Digipak Phase 1: Research & Analysis

 Before starting on our actual design for our digipak, it was first important to analyse and carefully study digipaks of existing artists to get an idea of what they try to incorporate in them and why.

The 1975 - The 1975

Front cover

Since this was their first and self-titled album, the band, in a way, had opportunity to brand themselves in a certain way. However, they didn't feature themselves on the cover, as is the case commonly with pop artists. Rather, they aimed for a more stylistic element to make them recognisable - the neon rectangle (and the rectangle generally) became a motif for the band, and was also used in their second studio album, as well as in their music videos, concert stages etc. and has become a recognisable symbol of the band.

The cover overall is pretty simplistic, and has a (literally) monotonous colour scheme, which may reflect the dark mood and character of most of their tracks. Also, the quirky typography alongside the neon frame adds more of a retro-esque element to it and simultaneously establishes the band as a unique one. Since there is no other text, or other eye catching elements on the cover, the spotlight is clearly made to fall on  the band's (and album's) name.

Back cover

Th back cover is similar to the front cover in terms of consistency in the colour palette and scheme, as well as the most important feature - the neon frame, except it simply contains the tracklist. This is a convention seen in most digipaks in order to establish a sense of continuity and not bombard the audience with a lot of different visuals. other technical information such as the barcode, the label's logos, and copyright information.

CD

The CD follows the simplistic and basic style and is consistent with the black and grey colour palette. This is also unconventional as the CD usually is in start contrast with the album covers in order to stand out and add an element of surprise. However, the minimalistic design and the matte surface add to the dark, contemporary grunge vibe of the band. The band name is in a shiny black font on the CD which makes it stand out against the matte texture. 

Booklet

On the inside of the digipak, the band included a booklet, most of which also followed a dull, monotonous palette. This also added a more retro aesthetic to the band, as can be seen in the image to the right. The booklet contains lyrics to the songs on the tracklist, with an image on each page that reflect the overall mood of the album. 

The booklet is something many artists add to their digipaks as a token of fanservice, to give fans something more to look forward to.

Inlay

The inlay features an image of a young boy drawing a rectangle - which by now has been established as an obvious motif. This also follows the greyscale colour palette consistent with the rest of the digipak. The connection of the image with the digipak is not established. 

Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex

Front Cover

This self-titled album's digipak is even more minimalist than The 1975. Since thiswas their first album, the band similarly wanted to portray the style and mood of not just the album but the band themselves. Again, rather than showcasing themselves on the cover, like most pop artists and bands, they opted for establishing their identity in a more stylistic manner (or lack of it). The cover is plain black, with a slightly grain texture (that's obviously not visible in the picture) which makes it a little less plain. Since there is nothing else on the cover to focus on, the viewers' attention is bound to fall on the only piece of information, that is, the album's and the band's name. This too is nothing fancy - white text in uppercase serif font. 

This cover, with its complete simplicity, actually

manages to depict the band's image, which has consistently remained a lowkey one. They do not have any music videos, and all content related to their music (the album cover, the lyric videos, their social media and website) are all consistent in following this black and white theme throughout. They built upon it from the beginning so that they eventually created a form of recognition for themselves for their audiences.

Back Cover

The back cover is similarly minimalistic. The colour and texture is the same as the front cover, despite what the picture might indicate. Along the center, which is the first place the audience will focus on, runs the tracklist, centralised, and in the same font and uppercase lettering as the band's name on the front. This establishes an instant sense of connection overall.

CD

The CD is basically a merge between the front and the back cover - with the bands name centred on top, and the on the lower half of the CD the tracklist. It becomes clear that the band did not try to distinguish the CD from the rest of the digipak, but instead made it continuous with it, which goes against the conventions. 

The band did not try to make the digipak attractive or appealing to the audience, a characteristic which is in line with their image. The face of the band is hardly ever visible on any of their content, and very occasionally on their social media, which adds to the sort of discrete and dark style, which can be observed in their music as well. 

Taylor Swift - 1989

Front Cover

The front cover, as in many pop albums, features the artist herself. However, unlike the convention, the face if the artist isn't completely shown. This also goes against Taylor's own stylistic convention as her previous albums usually featured her face. This change in style could represent the marked change in genre that she decided to pursue with this album. 

The polaroid photograph and the vintage look of the picture adds a nostalgic element to the digipak, which is reinforced by the handwritten font used on the front cover to write the album name and the artist's name as well. It also adds a more personal touch to it as polaroids with writing on them are kept as a way of preserving memories and something to look back on. Also, since the name of the album is the year of Taylor's birth, it adds a further personal touch.

The colour palette and editing make the cover appear very warm and fuzzy which apart from the nostalgia creates a more softer and positive tone of her album. 

Back Cover

The back cover continues the vintage aesthetic with the faded, warm hue and flash. The back cover shows the top half of her face that was hidden on the front cover. This is a common convention in not only her digipaks but also of most pop artists', and also adds a sense of continuity and connection with the front cover. Most of the space on the back is taken up by the tracklist, the numbers of which are also handwritten so that it looks neither overdone, nor discontinuous with the front.

CD

The CD, although portraying a difference in colour and style, still contains an element of continuity because the image used on the CD is the one on Taylor's shirt in the front cover. The purple colour makes the CD stand out apart from the rest of the digipak, which again is a common convention. The handwritten album title is on th CD as well which ensures that isn't completely disconnected.