Case Study of the Week: Designing Album Cover Art

Oct 20, 2025

Marketing Communications

You are to assume the role of a marketing communications consultant. You have been hired by the manager of the folk-rock band Kingsley, to create branding for their upcoming debut album.

Two sisters and their brother started Kingsley in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2018. The trio plays guitar, violin, banjo, piano and bass and share lead vocals on their original songs. The music combines bluegrass, folk, pop and rock styles and has gained fans throughout the city, state and the region.

Kingsley signed a record deal with a major label earlier this year and recorded their first album, Royal Beginning. The album features five of the band’s most popular songs and six new original songs that lean heavy into folk-rock and are considered radio-friendly for stations that play pop music and adult contemporary.

The band’s manager hired you to create branding for Royal Beginning. You have been hired to create a logo or symbol for the album’s cover art, with suggestions for color, typography and design. The band’s manager also wants you explain how the branding will be used in positioning the debut album.

Questions?

Randi Bibiano
Competitive Events Specialist
randi@deca.org

Randi Bibiano is DECA's competitive events specialist. In this role, she conceptualizes and authors role-play scenarios for the collegiate and high school division’s competitive events programs. She also manages DECA's online competitive events and serves as a liaison to volunteer efforts at DECA's educational conferences.

Discussion Questions

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Classroom Connection

Career Cluster:

Marketing

Instructional Area(s):

Promotion

Performance Indicators:

Explain the nature of product/service branding
Describe the elements of design
Discuss the nature of typography
Explain the impact of color harmonies on composition