Evaluation of ideas

Back cover

The first draft of my album back cover was the least successful panel. The weakness are that the background colour is too dark, therefore doesn't match the lighter tone of the other panels. This dull colour also isn't eye-catching to the audience, however it works well to make the white text clear and stand out. This could be improved by either making the background colour brighter, or removing the grey strips at the sides, because they draw focus from the photos. The font works well, because its coherent with the font on the front cover. However the album title at the top is too small and unclear. I also need to change the album title to something that relates to the mirror and reflection motifs, such as 'mirrored worlds' The colour of the text works well because it stands out against the grey background, and works with the monotone style of the album. However i could add some red to the text, to connect it to the text on the front cover, and make it look more eye-catching to the audience. To make the photos look more abstract i could try them with a filter on, from Photoshop. Finally i also need to add a copyright symbol to this cover in the corner. This cover conforms the indie genre, because they usually feature a band member, and from the album covers i have looked at, the layout of the text and images is similar.  This cover contrasts the other panels because in the others the subject's face is never shown, constructing representations that she is lost and has no identity, which also creates a sense of enigma. However i am shown in the back cover, to create the representation she is confident and powerful, reinforced by the direct mode of address. The initial design and layout is successful, but could be made far better with the improvements i have suggested. 

This is the draft for my album front cover. This was challenging to create however looks very successful. The deconstructed reflection works well because it is surrealist, and creates a sense of enigma. The subject is represented as enigmatic and lost in reality; these representations it constructs could relate to the audience. The font cover looks good and needs little improvement. The only weakness is that the red text decreases the quality and doesn't work with the monotone style. Therefore i could change it to black or white, and place it somewhere it will be clear to read and stand out. This cover links to the indie genre because it features a band member and looks abstract because i have deconstructed the image, to alter the perspective of reality. The monotone colours also work well because they make the image look emotive and bright, so it will stand out to the audience and look intriguing.

The side panels for the album cover also work well as they are cohesive with the rest of the album, because i have used the same photo as the front cover. It is also simple and understates, to give a minimalist style, and not to distract from the main panels. They are a development from the front cover, because i have added colour to them in the photos in the reflections. This looks good because it makes the covers more vibrant and exciting. It also connotes meanings, as the colourful photos suggest she is fantasising about escaping reality, into a saturated, lively world. These would appeal to the audience because of their eye-catching aesthetic, and they could relate to the theme of escapism.I could improve these panels further by adding text to them. In order to link these panels to the song i could place lines from the lyrics of the song 'bloodstream' to the corners of the panels. I could also make this text red to link to the 'bloodstream' song title.

The magazine advert is successful because it is bright, clear and cohesive to the other productions. The image draws the audience to it, because the leading lines bring your eyes to the titles. Also the text is emphasised by the bold red colour, and the font of the headings is the same for the album cover, therefore creates a link between them. The image relates to the album cover because it is in black and white, to make the text stand to against it. Also it follows the surrealist visual style because the image has been altered, by repeating it, to create a stylised reality and create metaphors for escapism and reality being repetitive. The text is good because it is relevant and would appeal to the audience because it isn't overly cluttered, and is informative. The text includes a magazine review and bold titles for the album and band, which will persuade the audience to buy the album. It links to the genre because indie productions usually use an abstract image, to look original and intriguing. However it also breaks conventions because magazine adverts usually feature a band member, to make the advert recognisable. I haven't included a person in this image, because the photo is supposed to shot from the point of view of the person, and it shows someone's perspective on reality. This could be improved by making the red lines on the road more clear and adding more of them. Also i could add a pack shot of the album cover, so that the audience can clearly see the links between them.