TRUTH & BEAUTY D E S I G N 3 4 0 / B O O K C O V E R D E S I G N / S H AY N E S M I T H
IDEATION
PROJECT This project is to design three book covers that must establish a dynamic aesthetic that reveals the topic to the public and proves worthy of further inquiry. The use and integration of type and image will be a specific focus for this project. The solution must be appropriate for the respective topic and audience. Is the book captivating, intriguing and interesting enough to pick up? Is the design of the book cover truthful to the content? Thus, a book cover design must portray truth and beauty. I received three briefs of made-up books in which I needed to design a standard size hardcover jacket for. These books were titled Phobias Maximus, You Are What You Drive and Paying Backward.
PHOBIAS MAXIMUS BRIEF Phobias Maximus: Why Spiders and Snakes Make Us Squirm by Dr. Jane Frazier is about our human instinct to fear certain species of animals. The author draws on her combination of animal behavior and human psychology to explain why we hate certain members of the animal kingdom. She goes through animal groups such as amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles and pinpoints the most commonly feared creatures, dissecting the reason they produce a mild to intense phobia among people. Frazier reveals the connection to our common ancestry and points to the obvious in an engaging and intellectual journey. WORDLIST fear
ugly
mystery
amphibians
ancestory
scared
squirm
shock
birds
origin
surprised
disconnect
startled
fish
connection
hatred
bugs
phobia
invertebrates
psychology
dark
spiders
curious
mammals
internal
creepy
snakes
retreat
reptiles
conflict
PROJECT & PHOBIAS MAXIMUS BRIEF
03
IDEATION
IDEATION IDEA GROUP ONE: combination of animal behavior and human psychology - A combined image of a human face, skull, brain or eye with a spider or a snake. Personify our haterid of snakes and spiders within ourselves. Maybe use old psy chology/science diagrams or sculptures with indicated section of brain that makes us fear spiders or snakes. - Person with a snake or spider on their shoulder, head, f ace, or whole body. Possibly a circus or stunt worker covered in spiders or snakes. IDEA GROUP TWO: spiders - Close up image of the legs, an eye, fangs, or the hairy texture of the spider. Just enough to make us squirm. - A lone spider in a spotlight of an overall dark book cover; emphasis. - A spider within a dark background, if you look hard enough you will see the spider within the darkness. - Integrate spider web into the back cover or spine. IDEA GROUP THREE: snakes - A close up of a snake or the texture of its skin. Just enough to make us squirm. - A pile of snakes, sort of close up but that fill the whole cover. - A viper or cobra; a snake with large fangs.
PHOBIAS MAXIMUS IDEATION & IMAGE GATHERING
05
SEARCH
IMAGE CHOICES After gathering multiple spider imagery, I decided on two close up images photographed by Victor Napreyenko. I then edited these photos to enhance their look and create a flow of black to the spine of the book.
PHOBIAS MAXIMUS IMAGE GATHERING & CHOICES
07
PROGRESS
DESIGN PROGRESS The images shown on the next page are book jackets of the back cover on the left, spine in the middle, and front cover on the right. I first worked on the front cover to decide on how I was going to show the book title and author. I went with this sharp sans serif font for the main title that was white on a dark background (high contrast). To include the secondary title description, I put it in between “Phobias” and “Maximus” in a red shape that matched the sharp angle of in the letter “P”. I also brought this red shape to the back cover to include the price. Then I added the authors name on the front cover. Using this imagery really enhanced the mysteriousness and creepiness of the spider. In my initial ideation, I knew I wanted to do something that was a close up of a spider (or snake, but I went with a spider) to show some gross details of their figure that typically makes people uneasy. This mystery leads to the viewer of the book cover pick it up, wonder what it is, read the title and then realize what the image is of - an experience one would partake in when seeing a spider near you. To enhance to cover, I made a line art piece that represented a few things. (1) It represented the scientific/ psychological concept of the book, (2) it seemed like the scattered motion a person would take if they were squirming or panicking, (3) it looks like a spider web. I brought this line art to the back cover, that pointed at the eye of the spider. For the spine, I included the circles from the line art within the title to bring it all together. During the first critique, I was told it needed some tweaks like the color should be more scientific so I tried orange and blue.
PHOBIAS MAXIMUS DESIGN PROGRESS
09
PROGRESS
FINAL DESIGN Final book jacket design including inside flaps with author bio, credits, genre, price and summary.
