If you’re looking for it, inspiration for future designs can come from anything — be it a rousing color combination from a candy wrapper or awe-inspiring geometric patterns in the windows of a somewhat famous house that you might walk past on the way to work.
The most regular source of design inspiration for me is music — but not just the clever lyrics and pulsing beats. No, it’s not the actual tunes but the good old album cover designs that make me experiment with new layouts, color combos, and illustration techniques.
To get inspired without flipping through your stack of CDs, visit Rolling Stone Magazine’s “50 Best Album Covers” Web site or take a spin through this offbeat collection of great album covers (and the “tributes” they inspired).
Of course, if you’re looking for more current trendsetting designs, the best resource is not the latest releases section of a major label’s Web site but indie labels like Kill Rock Stars or K Records. With limited budgets, indie cover art is often more experimental and creative. To make a cover look fresh, they don’t just throw in extra processes like foils and florescents — they actually just perfect their designs and try new things.
Some of my current favorites include: Little Wings’ Wonder What (great color); Sleater Kinney’s One Beat (strange but interesting illustration — like that seen on the new Red Hot Chili Peppers’ disc); and Midwest Product’s Specific (nice paper choice).
What album covers currently inspire you?
Shoutcast doesn't show any graphics... :-)
Actually, the only music I listen to nowadays is Trance (specifically Goa) and their covers tend to be juvenile (except for Space Tribe). But really, anything without lyrics has a chance with me - like classical. The only lyrics I can stand are the ones that act as sounds, not meanings, like with Soul Coughing.
hhp
On Oct.02.2002 at 04:53 PM