05 Book Covers Design

Project 05 redesigning a series of three book covers that include the front, spine and back. The covers must indicate the contents and contexts of each book.

Drawing from my chosen book series, The Novel Series by Sofia Laguna, I redesigned these book covers targeted towards a wider audience of 'Australian fiction' in the period for Mother's/Father's Day. My concept utilises the recurring theme of childhood trauma within the context of Australia throughout the book covers. I used paper craft to symbolise childhood, tactility, and fragility for the design. This symbolism is extended by including the alcohol bottle, gun, and paint tube with figures that reflect each novel's violent and unsettling themes. The chosen colors, bluish gum tree green, orange, and yellow, reinforce the Australian landscape in The Novel series. Thus, these techniques created a cohesive graphic system.

FINAL OUTCOME

PROCESS

Brainstorm

Concept sketches

These concept sketches were based on the dark themes, contents, and symbolism of objects and characters of the book series. I restricted the colours: red, white, and black because of the unsettling themes of these books.

Iterative Image Development

I produced a variety of drafts ranging from changing medium, visual imagery, and typography as a result of feedback from my tutor and peers to suit the darker themes of the book series.

EXPERIMENTATION

I experimented with papercraft, abstract mark making, lines, and hand-generated type using ink. After experimenting with these mediums, I decided to include paper craft in my designs due to its strong relationship with childhood concerning the novels.

VISUAL RESEARCH

JESSICA LIANG 2022