CoP3 // End of Module Evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

The development of research and writing skills, having to research and analyse for such a broad theoretical piece was quite challenging but the overall knowledge of the topic and my understanding of how a designer should work in the music industry has obviously grown massively.

By using the writing techniques we have been developing from first year I feel I have resulted in a piece of written work which I am proud of, I struggled with making my topic specific at first, and found because the music industry is such a broad area to cover as well as the fact that design in the music industry is so different depending on what era or genre you are focusing on. But I think I finally found what areas were necessary to cover and what I ultimately wanted to find out from the module.

2. What approaches to/ methods of design production have developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I obviously made a 12" CD cover, which I have never done before but the process I used to make it was more of a professional mock up than a finished article. however through studying the working process of Hipgnosis. it has made me realise that I think I am a more hands on designer. By seeing the way they worked with their clients as well as the creative process they went through to create a piece and by me trying to recreate that style of thinking in my designs it has really inspired me to utilise as many different forms of image making as possible, instead of sitting staring at a computer and designing purely digital I now intend to have a very physical approach to all my future briefs as this seems to be the element that I most enjoy and in turn this really motivates me to work faster as well as making me enjoy the work I produce

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/ will you capitalise on these?

 I feel I have clearly and concisely explained my intentions and goals of the theoretical element of this module, I was initially worried that bringing all the different elements of this piece together would result in a broad range of random points but in hindsight I feel I have successfully created a coherent and interesting piece of writing with some valid conclusions which I definetly consider a strength. 

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

 The initial organisation of this module was a weakness, I struggled to create a system of organisation which became more of problem towards the end of the module, I think if I would have formed some sort of way of structuring my research then I would have ended up with a much easier task of referencing at the end.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

- Organise any research topics in a structured format. probably a physical format such as a folder would be most beneficial as this could allow me to gather the relevant information and be able to store it so I know what it is and where i got it from.

- Perform primary research earlier in the research process, even though I received all the responses I needed, I feel it would be more beneficial to gather the primary research at the earliest stages.

- Allow more time to develop synthesis between the practical and theoretical elements, I think I focused too heavily on the written side of this module, I would have liked to have spent more time forming a little stronger link between my practical and written. However I still feel what I have produced is very relevant to my conclusions but it would have been nice to have had a little more time to develop it further.

- I could have done with sorting out time management more throughout this module, if I would have started developing my ideas at an earlier stage then I would have probably found it easier to create a structure for my essay as I wouldn't have felt as rushed and panicked as I did towards the end of the module.

- Pick a topic that perhaps wasn't quite as broad, one of the most difficult aspects of this module was picking the areas I wasn't going to talk about. So many of the areas I researched could have had an essay purely written about them so trying to cover all the required areas and still make it relevant and coherent to my ultimate aims was a mammoth task for me.

6. how would you grade yourself on the following areas? 

Attendance - 4

Punctuality - 4

Motivation -3

Commitment -3

Quantity of work produced -4

Quality of work produced -3

CoP3 // Practical Synthesis concept boards

With the submission I have provided a few concept boards which aim to help explain the synthesis between the theoretical and practical elements of this module.

Synthesised Practical

The practical element has been developed from the elements which were most common when researching the theoretical side of this module.
It is clear that the early stages of album cover design seemed to be the most enjoyable period of time for both designers and consumers of music, in the 60’s and 70’s much of your peer status would have been determined on the vastness of your record collection. People enjoyed having large physical pieces of artwork which accompanied their music, it was another element for a fan to relate to as well as another format to band promotion.
This sense of ownership and pride of physical items in relation to the music industry is slowly disappearing with the progression of downloading and file sharing.
Therefore this practical element is a collection of my suggestions on how we can keep the album cover physical, so we can keep on enjoying the art work that accompanies the music we
purchase.
There has become such a strong bond between visuals and music since the development of recorded music and it would be beneficial to both
consumers and designers if their was still formats of design that can be bought, held and cherished.

CoP3 // Practical Synthesis

The sysnthesis between the theoretical and practical element of this module is formed from the reactions of most designers I have studied during the research part of the written element. I came to the conclusion that most designers have seen the role of a designer in the music industry take a creative hit, since the digital age has taken over. MP3's, Downloading and File Sharing have resulted in the demise of the physical album cover. Most of the album art that is created in todays modern market end up as a mostly screen based product. The physicality and ownership of purchasing music has definitely been effected by this.

The era of the 12" vinyl seemed to be the best time to be a designer for the music industry, when the format large, the product was always physical and consumer took pride in owning records and gaining a vast collection.
The music industry also boomed around the 60's and 70's with the development in the popularity of rock music and psychedelic free thinking helped both musicians and designers open their mind to the possibilities of design which in turn provoked a unique and revolutionary response, which resulted in both music and album art that is still hugely famous and popular over 50 years later.
Since the end of the vinyl record it seems much of the benefits that it brought have been lost with it, even though vinyl is becoming popular again to many, the constant development of technology is making it look more and more likely that design in music will take a mostly digital path, which is seen as a positive step as the development of new technology will develop visuals and audio to new levels and their will always be new, innovative and creative thinkers to take it to the next level.
However, takings design in music digital would result in less physical products being made, which in esence could ultimately cause the consumer to loose pride and ownership in their music collection which seemed so important just a few years ago.

