CD cover sticker concepts

 CD cover sticker concepts

After having a bit of feedback today, I wanted to explore how I could introduce other elements to the CD cover to communicate themes of censorship further. I feel like an appropriate form of doing so that would't fully censor the design could be stickers, as they could disrupt the image and link back to the fact that stickers are used in Berlin's clubs to cover peoples phone cameras. 

I decided to create some abstract symbols that are made from shapes taken from the 5 rule symbols within the publication; this worked in visually referencing the contents of the publication, as well as keeping the core symbols as a motif. I also decided to further resonate this by using the same colour palette, which ended up in creating quite a playful sense of voice through juxtaposing against the grey CD case design. My only worry with this design however, is that although it disrupts and censors elements of the CD case, the shapes create quite an overwhelming and crowded visual hierarchy, taking away from the importance of the 52 13 symbol below. Part of me feels like that having loads of stickers to censor the cover isn't really necessary, as the CD cover itself is very abstract and minimal through focusing on symbols. I don't want the design to be too overly censored, as although it may look interesting, it loses a sense of refinement and contemporary design by being super chaotic. 

I thought maybe I could resolve the issue of the design being a bit too chaotic by blurring the edges of the sticker shapes; this kind of works in softening the contrast between both layers, but still I don't think it works in creating a clear tone. My aim at the moment is to kind of find this balance between being clear to the audience yet having points of reference to censorship. I also do want to keep the 52 13 symbol on the front cover quite a key part of the design, as it is a motif throughout the publication so it kind of needs to be clearly introduced to the audience first in order to build that familiarity and consistency. In a way, I want this symbol to be the first thing the audience sees, so maybe I could censor the rest of the design by creating some sort of case that highlights the symbol? 

This version definitely works the best as the shapes are super blurred and just add a slight element of censorship and distortion rather than creating a chaotic layout. I feel like this design could work printed onto some kind of plastic bag that packages the CD case; maybe the bag could be frosted to somewhat blur the design?

Box idea

Maybe instead of having elements of the CD cover censored with stickers, I could package the case in a box that only reveals the symbols? This image above showcases how this could function with a metallic box; having a metallic cover would link to the idea of exposure and the fact that places like Berghain don't ave mirrors in order to protect the visitors and their experiences. Despite this, I'm not sure if including a box is really necessary, as it kind of overcomplicates the design by adding further barriers between the publication and audience.