Packaging Materials Ideas - Development

Here are a few early ideas into the design and layout of the overall piece and all the elements it will be made up of.

Illustrations will run across all pieces & packaging as a form of branding (Even actual record & CD front).

The final piece will be like an old vinyl album cover containing compartments on the inside to hold each piece of branded memorabilia.






I had the idea to use cardboard for the final piece so I had a look at different print on packages etc. and this lead me to passport & postage stamps. I think something could develop with this idea because the chosen track is all about life's journey so there's a vague link there.

I also looked at some ink splash designs and will continue to look at the possibility of perhaps pressing my final illustrations, in ink, onto cardboard, for the cover of my outer packaging.

Illustration Ideas - Development

Illustrative responses to the chosen track:
For the first illustration I listened to the song repeatedly with a pencil in hand, blank page in-front of me and simply sketched whatever came into my head. The outcome was quite an abstract piece with the lyrics and personal thinking dictating the majority of what ended up on the page.

The second illustration is a bit more structured as it is in the format of a time-line. I took the various ages mentioned in the lyrics of the track and plotted them in order throughout the time-line. Each tiny sketch was then drawn to relate to each specific age or time in someones life.

Illustration

Jim Fitzpatrick:
This is a local illustrator who has produced album artwork for Thin Lizzy and Sinead O'Connor. His illustrations are very detailed and precise and I can't see my final pieces going down that road. However I have recently acquired his contact details and I will play on his experience to see if he can explain the processes and techniques he used when creating such pieces.

James Gulliver Hancock:

An illustrator from Australia currently based in New York he has worked for a number of major print, TV and music publishing releases. His illustration style is more simple however his outcomes are sometimes very intricate.

I can see my illustrations taking a similar route and had an idea to possibly use each age from the lyrics of the song and extract typical life elements related to that age in illustration (like JGH's music image located to the right).

Check out James Gulliver Hancock's current venture to draw all the buildings in New York.

Further Artwork & Product Packaging Research

I thought I need to have a look at the way vinyl album covers were designed years ago as many of them are still highly collectible today. In the music industry designers only had this canvas to be creative with because music videos, computers, mp3's and downloads didn't exist.

Looking through my family's old record collection I found a few good examples of old album artwork encompassing illustration, lyric books, record sleeves and the overall product packaging.





















Furthermore searching the web I discovered a few things that have given me ideas for packaging that I could use for my final product. The use of cardboard is very interesting and could indeed be utilised as it is a recyclable material, readily available and may throw up some different shapes and effects.


Combining the ideas from the old album illustration and the design of current musical product packaging in the final piece could lead to some retro design thinking and ultimately create a beautiful project.

Existing Artwork & Product Packaging

Iconic album artwork from the likes of Pink Floyd, The Sex Pistols & The Stone Roses use illustration brilliantly. Something like the examples to the left could be utilized in my final piece.

While researching I also found this invasive approach to American gangster rap stereotypes. The album is presented beautifully with relevant logo and branding and it is also accompanied by a t-shirt. However it was the exterior packaging that surprised me as the entire product was delivered to fit with the feel of the music and this stigma of drugs & crime that is associated with gangster rap. The album is presented in a brown tapped bag to be seen as a drugs package and it is also sealed in a cellophane bag with a paper tag as if it has been seize by the Police as evidence. Talk about appealing to your target audience... GENIUS!!













Further research into packaging ultimately took me into the Japanese market as they are usually at the forefront of most modern developments. This stereotype may be true in the technological field in China & Japan but when it comes to product packaging they seem to enjoy the personal touch as well as traditionalism, culture and originality, which I found very refreshing.

It is this hand-made originality while offering the personal touch as well as the one-of-a-kind values that I wish to convey with my final product/piece.

Track Selection - Target Audience - Schedule

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nTrack: Five for Fighting - 100 Years

nTells a story - this should dictate the illustrative style.

Official Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpkqVqZ7PUE



The underlying message of the track:
Age/Numbers/Life's Journey - (Life goes by too fast)

Target Audience: There will be a variety of people that could appreciate and enjoy the final proposed product/piece.

The main areas the product will cater for or be aimed at are:

1. The Band's / Artist's fans
   
2. Music Memorabilia Collectors
3. Age Group = undefined (The track's lyrics range from ages 10-100 so the piece could be aimed at anyone in between these ages)

The product also has the potential to encompass a retro feel which would cater for both markets as:

• It would enable the older market to relive their younger nostalgic memories
• While modern retro design is currently seen as old school cool by the younger generation

Production Schedule:


The pivotal tasks to enable progression in the above gantt chart are:

• Finalising The Illustration
• Prototyping The Final Piece
• & Implementing all the final ideas together
  

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Market Research

Collectors: Collecting as a hobby has never been so popular or passionately embraced by consumers, young & old.

There is a bright future for companies that understand the dramatic shifts in the collector market brought about by younger collectors. In the past few years, all the basic assumptions have changed. The younger collectors are shopping for collectibles in new ways and in different types of retailers. They are buying and collecting different types of items, and they have a whole new range of expectations about the items they collect and the companies and retailers they buy from.

Drawing from the latest Unity Marketing research among collectors here are the 10 top trends that retailers and companies must understand for a prosperous future in the collectibles market, including:

1. Link with youth and play to propel your brand to the next generation.
2. Men will expand the market.
3. Keep up with techno-savvy younger collectors.
4. Collectors decorate their homes.
5. Collectors expand the definition of collectibles.
6. Investment value returns.
7. New ways to shop.
8. Traditional collecting behavior changes.
9. Self-expressive collectors.
10. Collapsed life span for hot themes.

The CBS Interactive Business Market: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HMU/is_3_28/ai_73023758/

Market Aims for my project:

• Personal - to own (possession of an actual physical piece)
• Collectible (a one-off, unique, limited piece - to display at home or show off to friends etc.)
• MP3 (must include mp3 or downloadable track - to remain in touch with the current music market)

You can see below how some artists (The Beatles, Pearl Jam & Pendulum) have catered for the collectible fan market by producing limited edition musical box sets containing things like CD's, Vinyl, cases, sleeves, t-shirts, flags, posters, stickers, lyric books & album art work/branding books etc.

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Final Design Brief - Musical Branding / Illustration

Title: Illustrative interpretation of a musical track delivered as collectible memorabilia and product packaging.

Short Description: To create an illustrated response to a musical track. Use these collection of illustrations to create a collectible piece for the artists / bands fans. Te collection of objects will be an original and unique piece that offers the fans a new experience while still meeting the needs of today's music industry (The way people currently obtain and use their music).

Aims & Objectives:

1. To bring back the use of promotional and expressive illustration in music.
2. Find a new and revolutionary use for illustrated imagery within the music industry.
3. Create a desired piece of memorabilia for the fans.
4. To ensure the entire piece is interactive, usable and can successfully fit in with the way modern track, music and albums are used.

Key Areas & Sources of Research:

• Existing album artwork, branding & product packaging.
• Library books, journals or music/graphic/illustration magazines (Look at the history & progression of illustration).
• Internet - look at the current market and any planned or future developments in musical illustration.
• Specific market research to discover who the product will be aimed at (age groups etc).

Items to be Designed:

1. Track illustrations - used for throughout the entire piece as branding & finally output together in poster format.
   
2. Illustrated outer casing/packaging - used to house all the pieces elements.
3. Illustrated Record & CD fronts - as well as their sleeves and covers.
4. A printed & illustrated lyric book perhaps containing this blog & all research material.
   
5. A branded memory pen or download card - containing the track MP3.
6. Printed & illustrated t-shirt.