OUGD406 STUDIO BRIEF 1 - VINYL SLEEVE RESEARCH

To gather some ideas of what is already out there I undertook some research into existing vinyl sleeves outside of Secret 7" to see what artists choose for their vinyl sleeves, and if there are any popular styles for sleeves, or any similar to the style of Digital Witness by St. Vincent, my chosen track, which may suit the tone of the song or music video.

I really like the simplicity of this cover for Kraftwerk Autobahn from 1974. It is simple yet bold, with strong shapes and blocks of colours. The clean lines of the shapes make for a very powerful image, especially when coupled with the use of only two colours, both of which are very vibrant.

I think the colours on this vinyl sleeve have been chosen very well, the pink shade isn't too vibrant and not too girlish, and especially when mixed with the black criss cross pattern make it look more mature. The criss cross pattern isn't even and this makes it look a little unique and different , almost like it's being puled in different directions on a map, perhaps to look like mountains, yet also looking like a net as well. The white stripe at the top helps to break up the block of net, and adds a bit of light onto the cover. There is no need for much text, as quite often the cover design is all about it's aesthetic appeal rather than being informative.

The colours on this record sleeve by Supraphon go together so well, with the green perfectly complimenting the pink, and with the addition of the green the pink doesn't look girly at all, but would appeal to both genders. I also like how the colours get lighter and they travel to the outside of the design, as this create almost a radio wave effect, and adds subtle pattern to the design. The "S" of the band name fits very well within the centre of the design, and can work as both a pattern and as a letterform. The slightly yellowed paper compliments the colours used in the designs, and also makes the pink appear less bright. 

This sleeve design for Julia Hart is really simple yet bold with the bold "B" made out of two circles in a completely contrasting colour to the background of the sleeve. It's interesting how this design can be so powerful yet contain hardly any details at all. The shade of the background colour also enhances the "B" because it brings colour to the page, however is neutral enough so that the letter stands out. 

This Lali Puna sleeve design uses simple shapes to create bold imagery, such as the black rectangles to make steps, but also a frame for the artist and title as well. The bold sans serif typeface works well with the blocky design , as it looks like a continuation of the steps. The yellow of the background however helps to make this design seem a little more cheerful though, as otherwise the harsh, vigorous lines of the black rectangles looks quite menacing.

This is sleeve design for Lay Low is built upon very vector based imagery which looks like it's been produced on Illustrator. The colours are also very neutral and similar which creates a very nature themed image. Although the colours are very neutral, they are also well reflective of what this scene would actually look like if you were to see it for real. 

To find some of these designs I used a really useful website called predominant.ly where you can search for record covers by their colour and also genre of music, which proved to be really useful when I tried to find record designs of a specific colour. This research into sleeve designs has been very useful to me, as it has shown me that sleeve designs don't need to be complicated and intricate, but that actually some of the more effective ones are really simple.