London Book Fair

When I visited the London book fair, I noticed that books with "special features" where certainly gaining in popularity. Though the books I viewed were aimed at a younger audience than my teenage and adult target audience, there was still a definite presence of making use of the physical aspects of the book. This involved texture, flaps, sound and more.
It was interesting to view these leading books and note on their physical aspects. It proved to me that designers are more likely to be experimenting with making the physical book more interesting and playful.

Another Waterstone's Visit

During another trip to Waterstones, I noticed that there seemed to be more 'luxury' books than ever. For I found numerous hard-backed, special-edition book covers (some examples seen above) when browsing the store. In interviewing numerous graphic designers and illustrators, I found that many of them had explained that they thought the physical book was beginning to be seen as a more special and treasured thing, which is made obvious through new styles of book covers, and I think that this definitely confirms that theory.

The physical book is becoming more special and treasured, like a collector's item. With the rise of ebooks, I think that designers are trying to think of new ways about what would make a person now buy the physical copy and this is the working solution they have came up with. In this case, I actually think this could be a great step forward in design, for book covers are now being treated with the utmost care to make sure that they are beautiful and wanted. As a result, more aesthetically-pleasing book covers are being produced and a number of techniques (such as experimentation with textures etc.) explored to highlight their physicality and increase their beauty.

In my interview with him, Joe McLaren, I think, called it perfectly: "Around half of the commissions I receive for book cover design now are for 'luxury hardback' editions of previously published books. Typically these will be bought as gifts, or by people who have a great fondness for the book in question and want to dignify it with a special purchase. Those commissions tend to revel in textures, materials and processes associated with 'traditional' book design- foil printing, registers, belly-bands etc;  all of which fetishise the book as an object, and none of which really serve the content in a physical way."

Interview with Richie Stewart

Richie Stewart is a graphic designer, who has designed a number of book covers. You can see my previous blog post for more information.

1: Due to the recent rise in digital publishing do you think the physical book is losing popularity? 

Maybe not in popularity but I think it's far more difficult now for publishing companies to get a legit budget to design and produce a physical book.  

2: Does this affect your design process? Influence your approach to designing the physical book? 

For sure. There are far more variables in the making of a physical book. There is an entire world of print processes and production techniques that can be explored. Where as in the digital format, it's really just a rectangular JPG of the design. 

3: Would you find the front cover of a digital book more limiting to design for?

I think when you have the ability to work in three dimensions it opens up far more options in terms of concept and design choices. So yes, I think a digital book is more limiting but that's not necessarily a bad thing. 

4: Would you take advantage of a book's physicality in your design? 

Absolutely 100%. 

5: How do you use your design to interest the modern audience in a classic book?  

Concept is always going to win. If you have a smart idea and execute it well, people will be attracted to it. 

6: Do you think that interactive book designs are most suited toward a younger audience? Could they still interest adults? 

 I think it attracts people of all ages. Maybe younger people that grew up with books being in digital format would find it more second nature. I think it just comes down to personal preference. 

7: Matte vs. gloss? 

Matte, always.

8: On a whole, do you prefer reading ebooks or the physical copy of a book?

Physical, absolutely.

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Interview with David Wyatt

David Wyatt is an illustrator, who has done a number of work for books. I found his work Illusionology for Templar's 'Ology' series (see previous blog post) fitting for my research.

1: Due to the recent rise in digital publishing do you think the physical book is losing popularity?
 

I'm led to believe that books in their physical state are selling less, but e-books have filled the hole. As long as people are reading just as much, I'm not really concerned too much as to how the words are delivered to them. My only worry would be if the physical book became a bit of a dinosaur and the market dictated that they would no longer be commercially viable. At the moment, it's good to have the choice. I find novels are perfectly good to read on a Kindle (for example), but books with illustrations really suffer on a digital device.

2: Does this affect your design process? Influence your approach to designing the physical book?

3: Would you find the front cover of a digital book more limiting to design for?

 

 At the moment I still design covers with physical books in mind. I have yet to design one specifically for a digital edition. But I have noticed the digital revolution has affected the way covers are presented. Very often a customer's first contact with a book is via a website; images are displayed quite small and as a consequence there is pressure to make the design quite punchy (high contrast, heightened colours, a general lack of subtlety). This makes covers look good on a web browser, but not so good on a hard copy.

4: Would you always like to take advantage of a book's physicality in your design?

