I’m half embarrassed to admit I’ve never been to Manchester and didn’t really know much about it before starting the project. If I’m honest I actually found it one of the harder places to create a cover for, perhaps because it’s supposed to be closer to home but really doesn’t feel it!

Brainstorming ideas

Inspirational Images:

Exchange square – photo by Darby Sawchuk

Deansgate – photo from geograph.org.uk

Albert Square

Deans gate and central Albert Square both revealed a large amount of red/brown brick buildings in the city. I took note of this as a colour for my cover.

Salford Quays

Salford Quays – photo by David Dixon

The images of the Salford Quays show the interaction of the city with water but also introduce an interesting shape to the skyline with the sweep of the bridges. Another note was made in my mind to try and use that bridge shape and perhaps a dark blue in my cover design.

Canal

The canal’s seemed to fairly important to the history of Manchester, especially during the industrial revolution, here I took note of the grey structure of the bridge as a point of inspiration.

Manchester Art gallery

Of all the Abstract Cities this cover design was the hardest and I think the least successful. I just didn’t know how to make the image look cohesive and have a flow. I feel it looks a little lost for identity but maybe that does reflect Manchester, as a city once defined by the Industrial revolution now exploring how it looks today.

Manchester Cover