Research & Planning- Digipak Cover

As I mentioned in my previous post about initial ideas, for my minor task, I’m designing the cover of a digipak inspired by Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. Since the song is emotional and very winter coded, I want the cover to visually match that feeling.

1. To figure out the direction I want, I looked at album covers from artists who share the same gloomy or emotional vibe: Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish and Banks. Their covers usually focus on:

• One main portrait

• Strong emotion in the face

• Gloomy colours

• Simple but impactful backgrounds

• Cold lighting and soft shadows

This research helped me realise that my own cover needs to be simple but visually strong, with the model, my sister, as the main focus, especially since she represents the “final transformation” in the music video.

2. The digipak photo will show the character after the so called "heartbreak". She has a colder and more controlled aesthetic, but still fragile deep down.

Some things that will define the final look:

• Straight darker hair

• Sharp eyeliner

• A bold red lip or a dark colour

• Full black outfit or with dark shades

• A cold, winter-like colour palette

  
  

I want the whole vibe to feel like a mix of classic feminine elegance and emotional distance.

3. I considered a few possible locations, but these two felt the strongest and most meaningful:

a) A Winter Outdoor Setting

This matches the whole “going back to black” theme; everything around turns grey, cold, and empty. For example:

• a quiet path with bare trees

• a simple concrete wall

• a street corner at dusk

• anything with a natural cold tone

Natural lighting during winter is perfect because it’s soft and slightly blue without me having to over-edit. Also, this is flexible for me, as I am also open to create the photoshoot during the night, when the background is pitch black.

b) A Mirror Shot

This is the more symbolic idea. A

mirror represents reflection, transformation, and identity, all themes that fit the song perfectly.

I love the idea of capturing the real girl and the reflected girl, almost as if they’re two different versions of her. Of course, this shoot would happen indoor.

4. Since the cover needs to communicate emotion more than anything, I’ll stick mostly to portrait style shots. The ones I’m planning to take include:

• Close-up

• Medium close-up

• Long-shot

• Reflection shot using the mirror

  
  

Each shot type highlights emotion in a slightly different way, and I want options before choosing the final one.

I don’t want anything too dramatic; the emotion should feel quiet, not exaggerated. Some poses I’m planning:

• A still, confident forward gaze

• Looking slightly away from the camera

• Light hand movement (touching hair, adjusting clothes, make-up)

• Mirror pose where the reflection becomes the main focus

5. If I shoot outdoors, I’ll stick to:

• pitch black (with the help of the flash) or

• blue hour (cold, cinematic tone)

If I shoot indoors, I’ll use:

• shadows on the other side

• colder colour grading in editing

  
  

This will keep the aesthetic sharp and emotionally heavy, without making it look too staged.

Based on my research and the meaning of the song, the colours will be:

• black

• charcoal

• deep red accents

• winter blues

• soft whites from reflections

  
  

6. After shooting, I’ll edit the chosen photo by:

• lowering saturation slightly

• adding cold tones

• boosting contrast

• blurring the background subtly

• keeping the face natural

• maybe adding some background effects

This planning process helped me figure out exactly what mood, setting, and visual style I want for the digipak cover. The idea is clear now, a strong, cold, transformed version of the main character, captured in a simple but powerful portrait.