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Designing Posters, T-shirts, and CD Covers for a Living

Sunday 15th of April 2007 06:42:24 PM

In recent years, there has been an increased need for those who can design innovative CD covers, promotional Clothing, and posters for bands and other musical talent. Because of technological advances, those who are able to combine creativity with graphic design and manufacturing software are able to sustain a living freelancing and starting their own design firms. Brian Gunert, who owns a design firm called ‘White Bicycle’ in Buffalo, New York, USA, worked with musician Ani DeFranco and has won a Grammy Award for his CD cover designs.

“There’s this opportunity for designers to play along with the band, visually. It’s just the simple desire to make things cool,” said Gunert. Working with DeFranco was a happy accident when Gunert had interviewed for a position with an advertising firm. He was referred to DeFranco and they started working together about six years ago.

Designing promotional Clothing, posters, and CD covers for albums is an important job because items like these are the first items people usually see when they visit a music store, shop online, or go to a concert. Buying posters and printed T-shirts are a way to remember the concert and a way for fans to feel connected to musicians. Goo Goo Dolls band member Robby Takac echoes these sentiments by saying, “I think that imaging and branding matter more. It’s the thing people see before they hear the music.”

Starting a business like this one can give owners more control over their designs as well as their time. “That’s why I started my own business — to do it my way. It’s our opinion that in a creative business like this, you’ve got to have a creative business model,” said designer Mark Brickey, who also has a business in Buffalo. Owners can choose how many shirts to print, how many posters to create, and how many CD covers they want to design in a year.

(c)Greg Olsen, www.sxc.hu