Concept & Series in Book Cover Design A series of books Yu-Hao Huang MA Book Design 2019-20 Department of Typography & Graphic Communication University of Reading
Brief Project objective The intention of this project is to select an existing book series or invent our own and propose the cover designs for a relaunch. To Develop at least 3 series design concepts and to explore its application across the series.
Project task • Developing a suitable and appealing series book cover for marketing. • To consider the requirements of identifying a series book according to the genre and market. • To understand how pictorial and typographic elements can be a key role in contributing to a series of book concepts. • To trial how to create different forms of imagery and text by different media. • To experiment with different materials and papers for the idea pf final physical books. • To understand the techniques of bookbinding and cover finishing.
Project scope and deliverables • Three front cover, back cover, and spine design
Discovery
Research
Discovery The goal of this project is to invent my own series of birds’ illustration books that collected different small-scale illustrations or drawing of garden birds, songbirds, and woodland birds from various designers. I used the title from books ‘Our Garden Birds’, ‘Our Songbirds’, and ‘Our Woodland Birds’, which drawn and written by Matt Sewell, as my series books’ title. I consider that birds are one of the most common animals which surround people every moment. Designing the recognisable and appealing front cover for birds’ books could be the starting point to raise the public’s awareness of birds.
Market The target market for birds’ illustration books can be the general public either children or adults. These books aim to identify birds’ characteristic and display the artworks from diverse creators, thus, they also can be collectible volumes for birdwatchers, bird lovers, ornithologists, and art books’ collectors.
Audience definition • Birdwatcher: a person who is interested in observing or identifying wild birds in nature. • Bird lovers (ornithophile): a person who loves or have a huge interesting in birds • Ornithologists: an ornithologist is someone who focuses on birds, especially their voice, flight patterns, the characteristic of appearance, and migration.
Below photo took at Foyles bookstore
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Discovery
Birds’ book research
I visited Foyles bookstore in order to discover various series of birds’ guide books by looking at typographic detail and the use of images. I realised that most guide book cover designs use the combination of animal photos and appropriate typography to communicate their content.
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Discovery
Birds’ book research
Except for exploring the existing birds’ guide book series styles, I also do some research with the focus on non-fiction bird books that expand my insight on how designers created the image through various techniques.
1. Shape and dynamic illustration 2. Linocut printing style 3. Paper layers effect 4. Symmetrical and repeated pattern 5. Monochrome woodcut printing bird 6. Drawing and mix with different materials
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Transformation
Mind map
Transformation In the first two weeks, I began drawing the mind map to organise relevant information. This helps me to understand the subject matter in general by visualising the hierarchical relationships among pieces of the whole. For instance, I explored the characteristics of birds and listed the ways in which I can manipulate this topic.
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Transformation
Graphics’ exercise
In the second week, we had a workshop with David Pearson and Fraser about how to create a graphic representation of the given genres by using the organising the cutting black paper. Because of the contrast, the use of black paper can show a direct and simple idea on the pure white background. Through the ongoing discussion with David and Fraser, we tried to feel the emotion of the simple graphics and think about what information they convey?
In the past, I tend to rely on designing the graphics in the software instead of creating it manually. This experience gave me a fresh view of how to create a series of books by organising diverse shapes at the same time.
The given genres 1. Speed 2. Humour 3. Suspense 4. Architecture 5. Volume 6. History
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Transformation
Sketching ideas
After understanding the related topics in general, I used this method to explore the potential shape. In this phase, the concept that reflects three books’ titles is binoculars, spotlight, the scene of looking at the garden from a window.
According to three rough ideas, I want to trial the way to combine them with the shape which looks like a bird. The quick sketching process allows me to draw the shape freely without focusing on the detail.
The given genres 1. Our woodland birds - binoculars 2. Our songbirds - spotlight 3. Our garden birds - the scene of looking at the garden from a window 1
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Grid creation
Considering how can the concepts of cover design be applied to every book in the same series, I decided to explore the fixed layout and grid first. Firstly, I followed the book size of ‘RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds’ which is 131mm x 190mm. The margin has been trialed several times in order to find the appropriate one. In this case, I decided to scale the format down proportionally into
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118mm x 171mm to create a margin. The central frame is created by linking different points, with 78mm x 114mm. I want to organise an image in this area. 1. Our garden birds 2. Our songbirds 3. Our woodland birds
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I like the idea of drawing visual imagery by aligning the central rectangle. This allows me to transform simple graphics I sketched from the last phase into a geometric pattern in a consistent and easy way. These three images can be a series of identities that convey the genre of birds’ books to the audience.
131mm
190mm
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Transformation
Colour and drawing experiment
I want to prevent these series of books might not convey the feelings related to birds because the images are outlined in straight lines. I continued with more focus on the pictorial detail drawing and colour choice. Combining the geometric shape and the real-life picture by drawing in colour pencil and make the decision that which image looks nicer and not weird.
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In order to explore colour, I used a simple way to create a small colour mood board. When experimenting with colours, I realised that the choice of colour cannot be too different from the original colour. For example, the blue or black colour garden. Browsers will lose a cue of basic cognition about birds, binoculars, microphones, and binoculars.
