Album Cover Analysis
Find an album cover that catches your interest. Although any cover will work, it is usually easier to select a cover that is COLOURFUL and has significant VISUAL value (e.g. pictures, graphics, text, etc.).
Answer the questions below to deconstruct your album cover and determine what type of image the artist(s) in question hoped to create for themselves through their association with it.
Answer the questions below to deconstruct your album cover and determine what type of image the artist(s) in question hoped to create for themselves through their association with it.
Colours
a) What colours have been used to design the album cover?
b) What do these colours “mean” or represent, either on their own or in combination
with other colours on the album cover (see “The Language of Colour” handout)?
c) How do these colours contribute to the image created by this album cover?
Fonts (types of writing or printing used on the cover)
a) What types of font are used in the design of this album cover?
b) What do these types of font “mean” or represent?
c) How does the use of these fonts contribute to the image created by this album cover?
OR
If no fonts appear on the album cover, how does this lack of font contribute to the
image created by this album cover?
Pictures
a) What visuals (pictures, images, graphics, etc.) are depicted on the album cover?
b) What do these visuals “mean” or represent?
c) How do these visuals contribute to the image created by this album cover?
OR
If no visuals appear on the album cover, how does this lack of visuals contribute to
the image created by this album cover?
Names and Titles (meanings of the artist/band name and album title)
a) What is the name of the artist/band whose album cover you chose?
b) What is the name of the album you chose?
c) How do the meanings of these names and/or titles contribute to the image created by
this album cover?
OR
If the album is self-titled (lacking any title other than the artist’s/band’s name), how
does this absence of title contribute to the image created by this album cover?
Summary
a) Taking into consideration your analysis of the album cover’s COLOURS, FONTS,
PICTURES and NAMES AND TITLES, what type of image do you think this album cover
(as a whole) creates for the band it represents?
a) What colours have been used to design the album cover?
b) What do these colours “mean” or represent, either on their own or in combination
with other colours on the album cover (see “The Language of Colour” handout)?
c) How do these colours contribute to the image created by this album cover?
Fonts (types of writing or printing used on the cover)
a) What types of font are used in the design of this album cover?
b) What do these types of font “mean” or represent?
c) How does the use of these fonts contribute to the image created by this album cover?
OR
If no fonts appear on the album cover, how does this lack of font contribute to the
image created by this album cover?
Pictures
a) What visuals (pictures, images, graphics, etc.) are depicted on the album cover?
b) What do these visuals “mean” or represent?
c) How do these visuals contribute to the image created by this album cover?
OR
If no visuals appear on the album cover, how does this lack of visuals contribute to
the image created by this album cover?
Names and Titles (meanings of the artist/band name and album title)
a) What is the name of the artist/band whose album cover you chose?
b) What is the name of the album you chose?
c) How do the meanings of these names and/or titles contribute to the image created by
this album cover?
OR
If the album is self-titled (lacking any title other than the artist’s/band’s name), how
does this absence of title contribute to the image created by this album cover?
Summary
a) Taking into consideration your analysis of the album cover’s COLOURS, FONTS,
PICTURES and NAMES AND TITLES, what type of image do you think this album cover
(as a whole) creates for the band it represents?