Conceptual Design
Conceptual design within artists branding
Conceptual design is the base foundation of for any design and is able to convey a message through visual work, this is very important within the music industry as it allows a core concept or idea that can be heard audibly to be translated into graphics which can be used to promote the artist or solidify their branding. Combining two ideas to make the final image come together
Good Conceptual Design
In this album cover, green day are making a bold political statement through the use of conceptual design. The imagery references the Iraq war (Mathews A-POP Blog, 2019) as well as having songs on the album which reference it as well, this is done by the heart-grenade which symbolises a broken heart at war as it can be seen to be bleeding out onto the persons hand with the red colours further reinforcing the viewer that it is a heart. It creates deeper, more conceptual meaning by the heart also being in the shape of a grenade which is being squeezed – showing sadness over the war and how hearts are being destroyed through this war with the weapons. The conceptual design is effective as its simplicity doesn’t clutter the design but it still gets the message across clearly.
Russain propoganda poster re-worked as a promotional poster for beyonce
This is a poster based on one of Beyoncé’s singles “Run the World (Girls)” showing the concept of feminism with the conceptual design used. The large text “Girls” is positioned in a way that looks as if it is being directly spoken by Beyoncé with the text becoming progressively larger. The megaphone shape to the text also hints that it’s being yelled which further emphasises the point of the graphic. This poster was originally based upon a Russian propaganda used to promote literacy so by Beyoncé using the format to promote her music/beliefs it shows that she perhaps agrees with the original meaning and wanted to adapt it to a more modern context
Bad Conceptual Design
I believe the conceptual design used in a gig poster for Florence and the Machine is more confusing to understand what the meaning is behind it. The graphic shows the figure wearing a big dress which reveals band equipment and instruments beneath it with the dress acting as a curtain. This creates the concept that she holds value to the band as the equipment is almost a part of her as a person, however the way this is done looks a bi awkward as the “curtain” part of the dress is off-centred as well as some of the graphics in the dress not being distinguishable but neither of these two images create any deeper meaning other than the instrument iconography linking to the band. The way the dress has been parted at the bottom creates asymmetry in an otherwise already symmetrical looking poster with the centred text and equal number of trees on either side making it appear more disordered. The dress parting also creates an odd looking silhouette as the dress could appear as two legs instead of a parting.
In this redesign I tried to make it look more obvious that the dress was intended to be a curtain by centring it to match with the rest of the symmetrical image as well as adding curtain tie-backs to make it easier to the viewer to associate it as a curtain. I also changed the design of the band equipment by placing it on one line instead of in random spots which makes it easier to realise what it is as well as a drop shadow to make it stand out more.
Bibliography:
Webpage:
- Mathew (2019) American Idiot: Album Cover Analysis. Available online: http://blogs.evergreen.edu/apop2019-matthew/2019/04/09/american-idiot-album-cover-analysis/ [Accessed 02/11/22]
Images:
- Bilheimer, C(2004) American Idiot [Album cover] Available online: https://photographyandartaficionado.blogspot.com/2018/09/album-cover-green-day-american-idiot.html [Accessed 01/11/22]
- Redon, D (2014) Run the World (Girls) [Poster] Available online: https://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/artista-insere-celebridades-em-cartazes-vintage-conheca-projeto-12215799 [Accessed 01/11/22]
- Ryski, D (2015) Florence and the Machine [Poster] Available online: https://www.behance.net/gallery/32496449/gig-posters-volume-5-2015 [Accessed 01/11/22]