Prior to designing for any project, I set time aside for research and ideation for whatever the subject or communication solution I am asked to come up with. It is the first of 3 ‘Happy’ points in any project where I am constantly reminded as to why it is, I enjoy what I do. When working with Marc on one of his album releases it is always a time I really look forward to.
My job is to respond to the music, while keeping in mind the overall message we want to get across. I then wait in anticipation for the tracks to be sent on to me, listen and live with them for sometime, making notes on my first impressions and thoughts when doing so. Then I leave them alone and let the mind percolate for a while, revisiting them once in a while to see if there are new ’jumping of points’.
Developing the strongest ideas that have bubbled to the surface to a point where I am confident in what the solution will be, I work up and present Marc with concept visuals for the release and await his comments. The second ‘Happy’ point in a project is reached when he, or any client, returns with a positive feedback, having ’got’ the concept and is excited by what the eventual music packaging, CD, posters and other promotional materials will be.
The third ‘Happy’ point is when you hold a finished product in your hand and it is exactly as you imagined, but more importantly, beyond the expectations of what the client imagined.
‘HUMAN HERDINGS’ Marc’s second music CD release on Salt and Shake records is based on the Group Think theory humans suffer from. Why we rush in groups to make the same mistakes over and over again, and who or what is the Black Sheep in the herd that starts the stampede. Are we really individual and free thinking or just ’Sheeple’ at heart?
‘LightHouse’ the first single, although included on the final list for HUMAN HERDINGS was released prior to the album being designed and so differs in style to the later singles ‘Reach Out’ and The Wayward Shepherd’.