Therefore my practical element aims to try of apply the physicality of the 12" vinyl to more modern formats, so even though the development of digital design will continue, designers can still be able to apply their designs to a physical outcome which in turn can be owned, used or displayed by proud music fans.

CoP3 // Essay Structure Development

Updated Essay Question

Title: How and why has the role of a graphic designer in the music industry (specifically the design of album art) changed since the beginning of recorded music to present day?


Introduction

Chapter 1: The history of recorded music and the role of the early designer 

Aim: To discover what elements and individuals initially formed the role of a graphic designer in the music industry and why

Chapter 2 - Mass culture in the music industry and how a graphic designer role has affected it.

Aim: To gain a knowledge of what mass culture is and how it has effected the consumer market more specifically in the arts, and how this has effected the music industry and therefore the role of a designer.

Chapter 3 - 1960’s and 70’s, ‘Hipgnosis’ and how they helped changed design in the music industry

Aim: To study the workings of Hipgnosis studio, why they started working like they did and how their design process and style helped change the way designers thought about design for music and the way consumers associate and relate with a band or artist.

Chapter 4 - The modern designer’s role in the music industry

Aim: To discover what elements has changed for a designer since the 70's as well as how the music industry itself has changed and how these changes have altered a designers role in the music industry.

Conclusion

Aim: To analyse all to evaluate how all these elements have both affected the designers role as well as formed a marriage between visuals and audio and come to some conclusion of what direction the designers role in the music industry will take.

CoP3 // Primary Research

I want to aim to get quite a lot of the information I require from professional designers who work in the field design for music.

To gain this information I intend to perform a series of email interviews with as many designers who are willing  to respond. This information will mainly aid the later sections of my essay that cover the modern designers role in the music industry.

Designers and Contacts

Below are the Designers I intend to contact, all of which have worked significantly in the music industry in various different formats.

- Richard Lock of Devolution Designs - devolutiondesign@hotmail.co.uk
- Jeri Heiden - mail@smogdesign.com
- Brian Cannon - bjcannon66@hotmail.com
- Rob Dobi - robdobi@gmail.com
- Dan Mumford - dan@dan-mumford.com   
- Jimmy (Heartcore) Breen - hello@jimmybreen.com
- Justin Ryan - justin@justinryan.org
- Peter Saville - mail@petersavillestudio.com
- Aubrey Powell - hipgnosispo@googlemail.com
- Eric Nyffeler - eric@doe-eyed.com     


Sent Email and Interview Questions

This is the template of the email I sent to the designers above, I hoed that this range of questions would help me gather the relevant information I needed as well as keep them simple enough that the designers can answer it quickly which will hopefully encourage responses.

I am currently a 3rd year degree student at Leeds College of Art studying Graphic design,

Like any degree we are expected to complete a dissertation and I was just wondering if you could help me out massively and briefly answer the questions I have provided below. I would really appreciate any responses given and would be eternally grateful.

My dissertation topic is about the role of a graphic designer in the music industry and as you have had some pretty impressive experience in this field I would love to hear your opinions on the matter.

- What products are you most commonly employed to design for a client in the music industry? (e.g. album covers, websites, promotional materials etc..)

- In your experience, has the development of digital media effected the way designers work in the music industry? (less printed elements? less creative freedom? more standardization?)
- Do you think that the increased popularity of commercial music on a global scale has negatively or positively effected a designers role in the music industry?

- Do you believe that a strong visual brand is more important for a band / artist than actual musical talent in today's pop music industry and why?
- Do you find that you use a wide variety of techniques and skills to produce unique visuals for each artist you work with or are you commonly asked to re produce previous styles?

- In terms of the popular music industry, where do you see the role of a designer going in the future and why?

Thankyou again for your time and I hope you have a beautiful Christmas and New Year.

Michael Scott

 

CoP3 - Tutorial record form

Having presented my proposal to Richard, Simon and a small group of peers I was given the feedback that I need more theoretical research, and a couple of publications were suggested that could be useful for my main source of research.

I am quite aware at the minute that I have to do some intense relevant research over the next couple of weeks to help structure my written element, and I also have to concentrate on preparing and recording my primary research tasks to help give me some facts and figures to work with.

I was also given a really interesting suggestion for my practical element, instead of creating a series of fake bands and branding them to gather reactions between visual and audio.

I should actually properly brand one fake band in the real world, and actually see if i can get fans  for a band that doesn't exist. I would create the visual identity and theme for the branding and after having done research on promotional materials, I will be able to apply the designs to these formats and see if ultimately i can promote a free gig and see if I can get people to turn up without ever listening to the music of the band.

CoP3 - Level 6 module proposal topic - presentation