Non-Narrative Brief - Packaging Ideas.

Packaging

So, for the brief the first challenge I have come to is packaging. I have been asked to produce professionally presented packaging for a CD or 12" vinyl, I have decided on the 12" vinyl.
 I came to this decision pretty much as soon as I had decided to choose Robert Johnson for my brief. My reasons for this are simple;
          *Robert Johnson was alive from 1911-1936, there was only vinyl then and his first album was released on mono LP.
          * I am a massive blues fan and play a little myself. I believe that with the perfect match of rustic, delta, slide blues on acoustic guitar, accompanied with Robert's shrill and haunting voice, all played through the cackle of vinyl on a turntable.. it would be a great dishonour to choose a format (CD) that to me would let down the authentic sound and also represents the basic opposite of Robert Johnson's message.

So... To help me get started with ideas on planning my vinyl sleeve...I started with a basic mind map on paper, listing some buzzwords I felt would guide me in the right direction, and then branched them off into there own separate categories with there own associated words.. These are the words I started with, with the associated words I came to, to keep in mind when planning my composition.

(sorry that was a mouthful)

DEVIL
satan, evil, deceitful, scary, powerful

CROSSROADS
(pick one of the two possible crossroads to work from, if deciding to draw crossroads)

COTTON FIELDS
white, vast, field clothes, workers, slavery

GUITAR
gibson L1, old, tatty

BLUES
cool, honest, sad, historical reference

WHITE/BLACK DIVIDE
racism, mobs, plantations, slavery, linching, hangings

MISSISSIPPI
floods, river, deep south, flatland

SOUL SELLING
gives soul for gift of musical ability, midnight, trade, immortal soul, satan

DEATH OF WIFE IN CHILDBIRTH
sorrow, utter dispair, life changing moment that lead to decision to become travelling musician

After this, I then jotted down all of my associated words (shown above in softer font) separately and wrote down some associative words for them, I then went back through them and circled all the ones I felt were going to best help me when creating a composition for my piece.

these were;

*Deep south
(colours, attitude, culture)

*River
(wide, important,floods)

*Racism
(it was basically horrible back then)

*Plantations
(slavery, low wages, poverty clashing with wealth)

*Dispair
(sadness, depression)

*Sorrow
(can be represented with colour)

*Soul trade
(desperation, awesome)

*Satan
(awesome power, deceit, symbolism)

*Evil/Scary
(colours, imagery, symbolism)

*Midnight
(dark, moon, stars, colours)

*Gibson
(gibson L1 flattop, tattered, old)

*Vast
(open flat land, horizon)

*Workers
(black, poor, hardworking, under-appreciated)

*Field clothes
(rough spun, tatty, hats)

I know have an organised and categorised abundance of buzzwords to refer to and help me. I can now research all of the elements I wish to express with finer detail, I will grant myself the ability to achieve a higher level of authenticity with the piece, and hopefully will create a well grounded believable composition to flow through my project.