is emphasised by the busy background
of cartoons, implying that her music is a little
cartoonish and lightweight (again appealing
to a younger audience)
Images of England are used (black cab,
policeman's helmet etc) implying that she is
going to sing about being English (which will
appeal to both the British and American
audiences, since a lot of pop music is
American in focus, making her slightly
different)
Lily Allen's name is written in a cartoonish
font, a little like the name of a superhero
(emphasised by it being in a lightning flash).
This again makes her seem very important,
and "poppy".
The name of the album ("Alright, Still") is
written in a "Hollywood" style font, again
making it seem important, although it is not
as important as her name (people are more
likely to have heard of Lily than her album)
The cover is has a very 1960s feel (the use
of Black and White as well as the haphazard
way it is organised). It looks a little
amateurish (reflecting her origins on the
internet)
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The Spine by They Might Be Giants
The name of the band is the most obvious
thing on the cover; this is important
because there is no picture of them on the
cover, and people buying the CD might not
know who it is by from the picture
The title of the album is written in the same
font as the name of the band, but is a little
smaller - the band's name is the most
important piece of information
The font is quite simple, which helps it
stand out from the picture
The picture is a surreal joke (it is a trap
comprised of a house propped up on a
branch - the table is laid to attract someone
in)
The cartoon imagery might appeal to
younger children, while the strange joke will
appeal to adults (the band have a very
large audience of both children and adults)
The bizarre image will probably not appeal
to a mainstream audience, but is more
likely to appeal to those who like "out of the
ordinary" music
Flesh of my Flesh by DMX
Picture of the artist is most important thing -
dominates the cover. Image is disturbing
(he is covered in blood, which contrasts
with the white background). His expression
implies that he has just done something
terrible. This implies that the CD will contain
references to crimes and violence
The name is written in a stylised font with
lots of sharp edges, implying again that the
music will be sharp and violent
The title of the album is written in a more
formal typeface and is coloured yellow,
which contrasts with the red and white. This
draws attention, making the CD seem more
"classy" (rather than just horrific)
There is a "parental advisory" sticker, which
implies that the CD will contain lyrics which
are not appropriate for a young audience
The image and the font DMX" is written in
are both designed to appeal to an audience
who likes "Ganster Rap" - this is generally
teenage and older boys
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Tell me what you think about this CD cover (it's for Robbie Williams
Intensive Care)
Why do you think there's no artist name or CD title?
What are the most important images?
What ideas do you think Robbie is trying to get across?
Why do you think Chrysalis, Robbie's record company, allowed him
to use this CD cover?
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Now choose a CD from your collection. Analyse the front cover in as much detail as you
can. Think about image, colour, font and format.
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Record Labels
Music is a big business, worth millions. Record labels can be very influential (consider
the impact of the RIAA and BPI on file-sharers).
Record labels spend a lot of money promoting their artists. They send
representatives around the country looking for new artists to sign; once this happens,
they work with the artists to develop their image and make them marketable.
Often, this leads to an artist sacrificing their own ideas for those of the record
company. For example, the singer Tori Amos was first marketed as an alternative
rock act, before signing to a new label who allowed her to produce more folk-
oriented music:
Y Kant Tori Read was aimed at a primarily male rock music audience, while Little
Earthquakes was aimed at a primarily female folk music audience. How are these
audiences being targeted by the covers of the albums?
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Promotions staff send CDs to radio DJs, club DJs and journalists. It is very important
that CDs are eye-catching and representative of the band and the music.
There are two types of labels – majors and independents. “Indie” as a style of music
is based on the 80s, when most “alternative” acts were signed to small independent
labels.
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Indie labels are usually small companies run by a small group of people.
1. Creation Records started as a small label in the 1980s, signing artists like Oasis
and Primal Scream, who became famous in the 1990s. More recent indie
labels include Domino (Franz Ferdinand) and Deltasonic (The Coral, The Zutons)
2. Independent labels are more likely to take risks and release music that might
not make a lot of money. Factory Records (New Order) became famous for
releasing CDs which would never make the charts, often wrapped in
confusing covers:
The current Factory website explains the values of an "indie" label: "artists need a record
label to serve them and not a record company to be served by them... an efficient way to
deliver music". However, the smaller the company, the less easy it is to distribute music
(although the internet is changing this)
What are the advantages and disadvantages for bands on Indie labels?
