“Sound as medium has an incredible elasticity…We are living in the age when there is no limit in gathering all forms of art and music to mix it together if you so desire.”
– Yoko Ono
⚡️Pop Quiz: Who was the first album art designer?
In today’s issue:
- Graphic Design in the Music Industry
- The Best FREE Graphic Design Tools
- Getting Into Graphic Design School
Let’s dive in, shall we?
DESIGN IN MUSIC
The Role of Graphic Design in the Music Industry
How the visual elements of graphic design complement musicians’ work to build a solid brand image.
In the music industry, graphic design is used for:
👉Building a Brand Identity – Musicians have to build a brand image that’s instantly recognizable. Graphic design provides unique visual elements that harmonize with their work and helps them create an unforgettable identity.
👉Marketing and Promotion – Album cover art, billboards, and merchandise are just some examples of the visual media needed to market and promote an artist. Visuals play an important part in building and retaining an audience.
👉Maintaining Consistency – Much like a brand, a musician needs to maintain consistency across their social media, website, merchandise and other platforms. Having recurring visuals and themes can help maintain consistency and credibility.
Go deeper:
- 5 Graphic Design Jobs in the Music Industry (and How to Get One) – Indeed
- The Importance of Graphic Designers in the Music Industry – Inkbot Design
- 7 Musicians That Nailed Their Branding Campaigns – Creative Bloq
DESIGN TOOLS
The Best Free Graphic Design Tools
Some of the most useful, free graphic design tools for professionals and beginners alike.
Canva: A powerful design tool with a rich library of free templates and features. Canva is easy and intuitive to use for designers and non-designers of all skill levels.
Coolors: A fast and simple color scheme generator to create, save and share color palettes.
Figma: A collaborative tool for interface design, prototyping and more.
Freepik: A resource website with thousands of free images, vector graphics, templates, and videos.
Go deeper:
- 21 Best Graphic Design Software for Designers – Pixpa
- Top 10 Best Graphic Design Tools – Software Testing Help
- Best Online Graphic Design Software Programs – Zenfolio
- The Best Graphic Design Software For Beginners – Small Biz Genius
Learn Design: Getting Into Graphic Design School
📖Finding the Right Design School
- The 20 Best Graphic Design Schools in the US – Prep Scholar
- What Should I Look for in a Good Graphic Design School? – The Art Career Project
✍️How to: Graphic Design School Prep
- How to Get Into the Best Graphic Design Schools – Quad Education
- 5 Tips to Prep for Graphic Design School – All Art Schools
⚡️The Answer: Alex Steinweiss designed the first record sleeve cover in 1938.
Alex Steinweiss pioneered the concept of album art with his illustrated covers for musicians like Paul Robeson and Beethoven. Before that, records were packaged in inconspicuous gray sleeves.