Digipak Analysis

Layouts of

digipaks

Digipaks tend to have a different variety of styles available. Anything ranging from just the CD holder with a front cover, to four different sections which can be used to print information on. Different ways to open digipaks are also used, mainly depending on how many flaps are used. Digipaks can also be made to hold more than one CD. They can be held by plastic slots, incisions in the card or by slots within the card, such as the example displayed on the left.

• List of songs on the CD

• Written in clear font in capitals to make the songs clear to read

• Contrasting colours (green and grey) make writing more visible to see from further distances as well as large font size

• Barcode so machines can read data such as where the CD has come from and how much it costs

• Copyright information to prevent plagiarism

• Simple titles with the option of choosing the album name as two choices are given which makes the cover interesting. No images so the font is the main attention

• Dramatic image on the front showing a war/battle• Female shown to have won, we wouldn’t expect to see a

woman at battle in the era the picture is shown to be in which captures the audiences

• Attention• Colours are darkwhich makes the title easier to see• Red flag is Distinctive

• Images show each band member

• Lets us know who the band are and members are

• Different colours are interesting and the yellow top captures the eye

• Quite detailed pictures

This is a leaflet that comes within the digipak. This is helpful as more imagery can be shown to make the pack more exciting and more information can be added due to extra space. Here Katy Perry can be seen to appear to be dressed in a very teenage “princess dream “ style outfit which is predominantly targeted for females. The mise en scene in the photo of a crown and cake also indicates this, as females would relate to the feeling of perhaps wanting to be a queen at a younger age or even a prom queen as the album refers to a “teenage dream”. The little box in the corner has a list of hit tracks and bonus material to entice the audience to buy the CD to find out what extra songs or information may be on the CD. Here, her costume could also be creating a narrative to the music on the CD as it is very dramatic and story like ( such as a fairy-tale).

This image shows a medium close up of Katy Perry. The image maybe trying to portray her as a sort of ‘girl next door’ type, which would link back to the title of the album being ‘Teenage Dream’. Her make up makes her appear very grown up and she doesn’t appear to be wearing anything on her upper body, however due to being surrounded by candy floss- like clouds, she still creates an innocent vibe about the image. Her hair and make up also seem to be quite traditional in terms of what most pop artists would wear, which promotes the style of music Katy Perry sings. The CD’s appear to be a doughnut and a Sweet or lollipop. This makes the CD very colourful and more interesting than most CD’s which would capture the audiences attention. The sweet reference may once again be targeted at a female audience as girls are stereotyped for liking sweet things and sprinkles which can be seen on the CD.

Katy Perry poses nude in this photo which may be to entice a more male audience. The fact she is in candy floss clouds may also again, try to show her innocence even though the image is quite provocative. As the album is aimed for teenagers, it might be a message for them to be comfortable in their own body and be confident.

The list of songs on the album is written in a red font, so that it can be clearly seen against the pink and blue background, other information is written in blue against the pink background so that it is readable. The font is in capitals so it is easy to read and has a fun bubbly font with the sweet used for certain letters to make the words more interesting and fun.

The bands name is written in a stylish swirly font which is used almost as a logo style for the bands name and recognition. It is placed at the top so it can clearly be seen. The image on the front uses a lot of mise en scene such as the costume the singer wears. It is transparent so we can see a set of lungs which resembles the album name (which is lungs). The background is very mystical almost as in a forest, as the colours are quite dark, the lead singer stand out more because of her white outfit. The genre of the CD is indie pop, indie is quite artistic and therefore so is the images on the CD which are creative. The album title is in a different font from the bands name and is written in a more simple font so that it is easier to read and clear against the image.

The image on the CD is of hands which are holding something, however it is not clear to see what the object is. This makes the audience wonder what it could be and may be a reference to a song on the album. The colours are quite bright on the CD compared to the rest of the colours on the digipak which might be to signify the importance of the actual album itself. The album name is written the same here as it was on the front of the digipak, and this might be for continuity of design and to make the album name more recognisable.

The back of the album is a diagram of lungs with labels coming out. Each part of the lungs seems to represent a song on the album as the number labels list a song underneath the image. The font is white to match the black and white theme of the back cover, the white writing is also then clear to read and is written in an unusual font but is still easy to read. It adds character to the writing as if it was almost someone’s handwriting. Such as notes being taken of part of the lungs in the form of songs. Underneath the songs is a website which is for the band so more information can be accessed about them. A barcode is displayed so that the CD can be recognised.

This is an image of the singer of the band. The image is quite simple and uses sepia as an effect. This is more like an artistic image to perhaps demonstrate the creativity in the album. Her facial expression could be showing a certain emotion that the album may relate to. The lake behind her creates a peaceful setting. Her arms being wrapped around her chest may represent her trying to protect her lungs.

This digipak has a different style compared to the others shown. It has four sections attached to each side of the CD holder. This allows more space for images, in this case each of the band members are displayed in a different vibrant colour. This makes the album bright and captures the audiences eye. The way the digipak opens is unusual and therefore this will also attract audiences as it is something different to what they would expect. The use of a close up of each of the band members clearly allows us to see their facial expressions which are detailed and make the audience curious as to what they may be trying to show. The cover over the images also makes them look more appealing and professional rather than just using simple card.

The main part of the digipak which holds the CD has a variety of colours blended into one another. Most of these colours are used from each of the other images of the band members. This means that colour has been thought about when creating the album (colour scheme). The pattern in the middle appears to be of animal stripes such as a zebra or tiger. Traditionally the colours of this could be black and white or orange and black. Therefore the colours have changed to make the pattern different and more interesting to audiences. The colours may also be representing a song on the album or be trying to make a point about different (in terms of changing the traditional pattern colours).

Main part where the CD would be held and is made out of plastic. This is so the CD will be protected and it’s chance of breaking is reduced.

No clear indication of songs which are on the album. This maybe to make people curious as to what songs are on there, or maybe because the songs are on a different side of the digipak.