Project overview
I opted for Recursive Records website design mainly because of my interest in vintage music. The objective of the project is to support a campaign to attract customers to the shop by marketing their products, brand and to also adequately signpost shoppers to the store physically. I did quite a bit of research on existing record stores for guidance on how they are thriving. The task of creating a vintage music record website was both quite challenging and exciting to me at the same time. Challenging, because I am usually not the best with deadlines but exciting because I love ‘oldies’ music and looked forward to what new information I would find. In my research, I realised that market and demand for rare Vinyl continue to grow because of audiophiles and collectors.
This means that a well designed website can stand out and can significantly signpost vinyl enthusiasts and audiophiles to physically visit a music store with a good or curated selection of rare and vintage records.
Vinyl records trigger a sense of nostalgia for the older generation of audiophiles because they easily identify with the music. The younger demography of audiophiles tends to be attracted to vinyl for the retro style.
Recursive Records website is capable of promoting community building which can be beneficial to both the business and the local community by hosting live listening sessions. The website can also be a useful platform to appeal to eco-conscious audience and to preserve music history.
The main challenge is the competition from other established platforms.
The target audience for this project is for audiophiles and music collectors looking for rare or vintage vinyl. Recursive Records website will also attempt to attract Retro enthusiasts who are interested in the aesthetics and cultural values of records.
The marketing strategy used here is to create an Events page to physically attract customers to the shop. Customers will be updated about current events happening in the local area. Social icons are also used as leverage to showcase the shop’s products. The Events page will also be used to advertise Recursive Records store’s collaboration with music influencers to enhance its brand identity. The store’s brand will also be known for quality and promotion of rare vinyl as a long –term business strategy to achieve customer brand loyalty.
Choice of Colours
The use of black and white colour in the web design is deliberate and an attempt to tap into the cultural, emotional and aesthetic values of vintage vinyl particularly for the nostalgia and retro significance. Black and white imagery gives a sense of nostalgia about early classic music, films and photography. It was also used for visual clarity. The simplicity of black and white colours also makes the website stand out in the midst of an online marketplace of other chaotic colours which can be distracting to the users. The absence of many other colours focuses the attention of the user on the things that really matter – the content. This gives it a unique brand identity. In addition, the colour choice is in line with vinyl enthusiasts’ tradition of simplicity in vinyl culture.
Tools used
I employed the use of HTML and CSS throughout the project while ensuring to keep to the best standards in semantic structure and visual clarity. I used Canva to design the logo and Photoshop for image editing. I struggled initially with getting my responsive design right because I failed to use the mobile first approach. I was able to rectify the error.
Typography
My choice of Open Sans, Lora and Sans Serif is for compatibility with my choice of colours.
Images
Images used where mostly from websites that provided black and white vinyl and pictures to blend with the choice of colours.
Logo
My choice of logo is consistent with the overall colour of the design.
Conclusion
I gained more understanding of the structure of HTML and the rules of CSS during this project. I also realised that a good web designer is the one that practices daily and never gives up even when he encounters obstacles. I have now realised that CSS is always evolving, in addition to the rules and therefore needs practice. The importance of collaboration and networking with classmates is equally invaluable. My greatest challenge for now, moving forward, is to learn how to fall in love with Java script. There were many things I would have loved to do with Java script on my project for interactivity. I hope to do better next time.
References
https://musicshop360.com/blog/music-shop-website-design
https://www.yoursoundmatters.com
https://www.flaticon.com/search?word=youtube%20logo
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/vinyl-record-artwork.html?blackwhite=1&sortBy=relevant
https://vinylart.co/product/12inchdub
https://thesoundofvinyl.com/products/the-beatles-white-album-vinyl
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-black-and-white-photo-of-a-record-store-P3_MLxr5eBY