Digipak Construction

Font

The thank you note in the digipak is a space for the artist to write a sincere note directed to the fans. I wanted to portray this personal aspect through the font, and decided to create my own using my own handwriting to demonstrate this.

Using the website myscriptfont.com, I downloaded the template below that I then opened in Photoshop. Filling it in using a pen tablet, I was able to transfer my handwriting digitally, before uploading it to the website. This then converted my handwriting into a vector font which I am able to use within the digipak.

 

Barcode

As my planning outlined a monochrome design, rather than placing a found image of a barcode that often is either not transparent or features a conventional black banding, I decided to create my own. This enabled me to create a white transparent version that I can edit at any point. Using Photoshop once again, I created a brush 1px wide and 100px tall, and added this to my brush presets. From here, I changed the spacing of the brush to 100% and the count jitter to 120% causing the random banding that forms the actual barcode.

After placing this image into InDesign, I decided to remove the '3' and '0' from the edges of the barcode to create a more streamlined aesthetic that fitted well with the otherwise linear composition.

Outside Drafts

When constructing the digipak, I decided on these variations below. Whilst these are subtle, I intend to print each of these off to see how they look in print.

The above outlines my original design intentions through the planning. I decided to use the Arial Black font throughout to match the logo, listing the track names in a more graphical fashion. I personally find this combination slightly too impactful and linear compared to the circular front panel. Despite this, I do like the way the tracks list is arranged, filling the space well without becoming overcomplicated.

After printing these to get a sense for each colour, I actually really like the darker spine which is especially effective in linking these panels together. The thank you note on a panel on it's own is also rather impactful, which is evident in print, connoting the directness of the message to the fans.

Retaining the format of the track list, I used my own handwriting font that I created originally for the thank you note alone. I find this font impactful yet not overwhelming, with greater emphasis on negative space within each letter. In my research, I liked how The King Blues used handwritten font for each of their song titles, and this method transfers well to this digipak.

For this design I used grey as the background for the spines, but when this was printed the black version above was more aesthetically pleasing. I want to develop this design further, starting with changing the spine background colour.

Possessing the same features as the previous design, this version features quite an unconventional continuation of the spine through the different coloured background. This was quite effective for the back panel, however the inside flap with thank you note was really ineffective, with the off centred text and blank space distracting from the main message. The back panel is more successful, however the legal text and barcode would need to be shifted to the right to balance the layout more. Although, because the black spine was really effective, I won't be continuing this design due to the need of a different coloured spine.

A more obvious use of the psychedelic design than that in the planning, this is significantly different to the other drafts. The burst of colour on the front is balanced with a more muted purple taken from the front image. The white text contrasts against this background effectively, with the track list in a more conventional layout, integrating the circular design from the original logo also. The use of Arial Black from the logo follows what I had outlined in the planning, yet the handwritten thank you note does not overcomplicate the product, almost making this addition more personal.

I find this design slightly too dark, especially comparing it to the otherwise bright and vibrant video. Whilst the design is effective digitally, I found that it lost definition when printed. I think a brighter image will portray the otherwise colourful indie-psych genre more effectively, appealing to the target audience once more.

The previous pattern did not transfer well to the spine design, so I decided to use an image I had taken during the planning stages which had a greater amount of colour. Personally, I really like this design. It encompasses the vibrant indie-psych genre, as well as holding a slightly muted palette which can be likened to the 70s aesthetic. Accents such as the coloured spines create cohesion across the design, and is something that I believe can be developed for the inside sections.

With the success of the previous design, I used another photo from the planning process. Looking at the composition in general, I like how there is a greater variation between the black and white text, as the previous example I found the dark 'bonus tracks' buzz words quite distracting. The circular logo on the front panel is very eye-catching, but overall I still prefer the previous example as it appears more cohesive across the three panels.

In order to develop the previous example more, I shall change the logo to the circular example from the last one, as well as either tone down the buzz word colour, or change the thank you note colour to draw the attention away from this section. I also need to align the barcode with the track list and ensure that each section is to the correct width.

Inside Drafts

Developing the three most successful outside drafts, I looked back to my research in order to conform to conventions of a digipak. Each feature a pocket, CD with info, and the logo in the centre. The central logo is a clear focal point, reinforcing the brand identity which is especially vital as they are an unsigned and emerging band. The CD features the band logo once again, as well as the track names and durations, with the latter otherwise absent from the outside. Legal information conventionally circles the outside using a text on a path, with the disc logo also added to follow conventions. Upon viewing these drafts, I find the first and last versions most successful, spreading the focal point across the product, with an even dispersal of colour which is lacking from the middle draft. I shall show the two drafts mentioned to the target audience in order to gain their opinion on these versions.