Digipak Design Options
Design 1: Performance
The first digipak design that I created was in accordance with the performance section of my music video and therefore, I have included an image of the band as the main focus point when looking at my front cover. Most alternative rock artists' digipak front covers do not usually contain an image of the artist however, on certain occasions, some do. I think this would be a good front cover as this would help to promote my band and allow audience members to become familiarised with them in order to receive as much popularity as possible. To make the image fit in with my genre, the band members are wearing mostly dark, block, plain colours with minimal effort for the hair and makeup and they also have glum and serious facial expressions to help suggest that the song is about serious issues. The title of the band and the song are displayed in different corners, one at the top and one at the bottom to help make the band the main focus. There is a black, plain background which is used again to make the band stand out and there are pictures hanging down in the top left corner to add something else onto the front cover so that it is not boring or plain. The back cover of my performance-inspired digipak has an ombre-effect white to black background with 4 song titles on, this offers the audience a variety of music and means they would get the best use of their money. The inside right of the actual disc has a black background with black and white checks all over it, this a fun and cool design which would interest people as it's not just one plain colour or design. The inside left is ombre black and white which follows the genres conventions as the main colours are black and white.
Design 2: Narrative
My second design is based upon the narrative part of my music video. My front cover includes an image of the main character looking into a mirror with the reflection is showing that the metaphorical depression character is standing behind her watching. This implies that the main character has a mental health issue and cannot get away from it which would allow some audience members to relate if they are also suffering. This idea allows people to infer what the song is about before purchasing it or watching the music video. However, the bright background and colouring of the font does not conform to the alternative rock genre, nor does the colour of the disc, the ombre of pink/orange on the inside left or the designs on the back cover. Also, by using an image related to the narrative of the music video this does not follow stereotypical conventions of my genre as the digipak is related to the song and the artist, not the music video. Therefore, a symbol or an image of the band would be more suitable for the front cover of my digipak whilst using darker colours.
Design 3: Conceptual
The final design of mine for my digipak is a conceptual idea which is mainly made up of random shapes. The front cover includes the name of my band and it is much more central and noticeable than the name of the song which may be appropriate as I would want my audience to remember the name of my band for future products as opposed to the name of the song. the font is bold, big and dark however, the colourful swirls coming off of this does not conform to my particular genre as this suggest happiness which is not a typical trait. The back cover is mostly plain apart from some colourful patterns in the corner which again, does not suit my genre but, it is important that the barcode and the 2 record company logos are included. The inside right design of the disc contains the name of the band written in the middle, cutting off some of the letters however, the disc may be better if it contained the name of the song instead. Also the bright stripes of colour on the disc do not follow the typical codes and conventions of an alternative rock CD. The inside left is black with white, thick font that covers the whole page and says 'Hard Times' all over it. This is a good feature of my conceptual design as it helps to imply that my song and genre links with mental health issues due to the fact that this is messy and may represent how it is inside someones head who is suffering from depression which also fits in with my storyline.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I believe that I could incorporate ideas from each into my final digipak design as there are pros and cons about each one. I think that the performance design is the best and fits in with my alternative rock genre the most due to the use of the dark, block colours and the image of the band to create identification and recognition within my target audience (Uses and Gratification Theory). I like the ombre effect of black and white in my inside left however, it seems a bit boring therefore, I could use the idea from my conceptual design of writing 'Hard Times' all over it to help imply my storyline too. In order to help me make my final decision, I am also going to ask 4 people their ideas on each of my designs and which they think would be best for my genre.