A2 Media Studies A level

1. CONVENTIONS OF
PHYSICAL ALBUM VISUALS
(DIGIPAK)
Research conducted through investigation of existing
products in the market today.

2. WHAT IS A DIGIPAK?
• ‘Digipak’ is a term used to define a particular house style
maintained across a series of various visual graphics placed
together to construct album artwork. Each individual artist’s
products will vary drastically following their own unique
trend, building identity and memorable, recognisable
imagery.
• Digipak’s usually have a gatefold in the same way books do,
with packaging made of card and paper printed with the
disc on the interior confined within a plastic display case.
• Digipaks became popular with the growth of consumerism
and establishment of identity; This occured within artist and
production company branding developments. This occurred
around the early 2000s, following change in market type
where society became preoccupied with the acquisition of
consumer goods.

3. EXISTING PRODUCTS

4. CONVENTIONS OF FRONT COVER:
• House Style (inc. colour, font stylisation, image manipulation
technique and process, i.e. theme)
• Features iconic, memorable imagery - often unique and
sometimes semi-abstract but most usually effective for
representation of the media product. This is due to individuality
and more common appreciation of various art forms from
consumers in the modern day. This imagery also is commonly
used in social media, advertising and merchandise artwork,
making it an essential graphic for the album/single.
• Occasionally has hidden meaning and references the album’s
theme discreetly.
• Album name/ artist name should stand out above other album
contents. The artist name is usually featured in the logo which
will be displayed on the product strengthening identity and
building memorable publicity.

5. EXAMPLE. HALSEY - BADLANDS
• This is the album cover for ‘Bandlands’ by Halsey.
• As you can clearly see, the main subject of the cover is
Halsey framed with a mid-straight shot. This captures her
upper body allowing for easy recognition of identity. She
is framed in front of a scene from Badlands National
Park, South Dakota, USA. This is a desolate, yet
impressive geographical location with imposing scenery
and aesthetics.
• Colour within the scene has been exaggerated for blue
tones and filtered warmly for the rock, her jacket and
skin tone to create a washed out appeal. This combines
with the strongly pigmented blue in her hair and the sky
to induce diversity in colour range and aesthetic tonal
balance.
• This colour scheme on the cover is semi-realistic and
simplified giving the false impression of retro camera
cinematography. This helps build upon the theme of her
album and closely ties with the scenes seen within some
music videos for songs within this album of hers. This
idea of retro imagery is strengthened by the border of
the image looking torn and almost like a polaroid picture,
each having old-style connotations.
• The name of the artist and album has been strategically
placed over Halsey’s face, obstructing her identity and
facial characteristics. This gives the image an impersonal,
mysterious sense and promotes the product as iconic yet
focussed around the music rather than being purely
commercial exhibitionist promoting the artist above all.

6. • References content of the media product clearly for the audience to
clearly understand what the album features and what they’re
potentially buying.
• A barcode will be located in the bottom (usually) for sales purposes.
• Name/ address of production company/ record label.
• Often mention of those involved with production/ distribution/
manufacture.
• Legal legislation in small print – copyright ownership
• Year of production.
• External links (websites) to the record label and artist, subtly promoting
these.
• Visually pleasing aesthetics following a similar house style to that of the
front cover. This enables consistency and identity to be built within the
product.
CONVENTIONS OF BACK COVER:

7. • This is the back cover for the album ‘Badlands’ by Halsey.
It features track contents listed and centred to induce
dominating qualities, this being a convention for this
graphic media product. Typography stylisation here is
bold and simple to enforce easy legibility for the
consumer.
• Aesthetics as a whole are kept moderately simple here
with the inclusion of a torn region of the front cover
featuring as imagery confined within the header region.
This is a choice made by designers and producers to
ensure that a house style is made consistent across the
product, maintaining identity.
• The cover conventionally follows expected traits for the
product such as the inclusion of legal legislation printed
in extremely small text and the barcode positioned in
the bottom right of the image. This is essential in order
to protect the rights of the product and ensure stable
consumerism continues.
• Another conventional feature contained within this piece
of graphic imagery is the mention of an external link
directing the consumer to a place within which they can
consume more media from that particular artist or
producer. The producers logo is displayed below this on
this particular sample to claim identity and recognition
from the consumer.
EXAMPLE. HALSEY - BADLANDS

8. CONVENTIONS OF SPINE
• Conventionally, the spinal region of the
digipack will feature the artist name and the
album name for the obvious reason of easy
categorisation and sorting. This benefits the
sales retailers and consumers own personal
use and experience with regards to handling
of the product.
• Aesthetic stylisation of this piece will
compliment the house style in a basic sense
in order to avoid potential over-complication.
This is deliberate to ensure attention and
focus of the consumer is not detracted from
the more significant content in terms of
importance, this being the text. This
typography is often stylised to create artist
identity. This is a fairly simple, yet essential,
aspect of the product – examples displayed
on the right.

9. CONVENTIONS OF INNER ALBUM
IMAGERY
• This digipak component conventionally features more album artwork, suiting the
products general house style. Extra information included within this packaging
aspect includes lyrics, artist information and personal messages from the artist
relative to the album theme/ message. In the modern day, transparent plastic
holders are used to confine the disc; Due to the transparency of this, album graphics
are often displayed behind here, improving visual qualities.

10. CONVENTIONS OF DISC IMAGERY
• More imagery is
conventionally printed on
the products disc relative to
the albums visual style. This
is usually resolved most
around imagery as opposed
to text, and therefore it is
essential that the disc
clearly belongs with that
particular album.
• Small printed typography is
an convention here, where
it will be printed around the
edge of the product
following its circular shape.
This type is not designed to
be read, but instead is
included in order to protect
the products legal rights,
copyright and rightful
ownership.