Multimedia-and increasingly, the Internet-has redefined the way we look at printed matter, how we listen to sound, and how we react to products. As crossovers of media broaden the possibility of both personal expression and commercial design, Sonic Graphics explores the fusion of music and graphics. How are melody, harmony and rhythm played out in graphics? How does music influence design? How is it captured in static form as design? The precedents for representing music in pictorial form go back to the early twentieth century, when Vasily Kandinsky experimented with synaesthesia and rendered sound and instruments as colors. More recent explorations include avant-garde composer John Cage's attempt to blend musical notation and calligraphy, capturing and blurring the essence of both. Today, digital technologies have augmented the dynamic interplay between sight and sound: it is this exciting area that Sonic Graphics examines. Exemplary work from studios around the world is presented in three sections: Notation analyzes the use of sign and symbol systems in creating identity and branding for music artists, recording projects and performances; Material examines how products can package the essence of the music they contain; and Atmosphere looks at how space and multidimensional environments can be used to visualize sound. A reference section includes studio websites and a glossary. The world of music has often been where today's designer superstars have forged their graphic-design language. From jazz cover art to club flyers, from CD-packaging to fly posters, the culture of music offers unlimited possibilities for visual experimentation. Sonic Graphics not only showcases this rich genre, but is the first book to get to the heart of the relationship between music and its successful graphic expression.