THE FINAL PODCAST COVERS:
DESIGN IDEAS AND PROCESS:
For the ‘What’s your type?’ podcast cover, I wanted the podcast colour to be bright and have comedic connotations to match the image. I created the cover using layers, filters and opacity changes. I changed the opacity of the image and the filter to ‘luminosity’ so the picture would blend better with the background. I then duplicated the main heading and changed the colour to a darker pink, I also changed its opacity to 40%. I then placed this heading under the original to act as a shadow and give the heading a sense of depth. I’m happy with the end result, the colours are bright, they work well with the image and help maintain a sense of comedy throughout the design.
For the ‘Typography & graphic communication’ podcast cover; I was aiming to create a mystery themed podcast cover but also incorporate typography. This is why i choose a ‘ransom letter’ typeface. I created the background by drawing on different layers in different colours, then i changed the opacity on each layer so each colour could be seen throughout the background. I originally planned to make the text seem like it was melting but struggled to create the desired affect; so i used my experimentations of the melting effect as the background. I also used a scrabble type picture in the background with the opacity changed to 15%, this was to connote that the podcast was still about type rather than mystery.
For the third podcast cover I wanted to stick with the mystery theme. To help the title stand out, I used a simple bold, sans serif, white typeface for the title called ‘Typefaces.’ I decided to stick with the purple and bright theme, as I thought it was eye-catching. I put the title above the woman’s face, the placement of the type and little information the cover gives creates a sense of enigma. I also incorporated a photo of metal type letters onto the image, this is to further connote that the podcast is about type and provide a sense of drama. In the top left corner I put further information about the podcast, however i don’t think its effective as it’s illegible.
My third podcast cover is my favourite as I like how simple yet effective the outcome was, I also like how it gives connotations of enigma.
SOFTWARE TUTORIALS:
To help me create my podcast designs, I watched a few videos on youtube. One that explains what makes a good podcast and another for creating melting text. My original idea for podcast two was to add in melting text however I wasn’t happy with the outcome, so I used parts of it for the background. I used pixaby for most of the background images; For podcast one I used an image from google. The youtube tutorials helped me understand the conventions of a podcast and develop my cropping and picture blending skills in photoshop. They also helped me learn how to create a ‘melting text effect.’ In order to develop my photoshop skills further I would like to focus more on photo editing and other text effects.
During the first podcast cover i developed my skills with filters. I went through the list of filters to see what option would help the picture blend well with the background. In the second podcast I developed my layer skills further. I originally wanted the text to have a liquid/melting effect but I struggled to create the effect. In the third podcast I developed my photoshop skills the most, I used cropping, rubbers and layers to create the see through type effect on the woman’s face. I really enjoyed developing and playing around with different photoshop effects, especially exploring the ‘liquid text effect’. The video helped me explore different styles of text and how to manipulate text further. The ‘create podcast artwork’ helped me understand the conventions of a podcast and what makes a podcast look appealing.
The second podcast cover was the most enjoyable to work on as I enjoyed experimenting with the layers and the picture opacity.
These are some of the links to the videos i used:
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH & INSPIRATION:
I created all three of these designs on photoshop, and drew my colour inspiration from existing podcasts. For my first podcast I drew lots of inspiration from gossip podcasts and drag queen podcasts. The woman featured is a well known drag queen called Bianca Del Rio. The composition of the first podcast cover reminds me of talkshows, due to the bright colours and body language. I wanted the colour to be bright and comedic to match the woman’s facial expression. These are some of the existing podcasts I took inspiration from, they all use similar bright colours and have comedic connotations:
For the second podcast I drew inspiration from mystery, horror and crime podcast covers. I wanted to give the podcast some mystery and my use of the ‘ransom letter’ typeface was inspired by some of them. I used different layers to create more enigma, I also tried to stick to darker colours to create a ‘horror’ effect. These are some of the podcasts I took inspiration from, they all use similar ghostly conventions and dark purple, blue, red and green colours. I mainly took inspiration for the type from the podcast on the left:
For the third podcast I stuck to a purple theme; like the second podcast i wanted to create an element of mystery. I took inspiration from alternative podcasts which all use similar colours. My original idea was to create a podcast with neon type, and I took inspiration from podcasts with a neon theme:
My favourite podcast I created was the third one, this is because it gives the desired effect that I had aimed for. I wanted to create enigma but also connote what the podcast was clearly about. Just like the podcast covers above it, it explains what the podcast is about but also creates mystery through its colours and typographical style.