Album Cover Design

Design Statement

For this album cover, I explored a theme of duality— balancing the sentiments of present and past with the uncertainty of moving forward— through a physical collage made from magazine clippings. The band The Donkeys has a laid-back yet introspective sound.I wanted the design to reflect the push-and-pull between nostalgia and desire for change that their music suggests. I chose a physical rather than a digital manipulation because the process of turning analog into digital mirrors the contrast between old and new. I layered fragmented imagery to create a sense of being caught between places, identities, and emotions. The collage is asymmetrical, creating visual tension that mirrors the album’s themes. The juxtaposition of textures within the different landscapes creates a visual sense of duality. Likewise, the saturated colors versus the black-and-white foreground image emphasize the pull between eras and emotions. The dashboard in the composition guides the eye along a wave-like motion, reflecting the album title. Jagged edges and overlapping elements create a sense of instability, mimicking the uncertainty of not knowing where one belongs.