This project explores how album cover design functions as a system of visual recognition, particularly within contemporary hip-hop. It investigates how covers have evolved from large format vinyl sleeves to small digital thumbnails, where designs must communicate quickly and effectively at reduced scale. As a result, many modern covers rely on simplified visual elements such as bold colour, clear shapes, and iconic imagery rather than detailed compositions.
The project focuses on analyzing and deconstructing well-known album covers, including examples like Astroworld, Graduation, and Brat. Each cover is broken down into its core components, removing background, text, and unnecessary detail to isolate the most recognisable elements. These simplified components are then vectorised and turned into individual physical pieces.
The final outcome is an interactive reconstruction system, where participants are shown an album cover briefly and then asked to recreate it from memory using the simplified pieces. This process tests how much visual information is needed for recognition, and which elements, such as colour, shape, or composition are most memorable.
