Forms and

conventions:

Digipak

CD PackagingA digipak is a type of packaging for CDs/DVDs. One normally consists of 4 panels and a paper booklet of essential content related to the album. The CD would be held in a transparent plastic tray.

Digipaks are different to jewel cases in terms of the physical and visual aspects. Digipaks are lighter in weight which means they are more compact to store so they are practically beneficial. However, jewel cases have strong plastic protection therefore they are more durable whereas digipaks are insubstantial and can be easily damaged.

Digipaks are individualised from mainstream culture and are a lot more visually engaging to the audience. Some audience prefer to purchase digipaks because they are a lot more personalised which enable them to develop personal connection with their favourite artists/bands. The production process is also cheaper as digipaks are made of paper covers and therefore prices are lower than jewel cases.

Flat-plan DigipakAny CD album will consist at least 4 square panels that is folded in half. The front cover will contain essential details such as artist’s name and album’s name. The back cover will feature song titles and details of production company.

However, not only this type of digipak is dull but lacks originality.

Six panel digipak This is a slightly different type of digipak. It has six square panels which allows more freedom to manipulate images and text. It also features a folding area for lyrics of the song(s).

Eight panel digipak This 8-square-panel digipak means a significant amount of details is needed to provide. Not many artists use this design unless their album is a featured album that contains many songs.

Front coverI have decided to use the basic design of 4 square panels because I’m producing a CD single for The Fray instead of a full album.

On the front cover will feature an image that is recognisable from the song’s music video. The name of the song will be in a larger size than the band’s name.

I have noticed that my artist often produces CD albums in a visually simple but effective way. I will imitate their designing codes and apply it on mine.

Back coverThe back cover will feature some content on the background of the song, and a few lines from the lyrical content.

Details of record/production company will be provided near the bottom.