For Belarus-based designer umbertino, music and design have been intently linked since childhood. He grew up surrounded by the sounds of ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s rock and pop – spending hours pouring over cassette and vinyl covers, drawn to how each captured the spirit of the music inside. That early fascination sparked a long-lasting curiosity in audio cowl design, which nonetheless evokes his work as we speak. Right here, he shares what attracts him to the intersection of sound and picture, how streaming has formed the way in which covers are designed, and why collaboration with musicians retains him creatively energized.
Identify: Andrei
99designs deal with: umbertino
Location: Belarus
Speciality: Audio Cowl Design
Who’re you and what trade do you specialise in?
My title is Andrei. I’m 37 and am from Belarus. I specialise in album and podcast cowl design and am the daddy of two trendy boys.
Why did you select to specialise in audio cowl design?
Since early childhood, my father raised me on good music. Rock and pop music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s impressed me and have become the soundtrack of my complete life. This had a robust affect on my aesthetic and notion of the world round me. I may spend hours trying on the covers of audio cassettes, discs and vinyl information.
Some covers have been vibrant, cheerful and multicolored, others have been darkish and mysterious, with unbelievable plots, others with cool photographs of musicians – however they have been all very fascinating and exquisite. Every cowl was a mirrored image of the music it represented: it was the quintessence of the whole album – its temper and character, expressed in a single creative picture. And it’s at this intersection of the dynamics of music and static photographs that I discovered one thing that has me for over 15 years – cowl design.
What design developments are shaping the audio cowl design trade proper now?
Given the variety of musical types and genres, it’s unattainable to single out any widespread denominator in developments. Purchasers usually have particular requests relating to textual content readability. This is applicable not solely to podcast covers – the place it’s essential to learn the principle message and subject of the podcast at first look – but additionally to album covers, the place I consider artistry ought to prevail over readability.
I believe this is because of the truth that the overwhelming majority of covers are used on digital streaming platforms, the place the visibility of the textual content is set by the scale of the thumbnails. Does this impression cowl design? I believe so. Nevertheless, the designer’s job is to guarantee that the artistry of the quilt is what first catches the person’s eye.
It’s unattainable to not point out that Synthetic Intelligence now occupies an essential place in trendy design. This setting is creating extremely rapidly and quickly, and AI has lengthy been an essential artistic software within the palms of digital artists and designers. Though I hope that AI is not going to exchange people in creativity, even designers like me ought to take this development under consideration and develop abilities on this trade.
What’s one latest venture you’re actually happy with, and why?
It’s troublesome for me to single out one venture. I expertise nice pleasure and pleasure each time I work with musicians and that they offer me the chance to extrapolate their music into one picture. I take heed to their music, examine it and attempt to perceive their creativity, in addition to decipher what sort of individual is behind this music, as a result of music is a mirrored image of the human soul. I’m very completely satisfied that musicians belief me with the design of a bodily album. In my assortment of discs on the shelf, there’s Rai – Can You Hear Me?! – which I designed the quilt artwork for with the artist.
What’s your favorite factor about designing for this trade?
I get nice pleasure from the ultimate product, from working along with a musician. This last product is the intersection of music and design, the embodiment and mixture of a number of artistic concepts; musical and creative. I’m completely satisfied that I really feel a artistic reference to the writer and from what’s produced on account of this connection, hundreds of miles aside. There’s freedom of creativity on this and I’m completely satisfied that the 99designs platform permits me to implement all these tasks.
What’s inspiring you in the intervening time?
I’m impressed by what I hear (music, sounds of nature and the town), what I really feel (love, pleasure or unhappiness) and what I can see (structure, design, cinema, work). In all the variety of life, I attempt to discover what evokes me. I’m impressed by my youngsters, who watch with curiosity, the method from a clear slate to the ultimate picture. I’m impressed by individuals and their response to my work. I usually look by the covers from my vinyl assortment. I search for new ones in classic and vinyl outlets and that is additionally an essential supply of inspiration for me. The world by the lens of my classic movie digital camera from the center of the final century additionally evokes me.
Final e book / sequence / film you watched and would you advocate it?
Books and movies are an essential a part of my life.
My household is well-known in native bookstores (though perhaps it’s as a result of my sons are too noisy?). Virtually day by day I learn to them the good Mark Twain. I’d particularly like to focus on Chekhov, he’s a romantic, lyrical and really sensual writer. I lately reread his magical work “The Home with the Mezzanine” (An Artist’s Story).
As for cinema, I like Bernardo Bertolucci. I lately found his movie “The Dreamers” and was extremely impressed by this image. It is a nice film about creativity, cinema, freedom and youth.
What’s the most effective skilled recommendation you’ve ever acquired?
“Do your work as if it have been your final venture.”
I heard this saying as soon as and it appeared to me to be an important motivator at work. It could sound a bit maximalistic, however I don’t like superficiality and frivolity in work. I believe this concept may be remodeled into the need to be higher with every new venture.
Describe your design type in a single phrase?
Classic. I’d prefer to suppose so.
