valms

Client: Valms
Industry: Music (Indie Electronic Rock)
Project Type: Branding & Album Artwork Design

objective

Valms is the project of Miami natives Caleb and Christopher. Melding together elements of energetic indie rock, 80’s synths, and smooth R&B. The duo sought a vibrant visual representation for their debut single, "Up Your Sleeves." With the underlying theme of deceit in their song, the goal was to ensure the artwork would be both compelling and distinctly visible amidst Spotify's extensive catalog.

The Process

I curated a mood board that melded deep-sea imagery, luminous neon hues, and contemporary electronic aesthetics. During my research, I discovered that many cultures associate the squid with deceit. This led to the conceptualization of a squid manipulating a hand like a puppeteer, setting the foundation for the album artwork. This concept was then sketched, detailed, and colored on Procreate, and then finalized on Photoshop.

To create the logo for Valms, I experimented with geometrical lettering, producing several sketches in an attempt to achieve a modern and distinct identity.

design solutions

• Album Artwork: A vibrantly colored squid wrapped around a hand became the central imagery for the album. Ensuring visibility, especially on Spotify, the design underwent testing at smaller scales. The adaptability of the artwork allowed its seamless incorporation across music platforms, including Apple Music.

• Band Logo: A custom LCD/digital block-style font encapsulated the band's electronic undertone.A custom-made LCD/digital block-like font was developed to mirror Valms' electronic vibes, offering flexibility with its capacity to adopt various patterns and textures.

• Social Media & Music Platforms: Given the duo's geographical constraints of living in two different states, individual photos were vibrantly composited to produce banners for all major social platforms, ensuring a consistent theme resonating with the album. A derivative of this composite also served as a universally applicable profile picture.