Day Brief: Cover Art for Experimental Club Night

Brief

Bambora, a new experimental Drum and Bass night in Seoul, Korea need a cover photo to match their existing logo for their Facebook page. They have the DJ, the clubs, a logo, and just need a cover photo before they publish the page to complete the branding. They are hoping this will attract more business and build their new company.

Because of some last-minute changes, they need the cover photo for the following day.

Message from client:

‘So we’re making a general Facebook page for our night, it’s not for a specific event, and we have this a logo which we’ll put as the profile picture. But we need a cover photo, I was thinking just some cool digital art, with our name maybe in the corner. Just something pretty to fill up the page’.

Their existing logo

Background & considerations:

Bombora, meaning a type of crashing wave, is a new underground club night in Seoul focusing on ‘parties which offer experimental bass for the mind, body & Seoul’.

As it is a new start up, they want the cover art to reflect the existing techno underground scene aesthetic in Seoul, which the client describes as ‘a dark, almost Berlin-esque aesthetic’.

-       Should complement their existing logo and profile picture

-       They want to pander to the dark techno market as there is a ‘funny perception’ of drum and bass in Seoul, especially regarding its social media design, which the group want to steer clear from.

-       ‘The existing dnb aesthetic, like the UK’s, is just rly horrible and like cheesy and what we really don’t want to be associated with’ - client

-       The design needs to fit the tone of voice for the clubs they hope to hold their events at

-       They like the idea of a minimal voice, and ideas of an abstract wave

-       ‘It still needs to stand out, looking digital and abstract’ - client

Mandatory requirements:

• 820 x 312 pixels for desktop
• Include company name in Korean type

Research
Provided files from client:

The branding of the clubs they are hoping to hold their first events

1. Vurt 

 

2. Voltnost

 

3. Beton Brut

Existing competitor club night promotion pages

1. Scopavik

2. An event from Vurt

3. Rabbithole

What they don't want to be associate with

Artwork they like and reference 

Further investigation of the sources sent & ways of visualising 'wave'

Conclusions:

• Abstract representations of waves: repetition, scan, sound wave, channels
• Circular imagery
• Mirroring, gradient
• Black background to match 'dark, Berlin-esque' aesthetic

Initial Ideas

The design needed to download a typeface that had Korean letterforms and so researched into relevant options. Black Hans Sans and Gothic were found as relevant bold and neutral types to represent the wording in the bottom corner. 

Type experiments

Wave imagery was then gathered and noted for the appropriate colours and textures. 

Generating imagery:

 Using a kaleidoscope camera app, the design generated rough imagery that could inform the shapes and patterns for the design, by taking pictures of the waves. 

Applying the texture and theory to imagery:

The design then used a variety of editing methods - such as overlay, scanning, fading, 3d rendering - to build to imagery as it went along. Each time the design would edit over an edit, new depths were created that really reflected the visual language of this sector of design. The subsequent shapes and colours resembled the abstract representations of waves found in the resources provided by the client. 

Applying imagery to format:

The design then played around with composition of type and image, through colour and repetition, placement and layering techniques, with the hope of connoting 'wave' through abstract design techniques.

 1st stage finals sent to client:

Client feedback:

The client found the first set of cover photo designs to be too busy and 'psychedelic'. It was only then that they communicated the stigmas in Korean culture and specifically Seoul around this type of scene. Although these designs would work well in the more liberal Berlin techno scene, Seoul had a more conservative tone of voice within what they advertise commercially. As such, the client asked for the productions to be a lot more minimal, and reflect the existing logo more. 

Henceforth, the design needed to step back and reflect on the information. With a small timespan left to produce the cover art, the design looked at ways it could work with the imagery already generated. 

Design Development

Progression from feedback:

Stripping back, the design tried to mirror the boxing off that existed in the logo as a format for making the end production more minimal. This would contain the imagery to a small space meaning the output would not be as loud and heavy.

The white box did not translate well, resembling the logo too much and containing the imagery rather obstructively. As a result, a more blurred coloured border was experimented with, and a lower opacity, to try and make the cover art less forceful.

The design then realised it was relying too much on the original imagery that had already been communicated as not working. In order to further minimalise the imagery, threshold and colour gradient was played around with to form new aesthetic outputs. 

Repeating through scanning to form linear, more minimal abstract representations of waves

Further client feedback:

After the development imagery was sent over the client did not like the boxed off idea, as found it too similar to the logo. Out of all the designs they found the red and black stripped back imagery the most successful and asked if this could be adapted large scale. 

The design played with textures and digital glitching to mirror the idea of electronic music 

Initial extension of the imagery the client liked

To avoid progressing with another entire set of experiments to be sent back and forth, the design sent pictures from a monitor for instant communication back. It was realised at this point that the client had a clear idea of what they wanted, and so to be more time efficient the design adjusted to their needs. 

The first concluding imagery sent with distinct questions:

- Do you want the grain effect 

- Do you want repeated type

- Do you want the border

- Do you want it this bright

After the clients feedback, the subsequent compositions were sent over.

 

The client then asked for the green to be substituted with black and white, and thus the final cover art was edited and sent over for production.  

Production

Additional file they are using for next month

Since the first cover photo was produced, the design found a software that created really interesting minimal, geometric styled waved designs. They seemed in-line with what the brand wanted, and their existing logo. Accordingly, The design placed them onto the existing template, sent them to the company who really liked them, and so are using them for nexts months upload. The good thing about this kind of design is that when a relationship is established with a client, more work can be churned out with minimal effort, following an already established template. 

Process

Other solution experiment: 

Final

Evaluation 

This brief was a fun day project that taught me more than initially expected as a designer in the context of dealing with clients. Initially taken on due to its freedom, the brief was a nice break from other projects, and an excuse to churn out work in a short amount of time. I love this area of design, as well as getting involved with music nights, and abstract visual representations. 

After getting the first set of feedback from the client, it was evident that the design process was going to take longer than initially expected, which did cause some frustration. They had a very specific idea of what they wanted, meaning the brief was less free than I thought when originally taking it on. At points, due to the rush, I felt like a guinea pig for ideas that I wasn't on board with or think worked particularly well. This showed the difference between working with people who know nothing about design, people who know about design, and people who claim to know about design. 

When working for a client in this way - when they have an idea of what they want from you - the whole approach is different, it's a constant dialogue, of readjusting and reforming to their needs. You don't know what they are picturing, especially when the client is in South Korea, the other side of the world, meaning communication is limited. As a result a lot of time felt wasted, even though there wasn't a lot of time - this is possibly why. 

At first it seemed like i had a lot of freedom, but by the end it still needed to fit their vision as it is their company and brand. Hence, on reflection the initial compositions were too busy, colourful and did not suit the minimal tone they wanted. With the short turn over it meant I got frustrated, as I didn't want to completely start again and waste the initial designs - which was not professional or practical. After I got a clearer understanding and looked back on the designs following the submission, I was able to make more designs that better responded to what they wanted, and was able to secure a longer laster relationship with the client and possibly more creative freedom, as I started to design for them rather than for me. This was therefore a productive brief in evolving my patience and understandings of a client.