Digipak research Courteney Coutinho

After completing research into the conventions of digipaks I have found out that they come in lots of different formats and found it to be important to analyse real examples of digipaks to see the different products that have already been produced. I found this as an example of digipaks, for this reason I do not know the band or artist that created this, however can still highlight the conventions of the product. Personally I really like this product as it is very different from other digipaks that I have seen as the layout is very unique and creative. Digipaks usually consist of three or more panels with the central panel having plastic to hold the CD. This product follows the conventions as it has a total of five panels, four surrounding the central panel which is holding the CD. The five panel digipak is highly effective as it opens in a different way to the conventional product. Digipaks are meant to open in the same style as a book, and close into a small square shape. Although this products sticks to the conventions by folding into a small square, it opens out to create a cube shape instead of the opening like a book. It is very creative way of promoting and marketing the CD as it suggests the band is unique and fresh like their packaging. As I do not know the band who created this, I can look at it from an outsiders perspective and see that the product belongs to a band with four male members. I can see this by the four different images on each panel and the different colour chosen for each person showing they are separate individuals. I really like the unique digipak as the central panel is emphasised by the symmetrical shape around it and the stripes on the CD are a great clue to the band name. Although I do not know the band I could guess they are called the Stripes as the recognisable zebra print has been used for the product. The black background is very simple and professional looking. It helps emphasise the faces that are a bright colour and also helps emphasise the central panel. I do not believe that there is a clear colour scheme throughout this product as a rainbow technique has been used throughout. Each face is a different bright colour and the stripes on the CD is a blend of all colours. This shows the groups diversity and although the rainbow colours could be very over whelming for the consumer I personally think it works really well with the black simple background. The first element that really stood out to me as the consumer was the layout of this product as it is very different. I will have to consider carefully the layout as I will need to make sure it is just as eye catching as this product.

I did not know who created the other digipak I analysed, however with this product I am fully aware of the artist behind the image. I found it important to also analyse work for artists I know as I know some background information about the artists so can use that as contextual information when analysing her product. Rihanna is a huge female soloist and has gone global with her work. For this reason her products including her digipaks has to look very sleek and professional as she does have a huge reputation within the music industry. I really like the overall digipak created for this artist as I think it represents the female singer well, highlight a feminine target audience with the colour scheme and images chosen. This digipak has a very well thought of colour scheme unlike the previous one, as feminine colours such as reds and pinks have been chosen throughout the front, back and inside of the product. The front of the case is a close up shot of the artist with her eyes closed. The indirect eye contact is very subtle and adds emotion and feeling to the product. It works well with the feminine colour scheme as direct eye contact with the camera lens could have looked threatening. The colour scheme is based on the close up shot used on the front cover of the digipak I believe, as Rihanna’s sticking red hair has inspired the red roses in the inside panels. The red hair also links with the tittle of the album as it is called ‘Loud’ and the red can be interpreted as that. The title of the album also works with the product as a digipak was created instead of the conventional jewel CD as the artists is very ‘loud’ and different. The close up shot used is highly effective as it shows a innocent quality to the artists which is not always shown in the press. The close up highlights the full made face of the artists as she has very long eye lashes and red lipsticks which links with her hair. The overall image created from this close up is that Rihanna is a very glamourous, classy lady. This image is present throughout the product as inside a long shot is shown of her lying on a bed of red roses. The red roses connote a romantic theme throughout the CD and the red colour of the flowers connect with the colour scheme. The long shot goes across all three panels which is also very effective method rather than having three separate images on each panel. It keep consistency throughout the product. Rihanna is seen in a very simple outfit as she wears a white skirt and pink loose fitting skirt. The pink skirt works with the colour scheme which highlights even the costumes of the artists need to be considers as it should work with the colours used throughout the product. The loose fitting skirt looks very romantic and works well with the symbol of roses. This digipak has three panels and two hold plastic shells to hold the actual CD. By including 2 CD’s it shows this album was particularly special to the artist which also suggests the reason for choosing the Digipak rather than the jewel CD case. The font which is used is also very important as it helps creates first impression to the consumer and if it is eye catching it will make the audience buy it. Personally I am not to keen on the font used for this digipak as I personally think the white does not stand out enough against the background image. I also feel that the font is to thin and is not eye catching enough. However saying this I do feel it represents the female artists well as it does look very elegant. The actual CD is designed well as it works with the colour scheme and promotes romantic ideas again suggesting the CD is full of songs about love and suggests Rihanna's inspiration for her music. From analysing this digipak I can see how effective a well cohesive digipak looks like as the colour scheme and images all connect creating a clear target audience and themes of the album.

