
Ashley McCarthy RGD shares her favourite album cover designs
The ultimate design project for me is the design of an album cover. The final product is seen from three perspectives: the musician’s, the designer’s and the listener’s. Design, like music, can be subjective and sometimes personal, but ultimately the goal of any successful album cover is to convey the musician’s message in a single image, and hopefully it outlasts industry trends and the fickleness of a fan’s preference in format.
In no particular order, here are five of my favourite album covers from my collection:
1. Nas — Illmatic (1994), Designed by Aimee Macauley
2. The Smiths — Meat is Murder (1985), Designed by Morrissey
3. Converge — Jane Doe (2001), Designed by Jacob Bannon
4. MIA — Kala (2007), Designed by Steve Loveridge
5. Deafheaven — Sunbather (2013), Designed by Nick Steinhardt
Published June 2018