Floriane Rousselot translates music into bold visual worlds

“I see design as a way to better understand people… A tool for translating thoughts into visuals,” says Floriane Rousselot. The French art director is currently based between Marseille and New York, where she balances a range of projects for clients like Nike and Instagram with collaborations with musicians like Zara Larsson and French rappers Gazo and Tiakola.

Her album artwork is striking – a mix of vibrant colours, experimental photography and dynamic type. This distinct visual style can be traced back to her childhood obsession with video games like Tekken, Mario, GTA, and Dragon Ball Z. “I was always drawn to immersive worlds with strong visual identities, soundscapes, and distinct aesthetics,” she says. “All of this was a whole bright dreamlike universe to immerse myself in.”

The influence is most prominent in the art direction for Melo est Gangx, an album by two prominent French rappers, Gazo and Tiakola. Gazo is known for his “deep, dark tones and sharp lyrical style”, while Tiakola offers a “softer, more melodic approach”. Floriane wanted to capture their contrasting yet complementary styles. To convey this duality, she took inspiration from Dragon Ball Z’s iconic rivals, San Goku and Vegeta. “One is smooth and optimistic, the other one is intense and dark, very contrasting yet complementary – just like Tiakola and Gazo,” she explains.

Floriane collaborated with photographer Gabriel Boyer, using distortion and noise effects paired with vibrant colours. “I focused on the theme of dark melody, a fusion of the two rappers’ aesthetics. This vision shaped both the visual identity and logotype of the art cover, inspired by typography seen in US street culture,” she explains. “The logotype combines sharp, angular elements with organic curves to reflect the fusion of the two artists’ worlds.”

Floriane didn’t always work on such expansive projects. She’s the founder of Typelab, a digital platform for emerging typographers. For many years since launching in 2018, she worked mostly as a type designer. “Over time, I found myself frustrated – I wanted to be part of the entire creative process,” she says. “I love shaping entire brand identities – from logotype to sound design direction, set design, and curating the right team… I feel real human and creative exchange.”

Looking forward, Floriane remains open to new possibilities: “I don’t see my path as something static, more in constant movement.”