Visuals give music that extra edge; whether it's vinyl records or digital downloads, music benefits from creative visuals.(Editorial)

Think for a second of your favourite album, or even single. Chances are that you can clearly summon up a mental picture of the sleeve, possibly even the inner sleeve. For many of us over the years, looking at those images, even fleetingly, while the record is playing, is part-and-parcel of the listening experience.

Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that many of the most classic albums from almost any genre of music--whether they be by The Stones, The Beatles, Joy Division and Oasis or James Brown, Fela Kuti and John Coltrane--are accompanied by sleeves that are every bit as iconic as the music they package.

It is a point worth making, for the sleeve design and wider imagery that accompanies--and is usually inspired by--the music are one of the aspects of the music experience that has been forgotten in all the talk of downloads, streaming services, ringtones and free giveaways with everything from soft drinks to national newspapers.

In fact, at a time when perceptions of the value of music seems to be further eroded every day, design and imagery are possibly more important than ever.

This is one of the reasons why Music Week is organising the first I See Music exhibition at the ICA in London in September. The idea is ...