I personally found “Hack the Cover” very inspiring. The work that is shown throughout the article is incredible and takes into consideration many things that I hadn’t even thought of, such as the cover of “The Conference of the Birds” and the links the artist made between the cover and the reading. The continuation of a certain idea/design throughout an entire book is something that could translate to today’s readers because it is something that would show up in people’s iPads/nooks/whatever else they are using. Personally I prefer the physicality of a book and have yet to give in to the whole digital book phenomenon, however trying to understand this shift towards the digital is crucial for today’s artists whether they prefer print or digital. The Oliver Sacks book covers are an excellent example of book covers that have adapted to the digital world. Nowhere would anyone be able to display all six books side by side as they are meant to be viewed, but in the digital world this is very possible. These covers have clearly been made specifically for digital print and it is for this reason that they work so well. This being said, the shift towards simplicity is something that does not inspire me. Book covers such as the ones designed by the author as well as O’Reilly’s don’t call to me, they don’t inspire me. “Never judge a book by its cover” is something we shouldn’t consider when switching over to digital. Even though the book covers convey what the books will be about they are dull and lacking in my opinion. Yes, the author has pinpointed the qualities necessary for success (“iconographic, large typography, bold”) but their execution is lacking. Where are the covers of yesteryear? Images and color should be just as important as these qualities to make the books stand out.
“The Photo Book Will Rise Again” was a really short blog entry that really just gave information as to where to find photo books nowadays. It was neat to check out the different links provided in the entry, however I’m not sure I agree that the photo book is on the rise. I think photo books really do appeal to a very specific group of people and in that sense I don’t ever think they are going to become completely popular. In a way they have a cult following due to their prices and specific nature.