FMP - WEEK 1: RECORD SHOP VISITS

A collection of photos taken from my record shop research visit in and around London. I visited three different stores to give me feel of what makes a record label what it is in relation to the logo, the branding, colours and typefaces used. All the shops had a wide range of album covers from vinyl to CD as well as graphic t-shirt prints and promotional posters, all of which I wish to include in a final outcome in my project. Overall the trip was a very worthwhile source of research as I got to speak to the customers, the people who buy the music and some of the shop workers which gave me a feel of the background, the culture and a contextual base of information to work from throughout my project.

Images - Author's Own 23/04/14

FMP - WEEK 1: RESEARCH

For the first week of my fmp I have highlighted my intentions and what I will initially research. I have dedicated the first week or two purely to research and gathering visual imagery and visiting exhibitions, galleries and museums. I firstly began just mind-mapping my thoughts and ideas outlining my lines of research before I began properly. 

As my project is centered around creating a brand identity for a new jazz/hip-hop record label, I visited three record shops in and around London to get a feel for what makes a record label and the culture behind the music. I looked at vinyl and CD cover art, t-shirt designs and other merchandise on display for example promotional posters. I visited Sister Ray, Phonica and Flashback all of which have a extensive collection of music genres which provided me with plenty of visual stimuli. I took photos, made notes and sketches over the visits and in conclusion it was a worthwhile visit. 

As a result of these visits, I started to make several studies of current record company logos using a variety of medias which allowed me to contrast and compare variations in colour, shape, text and layout. I then proceeded to pick three companies and study them in depth looking into their history, their brand identity and what they represent as a record label, all of which are things I need to consider when designing my outcome.

Images - Author's Own 25/03/14