 

I do find it particularly satisfying designing covers that don't just have an image slapped on - I like to think of a book as a precious, crafted object. My favourite projects are the ones where I get to design the typography, suggest print effects, etc. Illusionology is a good example of that. We threw every production technique at that one - embossing, foiling, the latest 3D lenticular technology - it's a lovely looking book and very tactile. Hopefully all the print finishing tricks helped create an atmosphere - they weren't just used gratuitously (in my opinion!)

5: How do you use your design to interest the modern audience in a classic book? If you had to design for one. 

I suppose I can't help but bring a modern feel to a Classic book, due to all the influences around me. I like to keep one foot in the past as a lot of my favourite artists came from a different era, but I've never been interested in recreating their style (even though I frequently borrow things from them). It's more about translating their sensibilities into the current age.

6: Do you think that interactive book designs are most suited toward a younger audience? Could they still interest adults?

 

I'm not an expert in this, so I can't answer with any great conviction. I have seen a few interactive storybooks on friend's iPads; only a few seem to genuinely work for me. I do think there is a lot of possibility there; the problem for me is that it involves a lot of different disciplines (programming, animation, etc.) so ideally you would need a lot of technical knowledge before you could realise a good idea. They are definitely great fun for kids - I'm not sure how you could do a similar thing for an adult audience; I suppose you'd have to invent an entirely new genre. I'm sure it will happen one day...

 

7: Matte vs. gloss? 

 

Matte covers always look good; often some spot varnishing on the design really brings the image to life. The problem is you have to alter your palette a bit as matte laminates tend to drain out the colours. Gloss is good if you want some really 'in your face' colours.

 

8: On a whole, do you prefer reading ebooks or the physical copy of a book?

Going back to the first answer, I'm a Kindle convert, but I find it impossible to enjoy illustrated books on a screen (or comics). Originally I bought my Kindle so I could see how Larklight (a series of heavily illustrated books I did with Philip Reeve) looked converted to digital - it was a bit of a disaster. There was nothing wrong with the quality of the illustrations having been pixelized - the problem was they didn't sit with the words properly. The book was designed so the text and pictures worked closely together - that went out the window on the e-book version, unfortunately.

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It was interesting to receive the opinion of someone who has designed a lot of illustrations for books, both as covers and as interiors. I found that he touched on something very true when he said that he did not think illustrations transferred as well on a kindle and were much more impressive as a physical copy. He also said that because you would see the front cover as a small image on a website, designers were having to make their covers more vivid and less subtle, which perhaps did not look as good on a physical copy. It must be difficult to reach the right balance.

Interview with Chris Wharton

Chris Wharton is a freelance illustrator and designer who is based in London. I was interested in interviewing him after my previous blog post and he was nice enough to reply.

1: Due to the recent rise in digital publishing do you think the physical book is losing popularity?

No. Although ebooks are lightweight, many volumed, legible in low light  and fantastic prop to pose with on public transport I think there will always be a place for good old ink and paper. Personally I would never use or own an ebook. I spend 80% of my day staring at at computer screen and the thought of relaxing in front of one makes my eyes feel like sand paper (more so). I think ebooks have opened up the world of reading to a wider audience and reading as a past time has only increased in years but I think essentially we are tactile creatures that like to hold, feel, sniff and run our eyes over the real McCoy. Plus theres a whole market of limited edition books and signed copies that will never die out.

2: Does this affect your design process? Influence your approach to designing the physical book?

I've never designed for an ebook, nor read one so I'm probably not the best person to ask this. However I will speculate that when designing for the physical book you can naturally play with its dimensions; wrap around designs, die cut parts, embossing and various bells and whistles that bring a cover to life and invite the on-looker to participate and investigate the cover further, which is essentially the whole point of having a cover.

3: Would you find the front cover of a digital book more limiting to design for?

I don't know, do they semi-animate ebook covers or anything fancy? I guess that would be the counter argument to the one above. You're limited by physical dimension but abundant in effects and motion in the ebook.

4: Would you take advantage of a book's physicality in your design?

If the design physicality lent itself to the content of the book or was a relevant exaggeration or elaboration I think its natural to play with the dimensions. I hate to use myself as an example but, if you look at some of the Hemingway covers I mocked up some of those make full use of the play and relationship between the front and back covers. the Bulls head peeking on to the front page from the back, when you turn to the back you can see the enormity of the bull and the exaggeration of fear and danger that the book tells of. By delaying the on-lookers reading of the illustration you can conjure different ideas or effects. 
Naturally other effects convey different concepts - embossing and gold foiling speak of quality and opulence, die cutting usually has some device relating to revealing or conducting the eye in a particular manner.