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Major Labels are owned by large corporations like Sony, EMI, Time Warner or
Universal
1. The main difference between Majors and Indies, apart from size, is that major
labels don’t take many risks – they are out to make profit
2. Majors have realised that some audiences won’t buy music which has
obviously been produced by a big corporation. They invent new labels with
independent sounding names (for example, Travis are released by
“Independiente”, which is part-owned by Sony. Visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_label for a list of small labels owned by
majors
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The Power of the Majors
Media companies like Sony have cross-media ownership – they make different
types of media (music, games, films) and can use one kind of media in another.
For example, Sony can put music made by a Sony artist into a Sony film, then
include elements of the film and music in a game released for a Sony Playstation.
This means that independent artists can’t get as much exposure as those on a major
label, and may lead to some indie labels going out of business.
What are the advantages and disadvantages for bands on major labels?
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Extension Task
What kind of label might you release your band on – indie or major?
1. What are the advantages of your choice in relation to your target audience?
2. What are the disadvantages?
3. How could you promote your CD?
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Task 1
Analyse 2 CDs (one "mainstream" and one "alternative") explaining how they are
designed to appeal to their target audiences (500-600 words). Try to also mention
something about the record label
The CDs should be from your own collection. You do not have to write a long essay;
you can scan and annotate the images using brief paragraphs if you like
If you can’t find any CDs to analyse, ask Mr Earl
Mainstream means any artist who appeals to a wide audience, like U2 or
Madonna
Alternative means any artist who has a more “niche” appeal, like The White
Stripes or The Coral
Make sure you identify who the audience is for each group (it would be
sensible to choose an alternative band with a clear audience, like Heavy
Metal, Emo or Gangster Rap
You should mention how each of these elements are designed to appeal to
the target audience (i.e. why they might like them)
Go into as much detail as you can
o Images
o Colour
o Logo
o Title/ Font
o Format
o Content of booklet
o Tracklist
o Record Label
o Marketing (how the cover of the CD can be used for advertising)
You can also mention anything else you think is relevant
Deadline: Friday 20th October
Upload your assignment using the VLE
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PART TWO – CHOICES
The next thing you need to do is make some decisions about your CD cover. By the end
of this section you should have chosen the genre of music you are working in – this will
influence things like the name of your artist and the title of your CD.
1. Genre (style)
Genres of music I like:
Genre I will work in:
Target audience(s) of genre (ask Mr Earl if you don’t know):
Reasons for choice (e.g. popularity, potential, enjoyment)
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Optional B-A* Extension:
Are they any reasons why this genre might be financially attractive to media
companies? Consider popularity of current musical genres.
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2. Artist
Artists often choose names which encode the type of audience they want to appeal to
or the type of music they make. For example, Snow Patrol and Coldplay produce music
which is quite downbeat while Iron Maiden and Metallica play heavy rock. Not all artist
names mean anything, but you will get a better mark if you make one up which does.
Name some artists in the genre you have chosen:
Choose two and explain why you think they chose their name
Artist Reason for name
Thought-shower some ideas for band names in the space below
Possible band names
Choose one (you might want to discuss your choice with your partner)
Explain why you chose the name. Think about target audience and similar artists:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Optional B-A* Extension:
What ideas are encoded into the name of your band? Why did you include these
ideas?
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
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3. Title
Artists often choose titles for CDs which encode something important to them or their
fans. For example, U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind was produced when the band
was returning to a more rock-based style. Eminem produced The Marshall Mathers LP as
a follow up to The Slim Shady LP in order to “prove” that his “Slim Shady” character
should not be taken seriously. Not all album titles mean something, but it is better for
you to make one up which does – you will get credit for this.
Name some albums in the genre you have chosen:
Choose one and explain why you think the artist chose the title
Album Reason for title
Thought-shower some ideas for album titles for your band in the space below
Possible album titles
Choose one (you might want to discuss your choice with your partner)
Explain why you chose the name. Think about target audience and other titles:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Optional B-A* Extension:
What ideas are encoded into the title of your album?
