Out of the Blue

Use hearing protection was an industrial design the Saville repurposed for this the first Fac item. In 1979: the audience of music was aware, of course, of distinctive sleeve design. Previous marriages between sound and images have been lauded. Blue Note and Dark Side The Moon, to name but two. Few people thought that Graphic Design was an expansive medium. The New Musical Express (NME) was a popular and influential paper but was just waiting for The Face for a style upgrade.

The Lack of information (on Unknown pleasures) cover makes it distinguishable. Punk Rock designers had unhinged ideas, they showed the links behind Consumerism & advertising. Jamie Reid, was critical, talking about consumerism in the journalistic tradition of art & mass media. [see holiday in the sun.]

Unknown Pleasures

Unknown pleasures cover would probably have been rejected by a major record company. Hierarchies would have not allowed designers to explore the curious, the relationship with the sound production. Consider it; tactile paper stock, no band name or title (not even the Beatles got away with that), a luxurious black, making it look expensive. Saville comapres the pulsar CP1919 to be the equivalent to the rolling stones tongue. It became the brand of Joy Division. Rip off T shirts etc can be found on market stalls across the world. The intention of was for it to be a thing like a 70's dieter rams product.  

Garrett, Saville & Brody are the key figures around this time responsible for raising the profile of graphic design.