PROJECT BRIEF

The project involves crafting a vinyl cover design for US Maples' 1995 album "Long Hair in Three Stages," capturing the essence of the music's dry, grungy, and melancholy atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from the sonic landscape of the album, the design aims to visually convey its emotive depth and raw energy. Through careful consideration of color palettes, typography, and imagery, the cover evokes a sense of gritty authenticity while resonating with the album's thematic elements. 

PROCESS

Several designs were created before combining into one design direction. The technical process for designing the vinyl cover for US Maples' album "Long Hair in Three Stages" commenced with sourcing original images of desert landscapes, reflecting the album's dry feel. These images served as the foundational backdrop for the cover design. Through dynamic photo manipulation techniques in software like Adobe Photoshop, the desert landscape was transformed to convey the desired atmosphere, incorporating elements such as weathered textures, gritty overlays, and muted color palettes to evoke the album's emotional depth. The photos were contrasted with a dynamic, geometric design to nod to the "Three Stages" and to isolate the designs. Center labels were created to match the front cover design.