Having not viewed the gallery, how is a record an example of product design made obsolete by technology's progress? If I were a graphic designer, I would probably say that the product--the utilitarian black vinyl disk--is inconsequential, but that the adhesive backed paper label that was printed on some sort of printing device is the item that merits attention as a bygone venue for compelling graphic design.

The Record label is an example of a facet of product design made obsolete with the introduction of CD's, DVD's and the increasing market share of digital products (mp3's, FLAC, etc) which have no physical media. We are saying the same thing: the black vinyl media isn't the cool thing, but rather the design of the stickers is the cool thing.

What interests me about this, is the breadth of design which was achievable on such a limited size and dimension.

I find the designs used for CDs to still be quite interesting. Beck's inclusion of stickers to 'make your own' cover for his last album, Coldplay's X&Y, the Shins, etc. Sure, I'm talking covers as opposed to the stickers on the records themselves, but some CDs are also done quite well, if radically different in style from these, but that's to be expected with design some 50 years apart. It makes me wonder if you are mourning the loss of record label design, or the departure from that design sensability?

And you don't even mention cassettes! Records were obsolete the moment they appeared, long before CDs. However, I'm still not convinced of the 'death' of CDs or even vinyl. Last I knew, the stats said that physical media was doing about as well as ever, just not growing. And with all the old formats, records are the only type people still pine for and search out, and artists still release on it.

Good point sweetchuck, there has been some interesting solutions to physical packaging in the near-past.

I'm morning the increasingly small venues where design and music intertwine. More record/CD label design than the sensibility. But the sensibility is pretty groovy also.

Well grubbykid, as much as the web is eating into physical music, it's also providing new venues for design. I'm not sure if I'd call it small all the time, but band websites now have to be well designed, easy to use, and also convey what the band is about. I'm not talking about cookie-cutter myspace pages, or major label sites, but well thought out sites for the band. This provides places for both the professional and amatuer designer to practice.

Mind you I'm not trying to take away from or slight old record labels, I'm just not so sure that opportunities for design in this area have been lessened, but evolved.

Reading this has been real, thank you.