Music Tips for Designers and Creative directors

MUSIC TIPS:

 Hello, fans and lovers of all things music! DIY music tips are back again and stronger, as usual.

And so far, so good; it’s been a fun trip to the world behind the scenes, don’t you think?

The best part of the music/entertainment industry is how many layers of work actually go into what’s been put out. It takes a village in all forms; a lot is put into the beauty that makes things work. So while we often see the finished product, it's important to note that the effort in the process is just as valued, just as important, and just as wholesome!

On DIY Music Tips, where we give you that backstage pass to the world of music and magic, whilst also dropping the coolest and most thoughtful nuggets, we shine the light on the stars behind the stage.

From road manager to operations manager to lawyer and producer, we’ve taken you round the back office to the fun, the creative, the brain behind the movement, and the legal juggernauts.

But there are still some doors to be opened, some discoveries to be made, and more beauty to unfold. Today, we take yet another route and bring you our very own CiDAR In-house designer/creative director.

For some context, a creative director is the head of all things creative input, planning strategic vision and direction for a project or a company. A designer is someone who creates the outlook and feel of a product. What does it have to do with music? You’ll find out along the way; let’s give him the floor!

Q & A

1. Hi Jide! Lovely to have you. What’s your role in CiDAR Africa, and why do you think it matters? Try not to toot your horn too much, please!

JIDE: I was recruited majorly to create and have since created multiple designs/videos for some hits you probably know. I helped create assets for rollouts pre/post release. In the space of 2 years I’ve contributed to about 8/9 hit songs, amounting to over 300M streams.

Q&A: Okay! No horns tooted, ha ha! Well, let’s kick off with something simple: what’s your go-to song/artist to listen to whenever you’re working, and why them?

JIDE: My go-to artists are a lot and usually under the rap/grime or Afro-adura genres, so I’ll pick 2, please (Dave/Lareez).

2. Nice, so what would you say your favourite genre is?

JIDE: Afrobeats because it reflects life as an African

3. Okay, moving on to the real deal! When you’re working on a design for an artist. Maybe a logo or just brand design in general, do you try to understand the artiste’s style and discography before getting inspired? If you do, how important do you think it is to get this, or do you just wing it?

?: Yes o! I legit need to understand the artist. His or her energy explains colour and every other thing that will later depict how the artist will be perceived. Branding is very important; artists should associate themselves with things that are very unique and should remind people of them.

4. Hmm! Speaking of artistes, who’s your dream artiste to work with?

JIDE: Easy! Tubaba (2 Face)

5. What has been your most annoying setback or difficult experience with working on anything for an artist? It’s a safe space.
JIDE: My major setback is communication and things getting lost in translation. It’s the same for many creatives; they know what to do but lack the way to interpret it. When there’s a break in communication, the design just can’t slap.

6. What’s one free or low-budget tool every upcoming designer should know?

‍JIDE: Photoshop is my go-to. You can make motion with it, treat pictures, do some 3D, manipulate logos, etc. It’s so vast and diverse.

7. What recent design or visual trend in music marketing are you excited about as a creative director?

JIDE: The fact that everyone is very intentional about their visualisers makes me really excited and drives me to do better as well.

8. Which album cover in history would you redesign if given the chance?

JIDE: One I made in 2018 for “Better dey come” by Lareez, because better actually needs to come.

9. How do you manage creativity under tight deadlines? I feel like you’re always taking on a lot like Pokémon:

JIDE:Well I get a clear head, research a lot and execute once and for all. My motto is to “measure twice and cut once”, never the other way round.

10. What’s the weirdest feedback you’ve ever gotten from an artist?

JIDE: For weird in a ‘good way’, the client said, “I love you,” and for weird in a bad way, it’s hearing “Let it pop.” When I asked what that meant, they replied, “I don’t know either; just make it pop”. It was really weird and also very unhelpful.

11. If your creative style were a genre of music, what would it be and why?

JIDE: Afrobeats, and as an umbrella for Afro-fusion, Adura, Trap, Swing and other forms of African music related to the Afrobeats beat pattern.

12. If Adobe (or your fav app) took away every tool except one, which one would you keep and survive with?

JIDE: Photoshop.

13. If you could mentor your younger self, what would you say?

JIDE: Buy BTC. Work smarter, focus more on school, fall in love, and have more fun.

14. Any colour palettes or fonts you’re tired of seeing in music design? (Name them)

JIDE: Arial, like, really, fam, it’s not 2005 anymore. Omo oro. 

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15: How do you visually translate an artist’s sound into a design or campaign?

‍JIDE: It’s not exactly something I can explain, to be honest. All the images just arrange themselves, and I either start right away or sketch them out before they fade away.

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16. Okay! For our last question, what would you recommend for designers looking to enter the music and entertainment scene?

JIDE: Network, don’t be scared to experiment and learn to use new tools to aid your work.

So that’s all from us and Jide for today, but we sure hope to see you next time. Who knows what comes next?

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