Laying out the options for both songs I felt were strongest and most distinctive in concept and effects, feedback always surprises me. I tried to display a range of the ideas I'd explored and asking people to tally was a brilliant idea as in the past I have not had a massive amount of written feedback as I think some people grow tired of writing by the end of the sessions, but tallying is easy to do and gives me what I need to submit the right covers!
For my Tame Impala designs peers seemed quite impressed by the candy concept and really saw this coming through in my designs, which makes me very happy. To my surprise, the dripping gobstoppers were most popular. I thought these may be a bit too obscure but perhaps thats what made them stand out, and I think the scrunched foil looking like a wrapper gave it a unique texture whilst withholding the concept. I perhaps thought my mid designs would be popular as having a relation to the members of the band/the people on covers is supposed to connect the most with audiences, but as my concept itself was eccentric in its colours and effects this maybe was overlooked.
Extremely happy with my feedback. Brought up in feedback that are important points to consider as well as all the positives, is that my styles were clearly for Tame Impala, try ambiguity? Even on my lollipop design where I tried to minimalize it is still obvious due to the colours. Also, I am aware when submitting my descriptions need to be 140 characters which was pointed out, which I am sure to do when actually submitting.
I also thoroughly enjoyed designing for Clearest Blue, and feedback was even clearer this time as there were 2 clear favourites, the last one being a suprise. I didn't particularly like this design but I wanted to experiment with different images, of which I had photographed walking to uni. It was pointed out this resembles a barcode which doesn't initially relate to the song whatsoever and 'glitching' which I enjoy the idea of. These tie in with the idea of fragments/strip downs of the worn relationship. A piece of feedback I really appreciated was that my designs were informed by extensive research surpassing lyric analysis and are conceptually and aesthetically appropriate. I always think it is important to consider human emotion in design as this is what resonates with audiences instinctively and always.
Constructive criticism, which I really value getting in order to improve, mentioning my designs would be better if they weren't too strong in their approach. I completely understand I have a habit of going quite full on with my design work as this is my style as a designer which needs to become more varied when working on designs not led to be for the purpose of a client/audience. I am slowly but surely approaching concepts and ideas trying to start with simple sketches or purely type standalone. Despite this maybe overshadowing my abilities and that I can be flexible in my designs, as this was self lead I really enjoy these designs and hadn't thought I would create covers as interesting and ethereal as these and feel they fit the song really well! I had attempted orange designs to completely contrast the obvious colour choice being blue, but the designs themselves just weren't my favourites.
Final feedbacks are crucial, and especially when submitting designs, it is so important to have other eyes look at a range of work and choose which immediatley connects with them on a visual level, as this is what will be the case if my work is exhibited and the room is full of art buyers looking for that unique piece. I can truly say I feel like my designs are one of a kind due to the layers and textures and how these combinations have created distinctive covers. Initially I wanted to also create covers for Etta James's 'At Last' as I appreciate the song and the time it was released in and how the song has stood strong through it's time, but my passion went to the other two and I didn't want the third set to look obviously worse as I didn't enjoy the ideas I was getting as much. It is true they say about quality over quantity, so I shouldn't be juggling more than I need to do but doing more than one song and having a wide range of designs is what I will always strive for. Just seeing the results reinforces this.
Music and art are two of my favourite artistic combinations in which I feel are so impactful. Just myself as a young girl getting in to music, I'd walk in to HMV not knowing a lot about music legends and artists but I remember strange, eccentric and colourful covers always drawing my attention in. This was also because, I didn't know at the time, I wanted to become a designer myself and these visuals were important in my development and love for design. But this is what I remembered when we were briefed, and importantly as they are picked for an exhibition, are un-named and picked to be bought I wanted my designs to look like a collectible and be different and distinctive and I feel I have achieved this, and the fact I have thoroughly enjoyed designing these and didn't see them as a chore/boring task has made me really happy.
The fact that in the exhibition they are submitted by the likes of students, artists, lecturers, music lovers, such a range of talents, if my designs were to be picked I would be proud of just that. It is a very important time-worthy project. If one was bought, even better! We are told not to see ourselves as just students and having this opportunity makes me feel that way.
My final feedback session was extremely useful and in future as well as asking for written feedback, if I have a range to present, tallying is very helpful and is quick and easy for people to do, of which they immediately connect with a design. The ones that are highly tallied I am going to submit; I will be in with more of a change of getting my cover shown and at least my designs will be seen!
What I have learnt throughout this brief is go with what you feel you will enjoy doing. I understand going out of your comfort zone and maybe trying to design the opposite way in which you instinctively do as an individual, but with this brief as it was to do with music I just had to go with the songs I felt had a style within them that needed bringing out visually! From the bands style aesthetics to the tempo and build up of the instruments, lyrics and song title aside bringing those to life through photography/layering etc is so exciting to me!
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