Upper Rooms Record
Spring 2024 | Microsoft Office, Zoom, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Charcoal, Dielines
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What is this project?
The Upper Room Record Album design project was a university project I worked on involving creating the album cover for "Upper Room," a new record by composer and musician Evan Wright based in Los Angeles. My role was to design a visually compelling cover that would capture the essence of his music and artistic vision. The album, titled Upper Room, was inspired by Wright’s exploration of themes such as spirituality, transcendence, and introspection. To ensure my design reflected the heart of his work, I met with Wright multiple times through Zoom for conceptual meetings, where we discussed his inspirations, the themes in his music, and the emotional tone he wanted the artwork to convey. This collaboration allowed me to understand his creative process better and establish a design direction that would align with his vision for the album.
How did I prepare?
To prepare for the design process, I conducted research into both Wright's music and broader visual trends in album art, particularly in the genres of classical and ambient music that he is involved in. I reviewed his past work and explored references related to the themes he discussed. This provided me with context for the project, helping me align my creative approach with the depth of his sound. I also created detailed outlines, brainstorming various visual concepts based on the story Wright shared with me, which described an otherworldly journey through a tunnel into a realm of light. This narrative guided the foundational sketches and concepts for the album cover design. I also worked with color schemes and typography that would complement the overall aesthetic of the album, ensuring the design resonated with both the music’s mood and Wright’s personal artistic style.
How did I put my plan into action?
In terms of execution, I followed a multi-step design process that began with traditional charcoal sketches. For the first album version, I drew a realistic yet abstract representation of a tunnel leading to a blinding light, which symbolized the spiritual journey described in Wright's story. I enhanced the charcoal drawing digitally in Photoshop, adding textures and depth, before using Illustrator to finalize the design for the album cover. This gave me the flexibility to experiment with color and layout while maintaining the organic feel of the original hand-drawn artwork. For the second version, I created a purely digital design using Illustrator, ensuring the artwork was both modern and clean while still reflecting the themes of Wright's music. Throughout the process, I sought Wright's feedback at various stages, presenting him with multiple iterations to give him flexibility in choosing the final direction.
What were my results and lessons?
The results of this project were highly successful, with both versions of the album cover receiving positive feedback from Wright. The first version, which was a mix of traditional and digital techniques, was praised for its striking, emotionally resonant imagery that aligned with the ethereal quality of his music. The second, fully digital version, was appreciated for its sleek and contemporary feel while still encapsulating the spiritual journey concept. Both covers successfully conveyed the story Wright had written and the mood of the album. One challenge I faced was balancing the abstract nature of the concept with the need for clarity and cohesion in the design. Through iteration and ongoing feedback from Wright, I was able to refine my approach to ensure the final product effectively communicated his vision. This experience taught me valuable lessons in collaboration, client communication, and the iterative nature of the design process, all of which will serve me well in future design projects.