Compare/Contrast

Although the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” remains good advice when pertaining to music, a good album cover can add to the value of what's inside when well-designed and creative.

These covers for two albums by Elizabeth Mitchell, designed by Sonya Cohen Cramer, are perfect examples of well-designed album cover art.

Elizabeth Mitchell (singer-songwriter), You are my Little Bird (2006) and Sunny Day(2010), CD cover designs by Sonya Cohen Cramer, with artwork by Ida Pearle. Copyright Smithsonian Folkways

The two designs are very similar to each other in style and color scheme, yet each compliments its own unique title and contents, and remains an independent, successful piece of art and design.

When I look at these album covers I can tell right away that these CDs are intended for a younger audience, but unlike many other children's CDs and television shows, it's not because of in-your-face coloring or cutesy cartoon creatures. With these CDs , it is instead the simplistic yet sophisticated style  and fun but muted colors that give these a very peaceful, delightful feel. For example, both feature a wide range of colors; however, the colors are presented in a very artful, thoughtful way. They are not too saturated or overwhelming, but muted and complementary. Also, in both covers, each shape in the picture is separate from the others; there is virtually no blending or shading. It appears as if the shapes were cut from separate pieces of construction paper and layered to form a whole picture. This aspect alone makes me feel nostalgic, remembering the joy of arts and craft time in school. I think the fact that these pieces are reminiscent of something a child might make is appealing to children in a relatable way, and to parents in a sentimental way.

As much as these covers are uniform in many aspects, they are also different in many ways. The first album cover, "Sunny Day" is a bit more complex than the second, "You Are My Little Bird". While "Bird" features a plain blue-gray background, "Sunny Day" conveys a whole scene: grassy hill, blue sky, and shining sun.  "Sunny Day" is also slightly more detailed, with patterns in the tights, shoes, and dress, as well as texture in the sky and grass. This extra layer of details creates an entire scene on the album cover, a brief moment in a fun day at the park on a sunny day. This cover has a very warm, calming feel and very well represents its title "Sunny Day". "Bird" on the other hand, is very flat. We see children jumping in play but we don't see where they are. Although this does not tell a story like the other cover, it doesn't matter because this cover represents purely the essence of the moment: fun, joyful, carefree.

It seems both the similarities and differences of these pieces add to their overall success as designs. I'll admit it, even knowing these are considered "children's albums", I have an urge to check them out. If these albums have the ability to appeal to the inner-child of a recently turned "adult" then I have faith they will be equally, if not more, successful with their intended audience, kids.