Existing aesthetics As a trip hop act, Massive Attack have linked visual style close to their music. This is something that has been kept in mind.
Massive Attack’s aesthetic has been influenced by previous album artwork, such as Heligoland (above) inspired by Barney Bubbles’ original interpretation (below). Taking visual inspiration from other designers or imagery is an aspect that could be used. The music video for Karmacoma is a mixture of surreal and borrowed themes, such as ‘The Shining’ and ‘Snatch’.
Influences
IBM IBM’s current image echoe that of Paul Rand’s original modernist point of view, this type of functionality is something that will be echoed throughout the design.
Paul Rand
Hvass & Hannibal
His original design work for IBM uses basic symbols that represent the company in a purely pictoral way, and as secret 7” requires all the designs to be secret, a pictoral representation of my chosen song is essential.
The simplistic use of colour and geometry is playful in this instance and is something that will be achieved for the 7” inch vinyl cover.
Design Resolutions
This bright and basic composition made up of four symbols represents not just a set of four eyes, but harks back to retro modernist functionality, and raw human emotion. Paul Rand and his work for IBM, along with simplistic wayfinding and industrial design and form are flattered and celebrated within this cover, and work to evoke the feeling of the song and the artists in a contemporary way.