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“Four designers discuss their work on recent book covers: first a concept that didn’t make the final cut, and then the cover that ended up on the book.”
Love to see killed cover concepts! But I do think the final designs featured in this article are the better ones, except for the Ballard covers (from Jason Booher), where I think the original is more arresting and original.
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Porter Square Books Blog recently posted an Interesting interview with book designer Peter Mendelsund.
Do you feel any particular responsibilities to the book, author, and/or publishers?
My job as book designer and art director is predicated on the idea that I will help sell a book, and to the extent that I do that, successfully position a book in the marketplace by making the appropriate jacket for it, I am fulfilling my responsibilities to the publisher.
In terms of my responsibility to the author and the book…representing the text is not (at least not patently) something I’m paid to do, but I see this act as a moral imperative. Characterizing, explicating, interpreting a text visually is the most interesting and gratifying aspect of what I do. When I fail at this task of signifying what a book is (or I am urged or directed in some way to betray what I see as a book’s essential nature) there’s a palpable sense of loss and guilt. It feels important to me that a book’s cover should not be dissonant with, or oblivious to, the text within. A book cover should be a book’s true face; which is to say, optimally, a jacket or cover will be a kind of visual translation of the book in question. So—to the extent that I successfully describe or epitomize a book—its plot, its themes, its affect…I am fulfilling my responsibilities to the book and to its author.Peter has to be one of the most talented and interesting book cover designers out there, and his blog is well worth reading; jacketmechanical.blogspot.co.uk/ or look at more of his work here.
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Give yourself an award, courtesy of Jessica Hische
“Are you a creative person that constantly submits to competitions but never gets in? Are you over 30 and bummed that you missed your chance to be a 20 under 30? or a 30 under 40? or some other random number under some other random number? Well here’s an award for you. If you think you deserve an award, fill in your name and your job title and you’ll be given an award. Then you can put “award winning designer” or whatever on your resumé.”
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Loving these new business cards for Studio Moross, which was set up by graphic artist / illustrator / art director Kate Moross. I always like a colorful system like this, lots of variety!
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The Smithsonian Libraries have an online ‘galaxy of images’. One of the collections is Book Arts & Design which has some really fascinating typography and book covers from the modernist period, as well as pre-modernism such as the selection above. Love it, so rich especially the Jules Verne cover!
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I apologize in advance for this post if you are a fan of typograpy and lack free time…
Letter Cult have posted their Custom Letters, Best of 2012. Which is over 60 pages of amazing type and lettering. A real feast for the eyes, but it will take a while to get through. It’s split into 3 parts;
The pictures above are some of my favorites from their selections, and are by; Mary Kate McDevitt, Jessica Hische, Darren Booth, Mary Kate McDevitt (could have posted way more of her work), Dan Cassaro and Craig Ward.
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Maricor/Maricar, the studio of Australian twins Maricor and Maricar Manalo, updated their website in February with a new design and lots of new work. Just realised I’ve had this post in my drafts since then!
Big fan of all their work, very original. I especially love the embroidered and colourful typography. Think they have posted about their process in the past on their blog, or pictures on Instagram. Looking forward to perhaps seeing some embroidery in person at Pick Me Up this year.
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“Jason Booher designs book covers as well as other things”
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Easter Sunday seems like a good time to post chocolate packaging! Always been a fan of the design of Mast Brothers chocolate, which is made in Brooklyn. Love the simplicity of the patterns, bet the paper is nice and thick too.
You can read about it here;
“We originally just wrapped our chocolate in butcher paper, in hopes of doing anything we could to communicate the message that chocolate is food — not candy,” Rick Mast told me by e-mail. “We soon realized that the packaging needed something more so we tried to retain the feel of butcher paper but with beautifully designed patterns.” Every chocolate bar they create is hand-wrapped in specially designed patterned paper, one pattern for each of their many flavors. Although understated, the packaging, in its simplicity and thoughtfulness, alludes to the nature of the product it contains.
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Penguin Great Ideas series 4 designed by David Pearson (and a few others).
I’m not sure why I’ve been seeing lots of these covers on tumblr today (been a few years since their release), but it’s always a pleasure to see any of the cover designs from the 100 ‘Great Ideas’ books published by Penguin between 2004 and 2010. Unlike most graphic design projects I find it gets better every time you see it.
It got me thinking that the Great Ideas series is probably my all time favorite design project, and here is why;
- Each book is unique, meaning that the style is due to contextual appropriateness rather than trends or personal preference.
- Despite being part of a series there is no pointless consistency between the information on the covers. Some have more than would normally be expected, others way less, but in each case it is for the right effect, which allows for clever ideas where possible (see the ‘An Apology For Idlers’ cover).
- The small size, cheap paper and limited colour make them more striking yet cheaper to produce, proving that appealing design doesn’t always need any fancy tricks.
- Many of them are a celebration of the sort of pre digital typography I love, but that is generally quite unappreciated by most.
- They make very intelligent and intelectual books, that often have lacklustre covers, into objects of beauty and desire.
I could go on, but I’ll end with the point that I think makes me like them most; that all the designs are very clearly born from a deep appreciation and love of design history. Making a design contemporary or trendy is easy, but making it classic is much harder, and I think it’s what the Great Ideas series does so well.
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I’m loving Ben Newmans illustration/design work on packaging for the Clifton Coffee Company.
Follow Ben on tumblr - http://ben-newman-illustration.tumblr.com/
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Happy World Book Day !
To celebrate, here is a random selection of good book covers I’ve added to my pinterest collection lately. Loads more, and sources/designers of the ones above can be found here;
http://pinterest.com/theo_inglis/book-covers/
That Dracula cover is quite something, and since it’s book day not book cover day, read Dracula if you haven’t before! Can’t recommend it enough.
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The Ideal Studio is another project from Represent, following last years excellent series The Ideal Candidate. It’s in collaboration with It’s Nice That and Hypekit (who designed the website). Here’s what Represent say about it;
“We’ve asked studio founders, creative directors, freelancers and consultants which factors combine to create the perfect workplace.
From chairs to lighting, management structure to client relations, philosophy to free pilates, they all provided some real food for thought. So over the next four weeks we’ll reveal what they see as the key ingredients for the ideal studio… “Really interesting project, so interesting to see the workspaces of different companies! I found this was one of the nice things about having interviews at lots of studios before I got my job. Looking forward to seeing what the rest of the month holds. So far it’s been a really diverse selection of very good design agencies!
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Illustrator & designer Jim Datz has launched a new website (http://jimdatz.com/) and online shop (http://www.neitherfishnorfowl.com/). Big fan of his work, especially the 4 images above that make up his city series. A lovely mix of map, illustration and typography, with a very mid-century feel about them! As has much of Jim’s work.
Shame the London print is sold out, very high on the list of posters I’d want framed on my wall!
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Winter Warmer by Exeter based creative studio Buddy.
“Each year we send out a festive ‘Mulled Wine’ to clients and friends. Mulled wine is a traditional winter drink served warm, making it the perfect tonic to banish those winter chills…This year saw the birth of BUDDY’S ORIGINAL WINTER WARMER. The only sure and trusted way to ward off the icy claw of winter, and survive the manifold strifes of the festive season.”
Bit late for a christmas related blog post but couldn’t resist sharing this, so beautiful, definitely up there with Stranger & Stranger’s christmas projects (1,2 & 3).