This is another example of a digipak that I do not know the artist for, however felt like it was a great example of demonstration conventions that I found in the previous blog post. This digipak is different from the normal jewel CD case as it hold more panels than just the product. Following conventions three panels are used with the central panel holding the CD. The product folds into a square shape and is made out of the conventional material of card. It folds out like a book and has a clear bright colour scheme throughout. The bright colour scheme is very eye catching which did not think the Rihanna product was. The yellow will stand out in the shelfs of shops and attracts consumers to buy the product. The yellow is used for the background of the majority of the product which helps with the consistency of the product. A very animated technique has been used with this product as a lot of small cartoon images are placed on the first panel which suggests the fun, imaginative personality the artist has. The cover of this CD is very different and I feel that it belongs to the indie genre of music. At first thought it was more suited to the rock genre however I feel the bright yellow and chosen artwork does not fit with this genre. The indie genre would be suited for this product as the bright colour scheme and interesting front case will appeal to a niche market audience. The deer head on the front is different and is eye catching as it is white against the brown circle. The deer head has lots of connotations such as luck and courageous. The three panels on the inside work well together. Extra information is added to the third panel and it stands out as white font is used against a black square. I personally do not like the middle panel as I feel that a transparent CD holder would have been more appropriate to show the yellow background, as the black looks very cheap and tacky which is not the look the digipak should create. Overall, I think it is a good product as I would pick it up as a consumer due to the bright striking front which is meant to be the ‘promoter’ of the product.

This is one of my favourites overall digipaks that I have seen as I feel the product as whole works well and promotes the artists genre of music, target audience and image well. Paloma Faith has a very unique, innovative style which makes her stand out from other artists. I feel that her product demonstrates this as the artwork on the front is very different which makes her product eye catching. The front cover is very regal, as throughout the product a rich, dark red colour has been used to suggest the artists is very classy. The rich red is also very sexual which adds the male attraction and links with some of the photographs chosen on the front cover. Instead of photographs being used, a painting is used which highlights that this artists is very different as conventionally photographs are used. The painting are also very regal as it reminds the audience of the medieval era when only the rich could afford a painting. The colour scheme helps promote this idea. The artists has various painting overlaid of herself on the front. She is seen wearing different extravagant outfits however the most eye catching one is very minimal as a towel covers parts of her body showing her legs and bottom. The body position is also very sexual as she lies across the people looking into the air as if she is better. The other Paloma Faiths are wearing regal outfits such as a blue silky dress which is very era specific. The head dress at the back is also very eye catching due to the size and contrasting colour. My eye is also drawn to the person in white holding the mask as it suggests the artists feels she has to present her self in a different way for the media. The overall message created from the front cover is that the audience should buy her product as like the painting it self Paloma is very diverse and versatile, so her product is very different from the rest in the market. I really like the font used as it is again very era specific with a traditional curly font. The white stands out and is very eye catching against the red back ground. A simple spaced out font is used for the title of the album, as it is a smaller font size compared to the artists name which is a convention of Digipaks. As Paloma Faith is a recognisable name she has a large target audience who will buy it just because it is her product. The back of the digipak is also highly effective as it sticks with the regal red colour scheme. A painting is used again, however this time not of the artist. The extravagant room is shown instead to show the high quality of work the artists produced. The barcode is at the back which again follows conventions and a record label logo is also present. The song titles are listed in a simple list format, one under another. This makes it really clear to the audience the order of the CD and makes each song title stand out. The CD looks very expensive and luxurious which is the whole concept of a digipak rather than a CD case. Inside the digipak more artwork is used of the artists. Keeping with the red royals colour scheme the background is the same throughout and the artists looks very elegant and feminine throughout. From the artwork and font style used throughout I feel that the artists has marketed her product for a much more mature target audience than the Rihanna digipak. Although male attractions are included I feel Paloma Faith is addressing a female target with her feminine poses shown in the painting as well as the royal red used. I really like this product as it is very consistent ant and stands out for being innovative and unique in he same way Paloma Faith stands out in the music industry.

The final product that I will be analysing is Lana Del Rey’s digipak. I was really attracted to the simplistic style used as Lana herself really uses he minimalistic approach in her own music. A clear colour scheme has been used throughout again to connect the whole product together, however the white background is very refreshing and makes the text stand out more than in other products. I really like the white background in the digipak as it is bright and eye catching, the blue text really stands out against it. The front of the digipak is a simple mid shot of the artist as she gives the camera lens direct eye contact. The direct eye contact shows the Lana Del Ray has no fears and she is a strong competitor in the music industry as she has her own unique style and sound which is recognisable. The bright blue sky in the background brightens the whole image and adds a positive vibe. Even the artists is using the colour scheme with her costume design as she wore a white blues which links with the colour of the artists name. The font is very effective as it is bold, and clear to make the front eye catching. The style of the font reminds me a old film font, which links to her rustic, individual sound. The artists name is larger again that the title of the album as she can stimulate a lot of purchases as she already has a huge fan base. The back of the digipak is very effective and I really like the layout of song titles. Instead of using the traditional, conventional listing method, a block text effect was used which is just as effective. Again it adds to her individual style. The back of the cd holds the barcode, record label logo and small print which is key for all digipaks. The actual CD is very simple as its white with the simple rose print. The symbol of roses suggest a female target audience as well as a theme of love. The inside of the digipak holds the lyrics to the most popular songs on the CD. This is a great idea as it will make her music more recognisable and adds a second dimension to the regular CD.