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Extension Activity (B-A*) – Appeal
Marketing music is about image and audience. Think about the music you listen to
and the choices you have made. Then think about what the type of image you
would like to promote depends upon:
Different Kinds of Bands Appeal to Different People
The type of image that appeals to you depends on several different things:
HOW YOU THINK OF YOURSELF:
People often like bands that reflect the way they feel about themselves. For
example people who like to think of themselves as a bit rebellious and outspoken
are more likely to listen to loud rock music than a nice boy-band.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU'D LIKE TO BE
Not all Marilyn Manson fans go about wearing devil horns, but maybe some of
them like the idea of it, and like the fact he doesn't care what other people think.
They're using pop music as a form of escapism - escaping from boring old reality.
HOW MUCH YOU FANCY THEM
Singers like Madonna, Kylie, Boyzone and Westlife are very successful because
people enjoy looking at them as well as just listening to the music.
HOW OTHER PEOPLE REACT TO THEM
If your mates all think something's cool, this'll either make you more or less inclined
to like it. If your parents hate it, you'll probably love it because it annoys the pants
off them. If a TV show you love says they're rubbish, that could affect things too.
Different Audiences Listen to Different Musical Genres
Generally, an audience will listen to a genre of music that they feel has
something to say to them. What that 'something' is depends on their lifestyle and
what's currently going on in it.
Record companies like to think that all listeners fall into one category or
another. This means they stereotype the kinds of people who they think should
be listening to the music they sell.
Of course, not all stereotypes work. It IS possible to like both Eminem AND
Coldplay.
It's usually younger audiences who get sucked in, by advertising because they
aren't old enough to understand they're being targeted by companies whose main
aim is to make money. That's why so many pop stars appear on Saturday morning
TV - to target a young, impressionable audience.
Extension Task
Write a brief account of the kind of image your artist will have and how this will
appeal to your target audience
1. Which elements above will you try to capture, and how do you aim to
achieve this?
2. How do the artists who have inspired you achieve this?
3. What will your CD “say” to your target audience – which elements of
their lifestyle will it tap into?
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PART THREE – DETAILS
By now, you should know the genre of music you are working in, the name of your artist
and the title of your CD. It’s now time to complete the final tasks before you can start
designing your CD cover.
By the end of this section, you will have noted down more details about the audience
of your artist by linking them to actual artists. You will have made up the name and logo
of the record label releasing your CD, as well as going into more detail about the
tracklisting of your album and the details of your artist. You will also have sketched a
logo for your band.
1. Audience
Make a list of all the elements you could include on your CD cover. Explain how
they will appeal to your target audience.
Target audience: ______________________________________________________________
Element What I will use Why it will appeal to audience
Artist
Name
Album
title
Possible
images
Other
elements
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2. The Real World
Your artist should be influenced by actual artists. There is nothing wrong in copying the
style and ideas of real examples (short of ripping them off) – this is what happens in the
real world!
Note down in this section who your real-world influences are, and what ideas and
elements you might borrow from them. These could be images, typefaces, ideas for
titles or names for band members
Influence 1
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Influence:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Influence 2
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Influence:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Influence 3
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Influence:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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3. Record label
Every CD is released by a record label. This is a company dedicated to
producing music. There are over 20 000 labels, some of which only release CDs
by one band, while others release 1000s of CDs a year.
Look at the CDs and bands which have influenced you. Which label are they on?
Band CD Label
Use http://www.wikipedia.org or Google to research the labels you found. What
other bands do they release CDs for? Is there any connection between these
bands (e.g. style, genre)?
Label Bands Links between them
Record label names often have deeper meanings. Here are some examples:
Label Logo Meaning
Two Tone released music by Ska bands like
Two Tone Madness and The Specials. The music was
very simple, and the band-members wore
clothes like the character in the logo. The
logo is black and white – 2 tone
Death Row is an LA-based label which releases
Death Row rap and hardcore tracks. It is linked to the LA
gang scene, and the former owner Suge Night
was a known criminal. The label releases mostly
black artists. The name and logo are designed
to encode a challenging image, as well as the
fact that there are more black than white
people sentenced to Death in the US
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Think about the labels you identified above. Choose three, and sketch their logos
(you may have to look on the back of the CD, or on the label’s website. Try to
find out, or work out, what (if anything), they mean.
