JW's NOTES

Welcome back to another episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast! In this episode Phil and I are going back to the roots of why this show started in the first place — talking about iconic album cover design. Sometimes we explore classic records, and other times we dig into albums that one of us simply loves.

On our most recent episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, Phil and I sat down and walked through the nominees. We already knew who won but we were interested in the bigger question: What does this first class of nominees tell us about where cover art is headed...?

Every year on Judged by the Cover, we take an episode to look back at the music, design, and physical releases that stood out most. The Best of 2025 episode was all about reflection — not just on great albums, but on the artwork, packaging, and cultural shifts that shaped the year in music.

This year brought big life changes, unexpected challenges, creative wins, and moments where it felt like time completely slipped through my fingers. It’s honestly wild to be sitting here at the end of the year wondering how we already made it to the New Year and realizing there are still things I wanted to do that I never quite got to. But that’s life. And that’s running a creative business.

When it comes to building a recognizable brand—whether you’re a musician, podcaster, or content creator—your cover art is one of your most powerful tools. It’s not just decoration. It’s a statement.

Let’s be real: there are plenty of good reasons why artists, bands, and podcasters choose to DIY their cover art. Budgets are tight. You're trying to get your content out into the world quickly. And sometimes, it feels like slapping something together in Canva or Photoshop is “good enough.”

One day your videos are trending, and the next, your audience can’t find you. It’s a stark reminder that while social platforms are....

In this festive episode of Judged by the Cover, we’re diving into a few unexpected Christmas albums—the ones you didn’t see coming!

Panelists are presented with and judge 4 different album covers, each with its unique story and artistic elements.

For musicians, bands, and podcasters, one powerful tool for capturing attention and enticing new listeners is often overlooked...

Go on a journey with us as we discover an amazingly fun album and band by doing some curiosity buying solely based on the cover art!

To kick off this new season, I thought it would be fun to look at some of our favorite album covers, physical packaging, and music from 2023

If you are a band, musician, or a podcaster...you might be asking yourself can I design my own cover art...? I think my answer might surpris

New episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, with the theme Cars on Album Covers.

With all these different options, it can be intimidating to figure out which graphic designer is best for you and your project. I’m going to

Website design projects can be some of the most exciting and rewarding things that I work on at JW Creates. In this note I'll share how I break down a website project using my most recent website for the YWHAG Research Foundation. YWHAG Research Foundation home page Website design can feel very overwhelming for most people because there are so many different aspects to it. Not only does it have to look attractive and get peoples attention, but you have to think about things

Custom album cover process for the band FACE. Check out the behind the scenes process in creating the album cover for the band FACE.

Since you may not know yet how much I love creating logos and branding, let me take you back to a few logos that helped shape my process.

My most common projects are logo and branding projects. Look at my project for Land of the Dad, and let me walk you through my design proces

Forget new year, new you... Lets get your brand or business looking fresh and professional with a new website!