Range - Vinyl Art 4

Main inspiration:

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Range - Vinyl Art 3

Range - Vinyl Art 2

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Range - Vinyl Art 1

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Range - Shirts 2

Once again the examples below feature the brands logo aswel as some artwork. Only 2 of the below examples are actually just the brands logo. What is interesting is the colour pallet used on each shirt. Each design includes black somewhere - the majority only use black on their colour pallet. The designs with more colours are the shirts with extra artwork included.

Range - Shirts 1

Another part of my brief is to produce a small range of t-shirt designs. At the moment i am unsure if i am going to produce artwork for each seperate shirt - or whether all shirts will just be holding the new Domino Records logo.

The examples below are all designs from existing Record labels - some of the designs are just the brands logos, however others use artwork and different colour pallets from the original designs.

Looking at these designs - i am leaning more towards the idea of including artwork in my series of shirts. The logo will either be in the artwork or feature elsewhere on the shirt.

Range - Plectrums

I have decided to produce a range of plectrums as a part of the promotional merchandise for Domino Records. Below are several examples of plectrums with different designs which you could buy in any decent music technology store.

Below: More plectrums with designs which can be machined in. This could be a production process which i decide to use - laser cutting.

Below: 5 of my very own guitar plectrums with different designs, weights, and scales. I have an idea to produce 3 - 5 of my own plectrums and also an official Domino Records case.

Branding and Recognition

While designing my logo - i still look into current brands logos. Below i have examples to do with technology and fuel.

There is a large difference between the logo examples below and the examples i have given previously from existing record labels. Recognition for the logos below is fundamental (as it is with any brand) however colour does make all the difference here. Because these logos are put into context in busy environments - shop windows, store shelves, etc - the colour needs to be instantly recognisable.

When your driving down a motorway and spot a fuel station from a distance - its not the actual logo that you instantly recognise - its the colours. This is why the colour pallet in context of these designs is fundamental.

Range of Products/Merchandise

Now that my logo is starting to take some shape - i can start to finalise the range of products that i will be applying my logo on. I have decided to produce a small range of promotional merchandise for Domino Records. These items include:

• Domino Records Business Cards
• Guitar Plectrums
• T-Shirt Range (3-5)
• Limited Edition Vinyl Sleeve
• Sticker Sets (2)

With 2 weeks left to produce these items I will be planning a schedule for time management to get to screen printing, 3D workshop etc.

Car Manufacturers: Recognition

Car manufactures rely on the ever lasting view we have of their logos. Each one must be different from another in order to maintain sale and direct promotion. The majority of these logos tend to have colour pallets of 2 or 3 colours.

Type - A mix of upper and lowercase type but a massive amount tend to be sans-serif fonts. A couple of designs to take influence from are:

• Rolls Royce - Logo uses uppercase, sans-serif and layout is essential
• Jaguar - Very distinct logo (the Jaguar leaping) with a simple sans-serif font in uppercase. This is a design which does not rely upon the text to carry the whole logo
• Volkswagon - The logo is very distinctive. Splitting the name and using the 'V' and 'W' laid out makes a professional logo which does not need support of text to be recognised

Branding/Logos 2

Taking a look into a couple more designs that work with imagery.

The piece below with the key with cuts of buildings is very clever - through using one colour and negative cuts a nice piece of work can be produced.

Negative Reality - Again very clever with letterforms and negative space. This logo was created using the two starting letterforms of each word - and it works.

Alps and Arts - Simple and eye-catching. Taking the 3 A's and linking them together makes a nice logo aesthetically and a logo which links to the name directly.

Branding/Logos

i decided to take my search wider in terms of logo and branding designs. I found some very good examples of logos which use type and image. Below are some of my favorite that i selected.

Logo Motives - is genius - by using type to complete the illustration and still remain legible. Once again this design uses one set colour and a sans-serif font.

Tauraus Construction - is a very unique design using a wooden style background. The logo itself is once again very clever using two images as one. The fonts picked is once again an uppercase, sans-serif in the same colour as part of the imagery - minimal coour here seems essential.

Tidy Tom's - Once again imagery is the priortiy in this design. The image shows a window cleaner making a letterform of a 'T' which works with the name of the brand. Again - the type is uppercase, sans-serif and the design uses minimal colour.

The above 9 designs are my absolute favorites. I am going to talk about 4 of the examples i have given however in ways i can use their design direction.

Killed Productions - Simple yet affective. This design uses a sans-serif uppercase font which is laid out in the centre. What makes this design is the 'i' flat on the floor which relates to the name and make a humorous design. Once again a design using a minimal colour pallet.

Upside-down Productions - Clever use of type, using letterforms back to front and some of which are upside down - this design is eye-catching, very affective and once again uses minimal colour.

Hope for African children Initiative - Very clever design which uses an image to form another. Reminds me a lot of the vauxhall badge in terms of design. On a first glance you see an illustration of Africa - however when you take a further look into the design you can see the outline of two children. Very clever and eye-catching design which takes your breath away when you see the detail.

Poster Art 3

This is one of my favorite designs i have come across so far in my research. This design is more focused towards the genre of music i am also working for. The general look and feel of this piece is more playful, creative and eye-catching than previous examples.