5: How do you use your design to interest the modern audience in a classic book? For example, your Ernest Hemingway series. 

I think stylistically the Hemingway series was well received with a touch of fluke. I think theres a renaissance of 50's style illustration-minimal illustrations which manage to maintain a sense of personality. The book being authored by a post-war writer it naturally lent itself to this style which happens to be in vogue. But in general, I think there are myriad ways of illustrating classic themes with contemporary styles. If you take a look at the Penguin 'deluxe edition' series its a collection of well known illustrators invited to illustrate the cover of their favourite books, its amazing you have Chris Ware drawing Voltaire, Tom Gauld with the Three Musketeers, Charles Burns drawing the Jungle and Jason with Jack Kerouac. These are all illustrators with very distinct styles drawing subjects from through out history. I suppose as long as your draw something convincing and engaging people will respond to it.

6: Do you think that interactive book designs are most suited toward a younger audience? Could they still interest adults?

I think it would be easy to assume that, but I was walking along the south bank yesterday and on the tube and tonnes of old(er) people are getting to grips with technology. and if you think about it you can magnify the page, read in the dark and they're light and portable, which is ideal for the older generation. So bearing this in mind its only a matter of time before interaction is just another aspect that they get to grips with too. Also this divide between old and young with technology is only a divide at present, as this young generation grows older and in the next 40- 50 years there won't be a single person that wasn;t born using a computer and all the inherent toys within.

7: Matte vs. gloss?

I make pretty pictures and then the publishers tweak and play with the results. But personally - matte.

9: On a whole, do you prefer reading ebooks or the physical copy of a book?

I think I've only ever read maybe two books online and this was only out of necessity (I was on holiday and ran out of things to read), it wasn't a terrible experience but neither was it as relaxing or as enjoyable as reclining with an actual book. I'll always prefer the hard copy.

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Chris Wharton's responses were very interesting to consider. He touched on what I had learned from my research; how ebooks are making books and reading more popular, but there is still a market who prefer physical copies. He also noted that there were different methods available to the designer when producing artwork for the physical copy.

Interview with Mick Brownfield

Mick Brownfield is an illustrator who works in advertising, editorial design and publishing. His work and visual language is inspired by comics. I was interested in interviewing him mainly because of the work he did for Vintage Books (seen in my previous blog post).

1: Due to the recent rise in digital publishing do you think the physical book is losing popularity?

I'm afraid so.

2: Does this affect your design process? Influence your approach to designing the physical book?

No.

3: Would you find the front cover of a digital book more limiting to design for?

Yes.

4: Would you take advantage of a book's physicality in your design?

If suitable.

5: How do you use your design to interest the modern audience in a classic book?

Either bring it up to date, or emphasise the period feel.

6: Do you think that interactive book designs are most suited toward a younger audience? Could they still interest adults?

Yes and No.

7: Matte vs. gloss?

Matt always.

8: What was the process of designing a book that is 3D?

It was all done in B/W layers. I pretended I understood the technique but I'm not sure I did.

9: On a whole, do you prefer reading ebooks or the physical copy of a book?

Physical, but ebooks can be useful on holiday or while travelling. Also they are cheaper and immediate. A real book can be compared to a vinyl album as opposed to a CD

or download.

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Though Mick's answers were short and sweet, I still found his insight helpful. I really liked the idea behind his last comment - "A real book can be compared to a vinyl album as opposed to a CD

or download" - and my research seems to confirm with his theory. People are starting to look at physical books as though they are for a special occasion, which is being reflected in their new designs.

Current Research Overview

In my research so far, I have discovered more than I thought possible in terms of making the most of the physical copy of a book. I had no idea that so many designers were exploring this method already and therefore the results of my research have been very encouraging.

In terms of primary research, illustrators and designers tend to have both good and bad things to say about ebooks. Many designers thrilled that the digital book is getting more people into reading, while they also say that ebooks are not necessarily limiting to design for. One of the most interesting comments I received came from Joe McLaren, who said, “Any limitations imposed by digital books will be outweighed by new freedoms and possibilities. I'm already having to engage with briefs that demand illustrations that move slightly, almost unnoticed. Imagine reading a horror story on an iPad late at night, and suddenly the curtain in a small illustration which you've barely looked at for the last three minutes flutters in the wind quite unexpectedly- wonderful stuff!”

However, I can't help but feel like there is more to play with in terms of the physical book and I certainly think my research backs this up. I have discovered books that come with 3D glasses, that come with stickers so that you can create your own cover, book covers that glow in the dark, books that are foiled and embossed, books (such as Jim Tierney's Jules Verne’s series and the Ology series) that can be touched and played with, books that come with decorative slip jackets and book designs that further the story by using their physicality.

