soulsight®

So here we are, smack in the middle of the MP3 era. We buy, sell, trade and download all our music digitally, and we store tens of thousands of songs on devices smaller than a credit card. But in the past few years, the vinyl LP, a relic long since abandoned 20 years ago, has been brought back to life by a whole new generation of music fans. With literally millions of songs available to them at the click of a button, fans are content to go dig for slabs of vinyl in record store crates and garage sales. And not just vintage records. Bands today are releasing their music with vinyl + MP3 combos, recognizing this growing trend.

It just goes to show that no matter how far technology takes us, how it shapes our culture, there will always be a counterculture (that's me) who still appreciates the tactile, still wants to holds the work in their hands, possess it, listen for the stories in its grooves and find charm in its imperfections. And with this vinyl revival comes one more thing, something that has also been loved for decades by fans and inspired designers in every culture -- the art of the album cover. Revered, embraced, censored, hated, emulated and treasured, the 12-inch canvas of the LP became as innovative and evocative as the music it represented.

From the groundbreaking work of Reid Miles at Blue Note, to The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" and Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground and Thelonious Monk covers, the record sleeve began to fully mature in the mid-1960's as a reflection of the times. Great design could be used to not only inform who the artist was but make a statement to what the artist was all about.

As with any package design, the limited amount of space to work with and limited amount of exposure to your audience makes every design decision have the utmost importance. Your challenge is not only in selling a record but also in selling the vibe and spirit of the music contained within, all from a piece of cardboard on an overcrowded shelf. Especially with up-and-coming bands, standing out and boasting a cover that says, "Hey, pick me up. I'm worth a listen" is the first win in the battle for the exposure of your music.

As a designer, representing art with your own art is a bold challenge and one that can only be accomplished by loving the design process, embracing the risks and studying those before you. Take Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" cover, for instance. The dispersive prism cover is one of the most iconic and legendary album covers of all time. It was created by Hipgnosis, a group of 3 graphic designers from England headed by Strom Thorgerson, who challenged conventional thinking and pushed the LP art form to new horizons. The sleeve cover art was predominantly black negative space and did not even feature the name of the band, something inconceivable at the time. Pink Floyd wanted something simple and bold, something that represented the lyrics and the mystique of the band. What was created could only have been created by both parties willing to take the risks and create something that was worthy of being remembered.

When something fades from conversation, it's easy to begin to forget it was even there in the first place. And when cover art was reduced over the years to cassette tapes, then CDs, and finally MP3s, it had all but vanished from sight. What's wonderful is that the rebirth of vinyl has exposed so many new fans and yet-to-be designers to discover and appreciate the collision between music and art.