What i notice about this piece immediately is the font used for the title - this is a serif font which is unusual as the majority of music orientated ad's use sans-serif fonts. The layout of this piece is very straight forward - and the imagery seems to be there to support the text. The image is a collage of different images and colours - possibly using scans, photographs etc.

What i will take from this design: Experiment with serif fonts - although dont expect to use one in my final design. Look into artists who produce work which are mainly collage based and see what is possible using different medias etc. I will also start experimenting from this point with old vinyl records.

Poster Art 2

A poster which is led by its layout and collage art canvas. The imagery is very eye-catching due to its vintage look. The dark tone of purple used for the text frame is also very drawing and allows the viewer to get basic information rite away. This is a very clean design - everything does it part and it works as a whole. The bottom of the poster gives the viewer information on time, date etc. The font is an uppercase, sans-serif - much like what is seen on album art covers and record label logos.

What i will take from this design: Layout design, use of colour and collage imagery. I will also be looking more into sans-serif typefaces - these seem to be essential in music advertising and logo design.

Poster Art 1

I decided to start looking into the poster art i see around the city. Poster display booths are seen every 500 yards in Leeds and are used for cheap, public advertising. The vast majority of these posters are music orientated. My first example below is for a rave which will be playing drum and bass and electronic music. The fonts, layouts and colour pallet reflect the genre of music this is designed for. Indie music poster tend to be more image led and usually have some collage work. Although the poster below is affective at putting across its message - its not a style i will be taking influence from.

Very much a fun and humorus design. Very simple to get the message straight across to the viewer. There is nothing on this poster which takes the main focus - it just read like a book. Again this ad does not use any imagery - it is purely type based.

Album Art 3

Here i took a further look into artist who have been signed under Domino Records. The artists i have looked at below are:

• Franz Ferdinand
• The Kills
• The last Shadow Puppet

Below 1. A very well known design using only type, scale and layout. The text which is in a large point sans-serif is very in your face. The orange underline supports the type. This is a very clever design using very minimal sources. The black background works for the canvas as it supports the type.

Below 2. This is a very distinctive design - once again using minimal colour. This is one of my favorite designs i found in my research. The image which has been duo-toned which creates the image in spots of colour in a very subtle way. The colours used in the text and two make the 'text outline' are very minimal yet affective.

Below 3. Using a larger full canvas image of the band again with the duo-tone affect. I think this piece also had a blue toned background. The text is once again a sans-serif in uppercase which is made very eye-catching using a burnt orange.

Below 1. These next designs are based mainly on photography. Example 1 is based around the image. It leaves enough space at the top for the bold, upper-case band name and the album title sits between the title space and into the image. This font is hand rendered - could be a scan of the actual writing with illustrator work.

Below 2. I love this design. Using the name of the band in context with imagery this is made. Clever which works in a serious tone with a humorous tone of voice. Once again an eye-catching, uppercase, sans-serif font for the bands name.

Below 3. Another image led design which uses minimal colour and a simple layout. This design again uses the same type used before but in a different font.

Below 1, 2 and 3. The examples below are image led as well as above. However each is designed to fit around the text. The font is a sans-serif with exaggerated curves and tails. The titles for both the band name and the album are a mix of upper and lowercase.

Album Art 2

Still looking into the album cover art which is released by Domino Records for their signed artists i decided to look into one of their biggest artists (and one of my personal favorites) The Arctic Monkeys.

Below 1. Still one of the best album covers of all time (personal opinion) is based on the image of a male smoking a cigarette in a grey scale colour pallet. The whole piece is based on subtleness and it works. The Arctic Monkeys logo is placed in the top left of the canvas and is sat inside a rounded rectangle, where the text is made more obvious in a bolder colour.

Below 2. Another design based on a photograph. This design is my least favorite - purely because it is very boring. It has no distinct style, looks pretty ameature and in some ways unfinished. I think my feeling are mainly based on the image - which looks like a screen shot from a recording session.

Below 3. Now this is my kind of image. Maybe it has been played with in photoshop but it looks like the type of photograph you could get from an old 1979 Olympus. The image itself has character due to its dark tone of colours and playful layout. 'Arctic Monkeys' is very subtle when being placed on the hoody of a bloke in a white, which acts as a frame.

Below 1. A design which is based on the text and colour pallet. This design uses a hand rendered font for the album title. I love style of this font - it reminds me of the typeface used for the Rugrats cartoon. The colour which this text is set in is very vibrant and eye-catching. I will be taking this typeface into my final batch of research to possibly design my logo on.

Below 2. Imagery which is directed towards the title of the album is always a winner. 'I bet you look good on the dancefloor' is the name of this album - and im guessing the female dressed in her work cloths relates to the title. Nice idea, layout and use minimal use of type.

Below 3. Much like No.1 - This cover is once again hand rendered. This time its again based on its subject - the title 'Teddy Picker'. The font is very 'fluffy' and large. - the soft bright colour works on the flap backgound.

Album Art 1

I decided too look into the album covers which Domino had released for their signed artists. I wanted to look into the range of colour, layout designs, imagery and type.

