Hi Tavis!
The first is a waveform, placed into the centre of the document, with separate Magenta and Blue layers to produce a layered effect. These are placed against a radial gradient of Fedora Blue and Fedora Dark Blue. The waveform does not have any specific meaning, I just used it to test the design. https://i.imgur.com/JhI7CEq.jpg
I think without a deeper meaning I wouldn't push this one further - I think you need the deeper meaning to push it into a more compelling visual.
The second is an illustrative design. The waveform section is of me speaking the word 'Fedora'. I created a path around the waveform to generate an outline. This has then been filled to create a hill, on which I intend to place a flat illustration of Edinburgh Castle, in reference to Alexander Graham Bell's birthplace. The reflection in the lower half of the image is also part of the waveform. https://i.imgur.com/Dj4F9R5.jpg
This is really neat! I think the intentional gradient bandings, esp the radial ones from the moon, are a really nice illustrative effect and pretty harmonious with Fedora's brand style too. I especially love the radial gradients because they kind of visualize the moonlight in a wave form, light waves as a sort of contrast to the sound waves. Ialso like how you used a mountain/hill to help represent the wave form. Some suggestions / ideas:
- To make the waveform more complete as in the inspiration pictures from the pinboard, I'd lighten the reflection so it's less weak, so you could get the impression of the shape of the waveform rather than the top half of the form / above-water half dominating quite so much.
- I'm not sure the texture on the water is the right one. Somehow it kind of clashes with the radial blocks in the sky. It also kind of has (At least for me) a weird 3D kind of affect making the water look curved in a way that doesn't make sense. I guess, ripples on water need a catalyst, right? It might be neat because you have radial gradients in the sky, to mirror that in the water a bit with circular-ish texture on the water and maybe add some object to generate the waves.... or as an alternate emulate still water at night. Also, is this fresh water or ocean? If it's ocean I guess you could have waves but I don't see any peaks or crashes on the shore. (I got the impression of it being fresh water inland somehow)
I really like the color palette on this one.
I'm not particularly happy with either, as I stated above. I'm going to take the second design and tweak it to make it much more subtle and less busy. A desktop image shouldn't get in the way of the users day to day activities, which I believe this does.
Totally agreed, it needs to be subtle, I think you're on the right track.
~m