I have started off by looking at some Digipak designs online in order to help me decide on my own layout.
I really like the way this packaging opens up as though the person opening it were doing a puzzle. I would like to use the idea of my consumer getting something unexpected from their CD whether that be an individualistic casing, or hidden extras. Such as a poster or lyric sheet. I also like the way that there is a new image on each of the folds so your are always seeing something different, and that the band use their commercial cartoon images, which create anonymous character and make the music less about ideology and looks.

My favourite part about this Digipak is the styling of the case and the way that it mimics a box or an envelope, as though it were designed for another purpose, other than to hold a CD. I want to do something quirky with my design to make my audience want to investigate it.

The reason I have featured this Digipak is because of the way it folds out, and that fact that each different face has a different purpose, yet they all feature the same type of photography adding continuity to the design. With my own design I would like to have a single theme that links all of the artwork together. As otherwise the work will look unprocessed and unplanned.

These are some mock up designs that I have made.
The first one is a small two fold design, which would hold the CD in the centre fold. It would mean that lyrics could be printed on either side of the CD and lots of imagery and artwork could be used. However it also means that any extras such as pull outs would be hard to contain in the case and also that plastic couldn't be used. On the other hand an inner slip could be placed on the case to hold a poster or pictures. This does mean that some sort of seal would have to be placed on the packaging otherwise it could be susceptible to theft of loss.

Another design could be in the shape of a booklet. This would give me the option of adding in as many pages as I wanted. It also follows the idea of the design mimicking something else and adds a fun, childishness to the packaging, which reflects the genre of music that I am representing. This also means that song lyrics could be printed on to each of the pages allowing the user to go through them as though it were a story book.

The third design is shaped like a package. The CD would be on the inside of the packet with the four folds acting as a front cover. They would be sealed together using a tie or something similar as though it were an actual package. This could also mean that on the inside of each fold the lyrics could be printed, and that the back of the casing would act as the main ‘front cover’.
Another design is this clasped, two door, box shape, if make a special edition version of the CD this probably the design that that I will use. The intricacy of the design makes it quirky and appeals to my target audience, also it is decadent and individual. The two doors mimic the opening of a window, or another gateway to the world, which could mean that through looking into the box you, could be seeing into the artist’s world. To portray this behind the scenes photographs of Ruth could be included or special edition footage of her performances. Another option could be to include a DVD copy of the music video within the case; this means that the artwork could all be centred on the music video itself. This would also give the video another medium to be played on instead of the internet and television.

These are some CD and front cover initial designs. The first mimics the patterning used on Sigur Ros's album Takk. Only instead of using woodsy colours it will use blues and white, to represent calming. The image would be of Ruth Bewsey (Freya Manthorpe) walking down the tree line path as she does at the end of the video. Another idea would be to have a transparent image of Ruth's (Freya representing) face on the CD with the song titles etched over the top. This makes a link between the artist and her music. One other design could be Ruth (Freya) on three panels across the CD which links to the visual in the music video when Freya travels across the screen using paneling.



Some front covers- rough ideas.

These are some fonts I am considering for my Digipak.