Sneaker Pimps, Becoming X
In this project I set out to redesign the cover of Sneaker Pimps' debut album Becoming X, releasing a limited edition LP inline with the albums 30 year anniversary in 2026. Alongside the the album I produced a collectable toy, and product sale website. ➸ Awarded The Examiners’ Award for Excellence from the Department of Graphic Communication & Typography at the University of Reading – Recognised for playful, material-driven design that successfully invokes album covers of the 1990s.
CLIENT
Student project
DELIVERABLES
LP cover Zoetrope record Toy package Website
YEAR
2025
SCOPE
Entirety of project
Process
Research
I set out to reimagine the Becoming X album cover to better reflect Sneaker Pimps’ eclectic trip-hop sound and establish their identity apart from similar artists. My research included late-1990s album design trends and genre peers, along with visual positioning charts to define the desired aesthetic.
Development
After exploring multiple concepts, I chose to feature vocalist Kelli Ali as a miniature figurine – an image that’s both alluring and unsettling, mirroring the band’s sound. Using generative AI tools, I transformed a portrait into a 3D model, rigged and posed it, then refined the image in Adobe Firefly and Photoshop.
Upon creating the primary visual, I explored many different compositions and typographic layouts, each variation resulting in different focal points and evoked emotion.
I then extended the key visual of Kelli Ali into a full identity system, including a zoetrope animation record, A/B side labels, a collectible toy, and a launch website.
Outcome
The Becoming X redesign successfully reintroduced Sneaker Pimps to a modern audience while celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut. By creating a bold new visual identity centred on a miniature green Kelli Ali figurine, the project captured the band’s eclectic trip-hop sound and reinforced their standing as established artists in the genre.
The design worked seamlessly across both physical and digital formats – offering a premium vinyl experience complete with a zoetrope animation, custom A/B side labels, and a collectible figurine – while also adapting for small-scale digital platforms. This tangible, multi-layered product gave fans a compelling reason to purchase the physical edition over free streaming alternatives.
The project was recognised with The Examiners’ Award for Excellence in a Single Practical Project, commended for its ‘playful use of type, image and colour and consideration for materiality to produce an engaging contemporary design which successfully invokes album covers of the 1990s.’