PHOBIAS MAXIMUS FINAL DESIGN
11
IDEATION
YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRIVE BRIEF You Are What You Drive: How the Automobile in America Transcends Transportation by Glennis Mortenson is about how the cars we own has become a part of what we define ourselves and our social status. The car is far more than an opportunity to facilitate point A to point B necessities. During the twentieth-century, American auto owners have evolved and now include the car as an image that competes with fashion and adds to the status stockpile. Mortenson offers insight to how this transformation occurred from a sociological and advertising perspective. You may start to even see how the car you own reflects yourself. WORDLIST clean
status
transport
sleek
fashion
movement
slick
symbol
aerodynamic
shiny
define
compact
metallic
advertising
future
new
personify
technology
IDEATION IDEA GROUP ONE: advertising perspective - Show a close up of a really nice car; its shiny, metallic, sleek, clean exterior and/or interior. - Show a literal breakdown of how a modern car ad is put together, piece by piece and photoshopped into one solo car ad. Similar to how we see an unphotoshopped image of a model vs. photoshopped. IDEA GROUP TWO: car as a status symbol - Show a car that is absolutely ridiculous in how futuristic, sporty, slick, and expensive it is. A dream car for a billionaire. Completely unrealistic for the majority of the world to own. IDEA GROUP THREE: car as fashion - Show a car and a female runway model and how the car compliments her worn fashion. Both the car and the model will be high fashion and very expensive overall. - Car as literal fashion, show a car going down the runway or car parts worn by models. IDEA GROUP FOUR: you are what you drive - Inspiration from Ford’s Human Car commercial where humans together take form of a car, or from other car ads in fashion magazines. - People looking into a mirror with their reflection being a car. Like an old lady looking into a mirror and seeing a n old Volkswagen, a body builder seeing a Hummer, or a balding guy seeing a convertible.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRIVE BRIEF & IDEATION
13
SEARCH
IMAGE CHOICES From gathering images, I ended up finding a Honda TV commercial that fit the topic perfectly. The commercial showed a series of people that looked like cars as if they were a perfect match. Below are those images.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRIVE IMAGE GATHERING & CHOICES
15
PROGRESS
DESIGN PROGRESS For this book jacket design, I took the images from the Honda car commercial and put them in a grid on the home page of the book. I thought these images would draw someone into it if they saw it on a shelf and would take the time to view each one of them, realizing the people next to the cars match. These images play a somewhat literal interpretation of the title “You Are What You Drive” which is large on top of the images in yellow with a slight opacity. The secondary title and author are then put in the border of the grid. Then I took the bright yellow color from the text on the front cover and made that the background for the back cover and spine. On the back, I included one last pairing of person and car, this time it’s the same pairing as the last one on the front except the guy is smiling. This gives the back cover more light and almost a comedic feel. The yellow and black remind me, and the viewer, of bright yellow street signs or yellow lines you find on a road. During critique I was told that the thumbnails on the front cover should be switched to reveal car-person-personcar, that way the cars will be on either side of the title as a main focus, while still maintaining connection between each car and respective face. Also, the title needed to line up better with the image grid on the cover.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRIVE DESIGN PROGRESS
17
PROGRESS
FINAL DESIGN Final book jacket design including inside flaps with author bio, credits, genre, price and summary.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRIVE FINAL DESIGN
19
IDEATION
PAYING BACKWARD BRIEF Paying Backward: The Trend Toward Reverse Mortgages in America by Douglas McKindrey is a non-fiction about the way in which elders age 62+ can receive payments for their house and what that means. A reverse mortgage is a home loan that provides cash payments based on home equity. McKindrey takes a closer look at the growing number of reverse mortgages in America today. The author describes in detail all the misconceptions and advantages of drawing income from your larger source of equity. McKindrey shares insight into the tax code and pitfalls with family wills. The author has a lot of experience in mortgage advice, and has helped hundreds reach their financial goals. WORDLIST income
old
backward
nest
money
elderly
reverse
empty nest
cash
family
opposite
alone
payment
couple
direction
home
equity
retired
receive
golden egg
savings
rich
take
single
IDEATION IDEA GROUP ONE: drawing an income from a larger source of equity - House made of $50 or $100 dollar bills as an origami shape. - House turned into a cash register or a piggy bank. - House turned into a safe where money is inside. - Money pouring out of a home. - Roof made out of money. - Dollar bill wallpaper inside a home. - Money welcome mat at the front door. - Visually show with Monopoly money and a Monopoly house. IDEA GROUP TWO: older age, retired empty nesters - Picture of an older couple. - Empty nesters, retired couple not leaving the nest. Visually show as a bird nest made out of money. - Bird nest with a gold egg inside, represents that retired older couple living in their “nest� or home with a lot of money from their savings, retirement and reverse mortgage.
PAYING BACKWARD BRIEF & IDEATION
21
SEARCH
IMAGE CHOICES After gathering images, I picked two golden egg in a nest photos, one with a dramatic shadow that I could use in my front cover design, and the other a simple image for the back cover. I edited them slightly.
PAYING BACKWARDS IMAGE GATHERING & CHOICES
23
PROGRESS
DESIGN PROGRESS When designing this book jacket, I first worked on the front cover and picked a font that was classic, timeless, and bold just like the subject of the book. I continued the secondary title down in the direction of the shadow and added the authors name at the bottom. The back of the book and spine are left white, with a simple image of the golden egg in a nest on the back cover. During critique I was told that the golden egg in a nest was not needed on the back cover, but what was needed was an image with a house and money to provide clarity on the topic. Also, the shadow was said to be too dramatic for a light-hearted topic.
PAYING BACKWARDS DESIGN PROGRESS
25
PROGRESS
FINAL DESIGN Final book jacket design including inside flaps with author bio, credits, genre, price and summary.
PAYING BACKWARDS FINAL DESIGN
27