Project One
Book Covers
“A really good book cover has to work regardless of what it’s about, on a visceral and emotional level. “ - Chip Kidd
You will be creating three different designs for your chosen book. As a designer you will often be asked to create different concepts to present to a client. Your covers will be based on the following categories:
1) Type as Image
2) Graphic
3) Photographic
All imagery used for this project must be fair use or created by you for this project.
Movie Choices:
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Macbeth - Shakespeare
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Hamlet - Shakespeare
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
Naked Lunch - William S. Burroughs
Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë
The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller
On the Road - Jack Kerouac
Always Coming Home - Ursula K. Le Guin
Wise Blood - Flannery O’Connor
The Golden Notebook - Doris Lessing
Elmer Gantry - Sinclair Lewis
The Crucible - Arthur Miller
FINAL DELIVERABLES:
Three Different Covers: includes front, spine, back, flaps. Printed on the Epsons at 13 x 19 trimmed and folded to size.
Each cover should include the following: titile, author, author bio, book description, reviews, and quote. (at minimum)
Three Final Jackets as PDFs (On Server)
Process Book: PDF Process Book (Under 150 MB) on Server
Behance Post and Behance Post Link
SCHEDULE:
1 / 20 / 26
IN CLASS
Syllabus Review
Introduce Project 2
HOMEWORK
Part 1: Create at least (3) different mood boards. Think about how to pull inspiration from outside of the world of book covers. Think conceptually!
Part 2: Collect & Complie the following iinformation about your book:
About the Author
01) title of the book / image of the current book jacket
02) author (short bio at 50 - 100 words)
03) other books by the same author
Plot + Summary
04) short synopsis / plot / summary
05) what is the mood/tone/feeling of the book (descriptive words at least 6)
06) what is the message?
Characters
Choose the character(s) you find the most interesting -- it can be the main character it could be a supporting character(s). Identify at least 2 characters in book you have selected.
Describe them fully in written form (sentences, lists). And a long word list. Include role (protagonist, antagonist, foil). Physical appearance, personality, relationship to other characters, do "we" like them, hate them? What is their general mood or tone?
07) character 1 all about them see above
07b) 1 -3 quotes from that character
08) character 2 all about them see above
08b) 1 -3 quotes from that character
Place
when and where does the book take place. Describe it (you can pull it directly from the book). Create a word list of at least 25 words describing the place, word the provoke visuals. From the 25, identify 3-5 key words and define them. Try and use words that create a visual in ones mind, an emotion, tone, mood...
09) setting/ time/ place describe it in visual terms, you can think generally about the place or use one specific scene.
Object(s):
what "things" are important to the story? Why are they important? Describe them. Create a word list of at least 25 words not only describing the object but also its meaning, importance, feeling, mood... From the 25 identify 3-5 key words and define them. Try and use words that create a visual in ones mind, an emotion, tone, mood...
10) object or thing what is a thing that is referenced in the book? There has to be some thing that is referenced in the book. describe it. Maybe capture the scene (capture means write it down/type it up)
*start to find visual examples in photographs, illustration, typography pattern that shows the character(s)..
Why this Book?
11) why did you pick this book to redesign? why is the current cover(s) successful or not successful?
1 / 22 / 26
IN CLASS
Making Presentation
HOMEWORK
20 sketches for covers: Character, Place, Object (by hand, no computer) (60 total). Sketch at least 2-3 inches tall. Think of the concept and the form. How does the form affect the concept/mood/tone/feeling? How do you tell the story with the cover? How do you make it compelling? (60 Total)
Make the unfamiliar > familiar and the familiar > unfamiliar.
1 / 27 / 26
IN CLASS
Review Sketches
HOMEWORK
Part 1: Come up with / Explore at least 20 different customized title treatments. Nothing off limits. Try each of the categories: digital custom, digital manipulated, digital not manipulated, hand lettering. Use the computer, use the scanner, photograph type, print it out manipulate it and scan it back in or photograph it. What makes sense for your concept? Don't put all your eggs in one basket design / visual wise. Explore a lot of different visual and conceptual ideas.
Part 2: Explore Your IDEAS: 15 different bookjacket / cover explorations. (at least 3 for each Category). Focus on the cover only for this round. 7x10 in. These should be digital and done on the computer. Hand made elements are great but the output should be digital.
This homework is due 2/3/26
1 / 29 / 26
IN CLASS
Review Progress on Homework
HOMEWORK
Continue with Homework from 1/26. Due Tuesday.
2 / 3 / 26
IN CLASS
Review covers and type studies
HOMEWORK
Take your best (2) covers at least 2 from each Category and build them out as full covers/jackers. You need to include: titile, author, author bio, author, book description, reviews, and quote. (at minimum). Refine your images and push concepts.
Think of the entire cover Front, Spine, Back and Flaps. Get all the content on the jacket. Cover front back and spine have to have the title and author, where you add the bio and quote is up to you.
Look at your book cover research and see how book jacket designers handle this typography. Watch your typographic details. Leading, Spacing, Tracking, Kerning, Type Size. How do type and image interact?
2 / 5 / 26
IN CLASS
Review Refined Book Jackets
HOMEWORK
Explore/Make/Create 2 variations each of your bookjackets. How can you tell the story better? How can they be more visually compelling? How are you using the fact that you can pick it up and turn it and open it to tell the story visually? How can you make the typography more customized, more refined, less expected?
Watch your typographic details. Leading, Spacing, Tracking, Kerning, Type Size. How do type and image interact?
Bring in your covers as close to full size as you can. Print on fit on 11x17.
2 / 10 / 26
IN CLASS
Review Book Covers
HOMEWORK
Narrow to final (3) Jackets. Range is important.
Explore/Make/Create 2 variations each of your 3 bookjackets.
Focus on different typographic layouts and both visual/typographic hierarchy.. Explore different ways to handle the hierarchy. What can be bigger or smaller?
Big - Bigs and Small - Smalls.
Use different strategies for creaitng hierarchy.
Watch your typographic details. Leading, Spacing, Tracking, Kerning, Type Size.
2 / 12 / 26
IN CLASS
Review refinements of two directions
HOMEWORK
Refine Final cover direction , focus on details
Watch your typographic details. Leading, Spacing, Tracking, Kerning, Type Size. How do type and image interact?
2 / 17 / 26
IN CLASS
Review full system of panels
HOMEWORK
Refine your panels and make refinements to all 9 panels. Pay attention to typographic details as well as type size. How can each panel function on its own and as part of larger whole.