Merzbow Vinyl Design
Course: UXD 260, DePaul University
Role: Designer
Tools Used: Paper, Acrylic Paint, Photoshop, & Illustrator
Project Overview
This project focused on the transformation of sound into visual language. Tasked with interpreting a track from the experimental noise album Pulse Demon by Merzbow, I explored how abstract soundscapes and emotional intensity could guide image-making and design decisions.
Final Vinyl Design
Front
Back
Design Process
Phase 1
From this inquiry, I was instructed to generate 100 unique images inspired by the music. I decided to start with 50, 5 x 5-inch pieces of paper that I had created and printed for the prior course project. Soon into my creation process, I noticed the black printer ink created an abstract cracking pattern after the paper had been wadded up into a ball, then flattened.
My approach was intentionally experimental and physical. It consisted of ripping, gluing, layering, painting, and photographing the results. These images reflected core elements of the music itself. Qualities like repetition, noise, distortion, contrast, and flow. After narrowing down those 100 images to just 4, the images below were the results.
Design Process
Phase 2
Phase two consisted of selecting one image, then continuing the process of creating a vinyl design.
Selected Image
Front, First Draft
Final Front Design
Final Back Design
A/B Side Sticker Designs
3D Mockups
Once all the designs had been finalized, I created 3D mockups to showcase how the designs would look on a physical product.