Coral 9

“Coral9 — EP Artwork & Visual Identity”

This project was a special collaboration with Coral9, a Bay Area band whose sound I’ve admired for its emotional depth and honesty. Their music is immersive—moving through themes of love, change, and self-discovery—and I wanted the artwork to mirror that same vulnerability and intensity. The goal was to design visuals that not only represented the band’s identity but also carried the emotional weight of their sound. It needed to feel like Coral9—raw, expressive, and alive.

My creative process was rooted in listening and intuition. I spent time looping early versions of the tracks while sketching concepts in Procreate, letting rhythm and tone guide my choices in color and composition. The palette evolved around contrast—moments of light and shadow—to echo the band’s emotional range. Collaboration was a key part of the journey; although I had full design control, the band’s input and openness to exploration shaped the final direction. Each revision brought us closer to something that felt genuinely theirs, a visual identity that grew directly out of their music.

The final result blends digital painting with graphic elements, layered to create texture and atmosphere. After developing the main EP cover, the project expanded organically—I went on to design a separate album cover and a new band logo to unify their visual presence. The outcome is a cohesive aesthetic that captures both the sonic and emotional essence of Coral9: bold, heartfelt, and distinctly their own.