Songlines CD Cover Packaging, Illustration & Booklet

Creative direction of the Songlines - Songs of the East Australian Humpback Whales CD cover packaging. Included the cover illustration plus the design and layout of an internal information booklet.

Client: The Oceania Project
Categories: Creative Direction, Packaging, Illustration
Humpback Whale songs are transferred from year to year. They evolve similarly to the verbally transmitted tribal lore of Aboriginal cultures from where the term Songlines is derived. Songlines documents the evolution of the intricate and beautiful East Australian Humpback song. Stephen used the audio waveform of each year's Whale song as the unifying theme for the design. Each piece has a unique fingerprint that visually shows the progression of the audio over time. As a result, the cover and booklet design accurately reflected the hour of pristine digital recordings selected from five different years between 1992 and 2008, drawing the listener into this mysterious and majestic world.

Photography: Dr. Trish Franklin & Dr. Wally Franklin
Recording and Mastering: Mark Franklin
Creative Direction: Stephen Franklin
Graphic Design: Stephen Franklin
Illustration: Stephen Franklin
Cover and CD showing the progression of the Whale song over five different years.
Stephen went with a clean white cover, allowing the audio waveforms to be easily identifiable.
This walk through of the design shows the audio waveform used to define each section of the booklet and the Whale song it relates to.
CD booklet cover and internal page spread of the 1992 Humpback Whale Songline.
The line work represents the axis of movement the whales have in their environment.
Internal page spread of the 1998 Humpback Whale Songline.
This page shows the background image 'fingerprint' of the whale song audio for the 1998 Songline.
Original pencil illustration for the Songlines cover artwork.
Franklin began with a pencil illustration for the front cover which he later developed into a digital illustration.
Final cover art showing the fingerprint of each whale song.
The completed digital illustration for the Songlines cover, showing the fluid shape of a Humpback whale swimming up through the slices of Whale song audio.

View more projects

TrimFast Brand and Packaging Design
Design, development and production of the TrimFast weight loss program brand and Meal Replacement Shake range, for the Ishimodo Brand design agency.
Terry White Chemists Rapid Shake Range
Design and rollout of the Terry White Chemists Rapid Shake Range for the Ishimodo Brand and Design Agency. Included the design development and finished artwork for five SKUs (Stock-Keeping Units) based on supplied design handover.
Slavutych Beer Artwork
Finished artwork for a Slavutych Beer bottle label based on design files created by LFH Brand Identity.
LiteLiving Detox Identity & Packaging Design
Design and development of the LiteLiving Detox brand identity and packaging artwork, for the Ishimodo brand design agency.
iWhales DVD Video Covers & Title Menu Design
Creative Direction and design of The Oceania Project's DVD collection. Included print production for the range and authoring of the DVD menus for each title.
LaserMAX Brand Packaging
Creative direction and design development of the LaserMAX range of laser light retail products. Also included the development of the LaserMAX brand identity.
VLCD Packaging Design and Brand Identity
Creative direction and brand development of Tony Ferguson’s VLCD meal replacement shake range for the Ishimodo Brand and Design Agency.
Potato Face Stacked Chips Packaging Design
Packaging design and character development of the Potato Face brand of stacked chips for Dallas International.
TrimLife 1200 Meal Replacement Range
Production of the TrimLife 1200 Meal Replacement Range for the Ishimodo Brand and Design Agency. Included the design development and finished artwork of packaging for multiple variants, including shakes, bars, soups, and associated product shippers.
Tony Ferguson Classic Shake Starter Pack
Design development of the Tony Ferguson Classic Shake Starter Pack for the Ishimodo Brand and Design Agency.
↑Back to Top