Valms
Client: Valms
Industry: Music (Indie Electronic Rock)
Project Type: Branding & Album Artwork Design
Valms is the project of Miami natives Caleb and Christopher. They combine elements of energetic indie rock, 80s synths, and smooth R&B. The duo wanted a vibrant visual representation for their “Up Your Sleeves," to reflect the song's theme of deceit. The artwork needed to be compelling and distinctive, to stand out amidst Spotify's extensive catalog.
The Process
I created a mood board that combined deep-sea imagery, bright neon colors, and retro-modern themed design. While doing some research, I found that many cultures consider the squid to be a symbol of deceit. This inspired the idea of a squid controlling a hand like a puppeteer, which became the basis for the album artwork. The concept was sketched, refined, and colored using Procreate, and then finalized in Photoshop.
To create the logo for Valms, I experimented with geometrical and LCD-style lettering, which ultimately led to the final logo.
Design Solutions
Album Artwork
The album's central image was a vibrantly colored squid wrapped around a hand. To ensure visibility, especially on Spotify, the design underwent testing at smaller scales. The artwork's adaptability allowed its seamless incorporation across music platforms, including Apple Music.
Band Logo
A custom LCD/digital block-style font was created to reflect the band's electronic vibe, offering versatility with its ability to adapt various patterns and textures.
Social Media & Music Platforms
Because the duo lived in different states, they took individual photos that were combined to create vibrant banners for all major social media platforms. This ensured that there was a consistent theme that reflected the album. A modified version of this composite image was also used as a universally applicable profile picture.