When walking into a bookstore, I have noticed that so many graphic designers are employing these techniques when redesigning older books. For example, see my blog posts about the Planet of the Apes redesign, about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy redesign etc. It seems that designers are trying to make these books appeal to a modern audience and trying to find new fans for the books. And they do this by creating something so unique. For example, in terms of the former book, by introducing 3D glasses and for the latter, including stickers. This is something I have considered, for I plan to focus my redesign on the gothic genre, most of which are old, classic books.

In fact, to further my research I plan to look at successful book jackets designed for gothic stories, even if they do not make the most of the book's physicality. I would also like to visit a book shop again and take a lot at new designs and what appears to be popular. Not only that, but I would like to interview more designers and ask their opinions about such matters.

Interview with Jim Kay

Jim Kay is an illustrator who has produced wonderful mainly black-and-white designs for children's books, such as The Monster Calls. 

1: Due to the recent rise in digital publishing do you think the physical book is losing popularity?

Not in children's books. We talk about this a lot. Oddly it seems to make publishers far more aware of what makes a physical book appealing, and they have been pushing some books down the tactile route with some higher production value books. So for example, look at what Templar is doing with its 'Ology' series, which are books very much celebrating the nineteenth century compendiums, using hardback boards, with foils, spot varnishes, jewel encrusted covers and a high illustrations to text ratio. Also a number or publishers have released sort of 'collectors items' books, so high production, expensive retellings of classic stories (again, Templar are masters at this, see Dracula). At the same time these publishers have been using multimedia to promote and augment these books. Templar again provide good examples, the Ology series has a strong online commitment, and the books themselves have been quite groundbreaking in using 'augmented reality' software (see Dragonology). A Monster Calls was very much designed as a physical object, but was promoted online using animated commercials.

2: How does this affect your design? Does it influence your approach to designing the physical book?

It does effect your design, because it is instrumental in your efforts to do the text justice. You want to complement the story to the best of your abilities in the format you are commissioned to illustrate in. You have to get a handle on the format before you can start, as you need to know the limitations of the mechanics of the book, and of the printing methods being employed.

3: Would you find the front cover of a digital book more limiting to design for?

Not really, in fact there would be far fewer problems because a digital book is backlit, and this would do my darker illustrations far more justice than the printed versions. A Monster Calls has been a bit of a headache for a number of publishers, getting the dark tones correct. I get a bit peeved when publishers see a dark illustration and immediately turn up the contrast so they can see everything....some things aren't meant to be seen!

4: In contrast to the digital copy, a book is 3D. Do you use this to your advantage in your design?

Yes, there is definitely a conscious decision about the design of a tactile object. The art director is hugely important at this stage. A lot of A Monster Calls design and appearance is down to Ben Norland, who is a brilliant art director.

5: Are you interested in the Gothic genre of literature? Is it an interesting genre to design for?

I suffer from bipolar disorder, which has been life changing, and looking back I think it made me search for stories that addressed the darker aspects of the human condition. The gothic genre is quite a broad spectrum, but certainly I'd say many of my favourite yarns, films, music, artworks would fall within its shades. It was mostly because I felt that the cheerful boys adventure stories just had no connection to my experiences. Same with music, I tend to gravitate to things that deal  with the darker, grubbier side of the human condition. I hated most of the pop music my friends listened to in the sixth form. As someone once sang "It says nothing to me about my life".

6: Do you think your individual techniques and the medium you use compliment the Gothic genre?

I tend to change technique to fit the brief....believe me I have done some pretty saccharine stuff before for people like mothercare. I do however, tend to think in black and white, which helps. I think it's all about what you don't see, than what you do. If you look at Ridley Scott's first Alien film, you hardly see the alien, which makes it more frightening than the later versions when they are fully rendered in CG. When I was young I was really influenced by the artist Ian Miller, who you should check out, he's now a good friend of mine. I was also influenced by the Czech animator Jan Svankmajer, in particular his film Alice, which is amazing

7: How do you transfer your hand-drawn illustrations to a graphical format? Do you think any effect is lost through this?

Do you mean how do I go from drawing board to screen? Well scanning, and yes, you inevitably lose something. 

8: Do you have an agent who helps you find work for book design?

Yes, she is amazing. More importantly she has become a good friend and hugely supportive, which is vital for a business that can be very solitary. Her name is Alison Eldred, she is extremely well connected as she used to run Arena. She is sort of semi retired now.