Transformation
Grid creation
The transformation from picture to final illustration
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Transformation
Scanning experiment
Before started to develop the layout, I scanned the illustration several times because I had not found the file which maintains the similar colour and material until scanning from Hobs printing store. This experience gives me a chance to explore the printing store located in Reading. I realised finding the high quality of scanned files at first can save a lot of time on colour adjustment.
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University library’s printer
Typography department’s printer
Jessops printing store
Hobs printing store
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Typography experiment
At the beginning of typesetting, I tried to make the interaction between the book's title and illustration. I used the typeface Imperija and Skia because of their elegant appearance. In order to understand how pictorial and typographic elements can works together as a cover image, I test various layout organisation.
The discussion with Fraser gave me a cue on stopped to over-design the cover. As the original illustration was already big enough, he suggested that font with the small size can have a sense of contrast and more impactful.
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Transformation
Background experiment
Same with the previous experiments, putting the material background behind the main illustration will only cause the cover more complex and chaotic.
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Transformation
Initial cover design
Continuing with typographic consideration, I chose typeface Adobe Jenson Pro as my title, author's name, and back cover text because I felt like it can contribute both the concept and the subject matter of bird and nature. It can work better and complement the illustrations with the size 9/10.5pt. Owing to the use of the illustration’s colour in the three books are strong, I did not put any colour or material in the digital version. I decided to print out by the cream colour
tactile paper to show the simple background and strengthen the main illustration by contrasting the pure colour. In the formative feedback, Fraser mentioned some issues about the typographic specifications. For instance, I should not use the hyphen in the background cover, the maximum use of dot in typography is three, and be aware of the typography justification.
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Transformation
Further development
A further development focusing on typographic handling in both the front and back cover. After the first submission, I realised there is no rule of typographic alignment for this series. I used to base on aligning the illustrations or even sometimes randomly. This unclear template could lead editors and designers unable to follow the instruction for designing the consistent series books. In addition, I experimented more with typography and type size. Due to the position of the main illustration is fixed, there are no too many ways to explore potential organisation. However, the
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various typeface testing brought me back to use the typeface Baskerville again. I considered that the original title size is too small for recognising. The bigger size of the Baskerville give the cover more elegant. Finally, except because the central drawing restricts layout development, either align-left or right text will make it more difficult on finding a good combination fo text and image. Hence, I altered the rule of aligning left to aligning centre.
Making
Bookbinding preparation
Making In order to make the book look like flying birds, I wanted to produce this series by linking stitch binding. The book not only can lay flat on the table, but the design of the spine allows readers to view the illustrations of each page by opening the book in 365 degrees.
The phase of choosing the right paper could be difficult because I chose to print the cover design on the paper which has the tactile surface. To test various printers, it is often encountered that the over rough paper and thick paper may absorb colours or printed in very different colors. Once in the while, the ink penetrates to the other side of the paper. Although this step is really time-consuming, this allows me to better understand the possible printing results of different types of paper and notice the significance of testing short grain and long grain direction before print.
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Making
Bookbinding
In the first submission, I went to the London Centre for Book Arts for doing link stitch binding. The initial plan is to bind the book in 256 pages (16 x 16sections). However, I realised my chosen paper for content pages redeem 100% recycle 80gsm is not thick enough to bind the book by stitching. I added the pages of the book to 512 so that the finishing book more stable. Here point out the original consideration of the paperweight for inside pages is totally wrong. I have to consider the paper thickness and expect how thick it would be if the paper was printed in colour.
Bookbinding specification: • Book cover: Bakri Avorio 250gsm • Inside pages: Redeem 100% recycle 80gsm • The use of thread: 15 metres of 100% linen thread
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Making
Bookbinding concept
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Making
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Bookbinding concept
Making
Bookbinding concept
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Making
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Final book cover design
Making
Final book cover design
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Making
Specification
Typeface choice: The type for the title should be set in the typeface regular Baskerville with the size of 30pt. The author's name can be set in serif italic which designers think is appropriate. Only can use regular Jenson for paragraphs.
Back cover text Adobe Jenson Pro 16/19pt, Regular
Price and address Adobe Jenson Pro 10/11.5pt, Light
Designer’s name 8pt, Light
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Typesetting: Any text in front and back cover should align the central frame or margin, and always stay at the status of aligning the middle. Bird’s shape: By applying to the method of dot to dot, the geometry of the bird can be created. It is free to link different potential dots and lines to explore new shapes. Only the position of the illustration should maintain in or rely on the central frame.
Making
Specification
Colour decision: To use colour pencil’s brand Faber-Castell 72 colours for colouring. The range of colour should not be too different from the original object. For example, a garden should not be drawn in gray or yellow colour. On the other hand, in order to create the gradient and shadow, here will illustrate several similar colours.
Paper stock and Bookbinding: The front and back cover should select the cream colour and tactile paper. For the inside pages' paper stock, to choose the recycling paper ( around 110gsm, long-grain).
Title Baskerville 30pt, Regular
Description Adobe Jenson Pro 10/11.5pt, Regular
Author’s name Monarcha 14pt, Italic
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