Book Cover Design - a reading response assignment.
The assignment:
What are the different ways of approaching image and type on a book cover design and what are the positive and negative aspects of each?
How do the front, spine, and back of a book cover relate and how do the approaches to image and type influence the concepts and treatment of each of part of the front, spine, and back?
My response
Book cover design is extremely important in that it not only is in direct competition to get a readers attention in a field of many other books in very close proximity, but it builds a continuing and lasting relationship with the reader each time he picks up the book and views the cover prior to reading it. Type and imagery should compliment each other and work together to create unity in the piece across the whole cover including the spine, back, and possible even across multiple books in a series.
The choice to design using only type may be considered in cases where there is not a budget for graphical elements, or for unique cases, such as the example on page 210 showing a solution to having a large amount of authors in an anthology book. However using only type can fail to connect to potential readers that may be attracted to visual elements in other design approaches. This is not to say the the type can't be made interesting and graphical in itself, but as with any choice, the choice must be made to create a solution.
More often the choice to design will include both image (graphical element) and type in some combination. Of this choice, there is still multiple approaches to creating a solution. Image-driven design may have the largest pull due to most people being attracted to interesting visuals. Visual elements can be used to convey the literal clues to the plot and or characters, or more abstract, the feelings and emotions of the story. When using this approach, there may be a temptation to give away "too much" of the story in the visual, sometimes this can be acceptable. But as the book says, you wouldn't want to give up the solution to a mystery in the visuals.
Other times the best solution is to use a design that employs a seamless integration of type and image in the design. An example that comes to mind is Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, in which the title is carved in a bar of soap. If the effect is done effectively, it creates a synergy that communicates cleanly.
Text-driven design can be used when the author is well known or the title is very strong or self descriptive. Visual elements are used to embellish or back up the use of text as the main graphical element. However the use of this approach wouldn't work in a situation where the title is ambiguous or the author is unknown releasing her first book.
RCTCRCTCGraphic+designGraphic+designschoolschoolclassclassassignmentassignmentreading+responsereading+responsebookbookcovercoverGunnarGunnarSoroosSoroosRochesterRochester
Thursday 11/13/2008 | 09:54 am
nksoni on Saturday 11/22/2008 | 03:51 am
I agree with your post, half the job is done if your book cover is appealing.
http://www.bookcoverdesigns.blogspot.com/
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