LPs were advertised in large groups, in newspaper ads and mailers for record clubs (“12 Records for Just $2.85!”) and on record sleeves inside album jackets.
(Click to enlarge.)
For maximum impact in these contexts, an album cover was distilled to its essence – a core image, often vignetted, and type proportionately much larger than on the actual 12-inch cover. These redesigned covers were referred to as album minis.
Over the past few years I’ve been asked to design “digital covers” for collections of music available exclusively online – through Spotify, Apple Music, etc. As these covers are viewed primarily on mobile devices, they too must convey an essence of the artist and music, and all the type must be legible, at small sizes.
Consequently, for me the idea of the album mini has been reborn, with one exception: as these are the only graphics that will represent an album, they must be as sophisticated as any album cover.
Below are a few of the digital covers I’ve designed.
I also think of these covers as mini-posters – they must have maximum visual impact with but a single image and minimal text.
Digital singles are sometimes represented by reimagining their vinyl predecessors.
I’ve been fortunate to have worked in the music business from the era of LPs and cassettes through CDs and Blu-ray audio discs and into the digital era. Now, of course, vinyl LPs are again popular and CDs continue to be a staple. Every phase is an adventure, and I continue to love what I get to do.