in-class 10/4

This looks like a good start. The theme of songs from different periods works (it's something other students have done in the past). One thing that I'm curious about is the song arrangement. The last song violates the chronology. Also, it looks like you're taking a song from each decade, although there are two from 2000-2010. I might point out that our Tom Jones song is from the 60's.

Also, you'll want to make sure those lyrics show up in print. I'm worried they might be illegible. Overall, however, it looks like you have a solid start.

This looks like a start, although I'm a little confused about the audience. It seems like the theme of this mix has to do with being high-energy, but then how do the campus buildings on the cover fit in? If this is more specifically focused at a collegiate audience, you might consider if that is being made clear.

You might also experiment with color schemes. Yellow is a good accent tone, but it's a little harsh when used as a base.

Right now, I don't know too much about your focus with this package, but I think there are things that I can already glean, so that is positive. It appears that this work targets a young adult audience by making reference to a shared trope (avoiding schoolwork). One thing I am curious about it the connection between form and content. How do, for example, the visuals on the cover, including the font, compliment the song choice?

Also, remember that we can't use copyrighted images. If you took this picture yourself, that's fine, but if you're pulling it from another source, you need to make sure that your usage is permissible.

I think you have a good theme here (it is one that previous students have used). The tricky part, it looks like, will be getting your own textual content into this package in a clear and legible way. If you have problems, don't be afraid to try using other images.

In that same vein, do keep in mind that we can't use copyrighted images. If you took these photos yourself or pulled them from a royalty-free collection, that's fine, but otherwise make sure that your usage is permissible.

I think that it's a good move to have targeted a specific audience/event the way you have. Right now, your materials look OK, but I think you could bring a more professional level of polish to them. Granted, packaging science is its own field, and I don't expect you to have mastered it, but you might look at some model cereal boxes for inspiration. That said, I think you're off to a good start. The biggest issue is usually locking onto a specific audience and purpose, and I think you're well on your way in this area.

You have a start here, but I don't think the audience or purpose is all that clear from your current package. The package is pretty bereft of imagery, which is fine if it is serving a clear goal. However, the title "Mega Mixtape 2007" is pretty generic, and it doesn't provide a context for what's going on in this work. There's somewhat of a contrast between the gangster-ish font and the cartoony imagery. My suggestion would be to figure out exactly who this work is for and exactly how it is going to appeal to that audience, and then make design decisions based upon those judgments.

It does look like you have a clear purpose here, but you might evaluate how your imagery works with that purpose. There doesn't seem to be a connecting visual theme among your various panels. Also, the image that shows "stress" in a circle with a bar through it seems more jarring than soothing; similarly, the title, Destressification, may not be well-suited to your goals. The song choice, conversely, does seem appropriate. Think about how you can tie your complete package together in an effective way.

You do have a theme with your work, although it's a tricky one, because I'm not sure what makes this collection particularly relevant to parcuor. That is to say, even with a niche audience, it isn't clear how this compilation ties into their identity. (Indeed, even wearing a portable music player might be difficult for an audience engaged in this activity.)

Also, currently this package lacks professional polish. It's an early draft, so that's not a big deal, but ultimately you probably don't want a package that looks as though it were assembled in Word (regardless of whether it actually is or not).

You state that this album features works that are played "with technical precision and skill," however the visual imagery of your packaging reflects a different meaning of technical. The package seems to suggest a connection with technology rather than with adroitness. As such, the theme of the work is not really conveyed through its packaging. Also, as with many of your classmate's drafts, this work lacks professional polish. It's an early draft, so it's not a big deal, but ultimately you want a package that is as appropriate for commercial deployment as it can be.

We discussed this package in class, and I think the CD label does an effective job. The cover, however, doesn't really shout "pizza box," I don't think. Also, the lettering on the back cover doesn't seem appropriate for a commercial context. Globally, I think the central issue with this work is how pizza and the content tie together. Is this music for pizza lovers? If so, what makes it such? I like the play-on-words that is A Slice of Life, but it just isn't clear how this offers a slice of life. It's possible that there're just too many things going on, and you might benefit from revising your audience and purpose so that you have a clear understanding of who you are talking to and what you want to tell them.

The main issue with this package is that it's pretty generic. You could substitute just about anything for "College Rock" and the package would function the same way. I think you'll need to revise this design to lock in more specifically on your audience. Who are you talking to and what are you offering them?

Although this is obviously an early draft, I think you're on to something with the design. Sure, we might think it's a little cheesy, but it certainly targets a specific audience appropriately. I am curious to see what songs would actually go on this collection, but I think you're headed in a productive direction. Just make certain that you aren't using any copyrighted images. Also, make certain that your images are at print resolution (at least 300 dpi), or your finished package will look pixilated. If you're not too familiar with resolution, contact me and I can help you out with that.

We discussed this in class, and I think it's a workable theme. I do agree that the title is probably a little too stuffy, given the audience and subject matter. I think you mentioned that there would be tab with this package, which is interesting; indeed, if the focus is on learning guitar parts, it would almost be necessary to have something explicitly educational in the package. Overall, this seems unfinished in its current form, but I think it is promising.

I think you have an interesting theme here. I don't think I've ever had a class that submitted this many instrumentals. The stark visuals I think work for your theme, as well. The trick will be positioning this for consumers. Who is the audience for this? I ask because, although these are all instrumentals, they are in pretty different genres. As such, it may be difficult to identify a reasonable audience, which would also make constructing the promotional material difficult (because you must determine how to reach this audience). I honestly don't have a magic wand for you here. I think what you are trying to do is interesting, but it may be tricky to pull off.

We've already discussed this one, but currently it's pretty stark, and as I said, doing a soundtrack for a fictional movie is really, really tricky. The issue is that there's nothing tangible you can use to defend your design. Students have tried this in the past, and none of them has done very well. It just seems to be a really difficult endeavor. As I said, I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't do, but you should be aware of the inherent issues with this subject matter.

I think the idea you emailed me about might be more workable. You should give that a go and see what happens.

Right now I don't have too much to go on, but it looks like you have a theme in mind. Students have tried associating works with drug culture before, and it's a workable idea if it's executed correctly. Right now, there's not too much I can comment upon, but as you develop your work more, feel free to show it to me and I can perhaps give more feedback then.

Right now, there's not too much for me to comment upon. It looks like your theme has something to do with keeping the audience up-to-date with musical trends. That's something other students have tried and it's certainly a workable idea. When this gets a little more fleshed out, I'd be happy to look at it and provide more substantive feedback.