Label Logo Meaning
Thought-shower some ideas for label names for your band in the space below
Possible label names
Choose one (you might want to discuss your choice with your partner)
Explain why you chose the name. Think about target audience and other labels:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Optional B-A* Extension:
What ideas are encoded into the name of your label?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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In the space below, sketch some ideas for a possible logo for your record company.
It should be simple, and linked to the name of the company. Here are a couple of
examples to help:
Island Records Factory Records Apple Corps Def Jam Recordings
Ideas
Choose one (you might want to discuss your choice with your partner)
Final Choice (neat sketch)
Explain why you chose image. Think about target audience and other labels:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Optional B-A* Extension:
What ideas are encoded into the logo for of your label?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Album details
If you are going to produce a product which looks real, you will need to include a
tracklisting (and possibly details of your band as well). This is the final task you need
to complete before beginning your design!
Ideas for track titles
Info about record label
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Other things you might include (e.g. lyrics, band photos etc.)
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Optional B-A* Extension:
What ideas are encoded into the titles of your songs? What significance might they have?
___________________________________________________________________________________
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PART FOUR – DESIGN
You should have all the information you need to start designing your CD cover. It’s now
time to start considering how you will communicate the ideas you have described
above. The elements you must design include:
Band Name/ Logo Album Title Cover Back Cover Front and back
Images Images cover layout
You should not rush. You may base your work on photographs, artwork or manipulated images.
You should consider things like colour, font and layout (how you will organise your ideas for
maximum impact and visibility).
You should sketch your ideas in rough on paper – do as many sketches as you like. You will then
produce a draft of your cover on a rough template. This idea will be discussed with Mr Earl.
You should jot down your reasons for choosing particular logos, fonts, images, colours and
layout in the spaces below.
You will assemble your final design using a template in Microsoft Publisher. However, you may
also want to use Adobe Photoshop to manipulate your images, and a digital camera and
scanner to produce and capture images.
Ideas for artist logo
Choose one
Final Choice (neat sketch)
Explain why you chose image. Think about target audience and other artist logos:
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Optional B-A* Extension:
What ideas are encoded into the logo for of your label?
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Typeface(s) chosen
Name of Typeface
Reason
Colour(s) chosen
Colour
Reason
Image(s) chosen
Image
Reason
Optional B-A* Extension:
What ideas are encoded into your designs?
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Back of Booklet Front of Booklet
http://www.eatmedia.co.uk 31
Inside Front of Booklet Inside Back of Booklet
Back Inlay
http://www.eatmedia.co.uk 33
PART FIVE – INLAY
You should only do this when you have completed your CD cover and back cover.
Most CDs include a booklet or inlay inside the front cover. This might include lyrics,
copyright details, chords, interviews, quotes, reviews or photos. Usually, it is stuff which is
aimed specifically at fans of the band. This is a chance for you to be inventive and
artistic, as well as showing off your design skills.
You can produce a booklet, or a fold-out inlay. You could incorporate your cover
design. The important thing is that the design is consistent.
As part of your booklet you should include some information about the record label
Some more ideas for covers:
His Name Is Alive Red House Painters The Zutons
Someday My Blues Will Down Colourful Hill Who Killed The Zutons
Cover The Earth
Franz Ferdinand U2 Half Man Half Biscuit
How to dismantle an Achtung Bono
atomic bomb
http://www.eatmedia.co.uk 34
PART SIX – EVALUATION
Once you have finished and printed out your CD cover on photographic paper (see Mr
Earl for help on this) you need to evaluate your work.
This should be fairly straightforward – all you need to do is ask other people in the group
(as well as friends and family) what they think of your CD cover. If you can find anyone
in your target audience, all the better!
You should try to write in complete sentences. You can also include sketches and
pictures, including rough work you did, if this is relevant.
It is very important that you mention audiences and institutions in relation to your CD
cover. You should make sure you write something about each of these concepts!
Your write up should be around 300 words. There are 146 words in this box, so you should
write around twice as much as this.
You can write more, of course – you are more likely to get a B or A* if you write to 500
words (about a side and a half). You can ask Mr Earl for help at any time.
Once you have finished, upload a draft copy so that Mr Earl can check your spelling
and grammar. Type up your corrections, and you’re
FINISHED!