Cultural studies, design practice and the Emo movement

The graphic inserts from Fresno’s first and last album

Abstract

In the early 2000s, a musical style dominated by young people with long bangs, black clothes, and heavy eyeliner took over the music scene. Emo, more than just songs with strong sentimental appeal, became an aesthetic reference, influencing fashion and graphic arts in general. In this context, the band Fresno emerged as one of the main representatives of this language, which leads this investigation to analyze how culture and design interact, based on the inserts of the group’s first and latest album. For this purpose, we combined a methodological approach between cultural studies and design practice, noting that each insert took into account the historical and social context in which it was produced. The first reinforces the sentimental and aesthetic character of emo, while the latest considers more mature and social issues as relevant themes for the movement.