PHAR-OUT! is a fictional mixtape curated by fictional Overwatch character Fareeha “Pharah” Amari featuring songs from the real world. It consists of primarily rock and experimental music, some in Arabic and some in English, as well tracks that allude to Pharah’s bird motif.
The objective here is to create a consistent art direction in line with the playlist’s personality, while making it applicable in three physical formats: LP, CD, and Cassette Tape.
With the artwork, I concluded it would be fitting to do something akin to a semi-realistic 80’s to 90’s anime style. This lends to a carefree attitude and identity of the mixtape, as well as giving ground to Pharah’s rocker spirit.
Certain aspects of the covers went through several iterations, including the typeface choices, colours, and layout.
PHAR-OUT! is distributed by a fictional record label, Gibraltar Records. I also went through different passes of the final logo and branding, which needed to be visible in one flat colour. There are two versions of the main logo’s identity, a standard vertical brand mark and a horizontal mark for branding things that are sideways, such as the CD's jewel case spine.
This playlist is available to listen to on Spotify, which you can access by scanning the QR code in the image below. The QR codes are also integrated in all the back covers of all three formats for easy access. The playlist can also accessed through this link!
Since Overwatch is an Activision-Blizzard IP, I would like to express solidarity and share awareness on the wave of lawsuits surrounding discriminatory gender and racial-based harassment and the toxic working environment the company has fostered. You can read more and find ways to support developers affected by this situation here.