Im looking into the covers for bigger artists signed to the label which get more publicity and backing. The artists that i chose to base my research on were:

• Four Tet
• To Rococo Rot

Below 1. Four Tet's - Everything ecstatic album cover which is an image based design, which uses a bright eye-catching colour pallet. The font is a lowercase, serif which is designed with a more curvy and playful look. The design is very busy in the top left which is the key area to be legible. I like the design although i feel the layout of the text has let it down slightly.

Below 2. This cover is completely different from the previous. The design looks to be based on a grid of 3 columns (a lot like you could see in a magazine layout) The title is sat in the first placed in the first column. The type is Bold and set in uppercase which immediately catches the eye. I am then taken down to the image which is set across 3 columns and uses a two tone colour pallet of black and white. This is a unique design in terms of album cover art - the layout is of its own. I will take a lot from this design in terms of layout and use of upper and lowercase type.

Below 1. Once again, Four Tet have gone in a different direction for another album cover. Based on a photograph the type has been set subtle in the image. The murky white canvas makes the objects in the image stand out and allows some of the text to stand out in their own white text box. I like this design for its subtleness and way it delivers its message.

Below 2. Obviously this design focused on the image. I like the cleverness of this design in terms of colour pallet. The text is set in a gradient which uses the same colours and tones of the image. Layout does not look amazing but it was fundamental in making this design work.

To Rococo Rot - is once again unique in terms of its album art. Once again i will evaluate each cover below in terms of layout, colour pallet, type and imagery.

Below 1. This cover is purely typographically based. With what looks like hand rendered and stenciled letter forms laid out to make an aesthetically pleasing piece. The essential detail left in the cover is that of the bands name and album. Colour wise - the design is very bland. It uses no in your face colours - only subtle tones. I really like this piece for its originality.

Below 2. Another cover which is laid out on the canvas of a photograph. The image is drawing and immediately makes the eye explore. Using an image of curled up wires set on what could be a hammer and other objects - your eyes cant help but look. The text is very subtle - using a sans-serif in lowercase which is set in white. But to make sure this does not stand out from the image - the type has the opacity set at different levels for different words. This allows for a more subtle title and it also allows the colour from the image to be seen through the type.

More existing labels

Again looking into current label designs - but this time looking at designs with a colour pallet of just black and white. Below are several of my favorite designs that i found on the internet.

• Wot Records - Through using a simple outline design with detail such as buildings and dripping paint this design is already very distinctive. The 'WOT' is a Sans-Serif with a bold weight. 'RECORDINGS' is an italic sans-serif with a light weight. I like the design for its unique style and ability to stand out wit just one tone colour.
• Airtight Records - Very well developed design. Using a simple vectored image and using the space aligned space to fit the text in. Once again this design uses a sans-serif - stencil font which gives more impact to the text.
• Ultra Records - This is one of my first examples which is purely type based. It is obviously a downloadable font which is a bold, italic sans-serif, which is very striking with 'Records' in a bold, regular sans-serif below. I do like this design but i wish mine to have more too it - some sort of vector or photographic image.

Record Labels

Looking into competitors and fellow record labels I found a huge range of brand designs. From full colour to black and white. Photographed pieces to hand rendered designs. The first 3 examples i have given below show a wide range of different outcomes for the same target market.

• Whirlpool productions - The image is very dark, with details such as chains and smoke. It is a very eye-catching design, professionally finished to a high standard. The font is Helvetica and in the text 2 weights have been used - Bold and Light. The white text does well to stand out amongst this piece which uses a very minimal number of colours.
• Visionary Sound - Another design which uses minimal colour. This design has a very simple illustration which could be an eye lid? Although I'm not certain what this is - it does well to catch your eye. The font is San-Serif at a medium stroke. By keeping the illustration and the type the same colour the eye does not get distracted to any other part of the design. This could be because of the simple gradient affect used for the silver backdrop.
• Armada - Very bright and in your face design. However not the most aesthetically pleasing. I can see the logic in the design however on a first glance it looks like a holiday rep logo. The design has a cheap, last minute feel about it which is not helped by the image which looks like the sun with a kite drifting in-front of it.

Below I have taken a look into 3 very different logo's to see how the font makes a difference to the final outcome.

• Electric-02 - This design is one of my favorites. It is eye-catching, unique and very playful. In reality the designer has took a standard typeface and cut here, extended there and produced an ace design. When i look at this design i think of creatives who are music orientated - it has some sort of appeal and subtleness which appeals to its target audience.
• Beatportal - This design has an immediate feel of music. The font used is commonly used or imitated in the design world. The electric green backdrop with several gradients really is an eye-catcher, which works well with the stone white font. A simple touch is the volume levels pointing down from one of the letters - not necessarily needed however it does help the design.
• Subplot Records - This design is very eye-catching due to its collaged image and solid colour. Obviously music orientated once you spot the drum for a head and supported by what looks to be a downloadable font which has been modified to include '+' symbols. The design uses only two colours in its pallet but works very well. It stands out to its audience and would be easy to adjust to many different products.