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I pleased I decided to interview Jim Kay - not only because he was friendly and helpful and provided some great insight - but also because it was interesting to see the perspective of a children's book designer.  I found it particularly interesting to find out that the colours of a digital book would actually compliment Kay's design more. However, he did mention the same thing that Joe McLaren did: "Oddly it seems to make publishers far more aware of what makes a physical book appealing, and they have been pushing some books down the tactile route with some higher production value books."

Interview with Joe McLaren

One of my all-time favourite illustrators, Joe McLaren, has designed book covers for Hodder Headline and Portobello, while he also produces handmade picture books. He has designed for a range of gothic classics, including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and his unique, colour-constrasting designs immediately caught my eye when browsing a bookstore. 

 

I got in touch with him through email and he was nice enough to reply, to which I was very excited.

 

1: Due to the recent rise in digital publishing do you think the physical book is losing popularity?

In a way, that's probably true, but I'd rephrase it. I think it isn't losing popularity as much as it's losing proliferation. There will, inevitably, be fewer physical books around in the future, but that will mean that the ones that are produced will be more highly prized. The same is true of the horse- there were far more horses around 100 years ago; it was the only way to move stuff around. There are now far fewer horses, but those that are about are kept in relative luxury and highly prized as expensive, desirable commodities. The book, like the horse and the Polaroid camera will find a new, more select audience more interested in essence than utility.

2: How does this affect your design? Does it influence your approach to designing the physical book?

Around half of the commissions I receive for book cover design now are for 'luxury hardback' editions of previously published books. Typically these will be bought as gifts, or by people who have a great fondness for the book in question and want to dignify it with a special purchase. Those commissions tend to revel in textures, materials and processes associated with 'traditional' book design- foil printing, registers, belly-bands etc;  all of which fetishise the book as an object, and none of which really serve the content in a physical way. This suits me- I resonate with tradition, and find that it often gives the greatest scope for playfulness in a subtle way. I also understand the concept of wanting to house a precious book in a precious case. That said, I reacted with initial hostility to the appearance of the eBook- I have a house full of thousands of books, and I suppose I felt in some way that I had an emotional investment in physical literature that I didn't want to see threatened, but that's nonsense. Ebooks are here to stay, and for the most part, that's an excellent thing. More people will read more things, and people can self-publish with far less difficulty and financial risk, which I think is a fine thing. It may mean that book illustration as an industry wanes, but then it always has waned and waxed- for hundreds of years.

3: Would you find digital books more limiting to design for?

Yes, and that's fine. It's a mistake to think of limitations on design as a bad thing. My creativity is always excited most by a very restrictive brief. An 'L' shaped illustration for an article about incontinence that needs to be both amusing and sympathetic, and needs to go to print at 3pm today is a far more demanding and exciting brief to me than an illustration about 'love' with no direction that can be done any time before Christmas. Where would you start? On the other hand, any limitations imposed by digital books will be outweighed by new freedoms and possibilities. I'm already having to engage with briefs that demand illustrations that move slightly, almost unnoticed. Imagine reading a horror story on an iPad late at night, and suddenly the curtain in a small illustration which you've barely looked at for the last three minutes flutters in the wind quite unexpectedly- wonderful stuff!

4: In contrast to the digital copy, a book is 3D. Do you use this to your advantage in your design?

It's always a consideration- particularly in the field of luxury hardbacks. If you want customers to choose such a book over an eBook, then you need to play up all the things which an eBook can't offer- the paper needs to smell good, the cover  can  be debossed and foiled, it should crack open satisfyingly when you first open it. Having said that, I think a Kindle is an equally nourishing thing aesthetically.

5: Are you interested in the gothic genre of literature? Do you find it an interesting genre to design for?

It certainly chimes with my personal tastes- I have a great appetite for horror and anything Victorian in particular. In a way it can be very difficult to illustrate for something you already feel very attached to. I'm currently illustrating covers for a series of fantasy books I've loved since childhood and it's tremendously difficult to actually make decisions and self-edit with material that feels so close to you, in much the same way that it's easier to draw a caricature of your teacher than of yourself- you've lost the necessary objectivity needed to simplify the information.

6: Do you think your individual techniques and the medium you use compliment the Gothic genre?

I often play with imagery and techniques which reference the past, and I often use techniques which necessarily produce stark contrast of light and darkness- all of which finds sympathy in Gothic literature I suppose.

7: How do you transfer your illustrations to a graphical format? Do you think any effect is lost through this?

I always start a piece of work with the final product in mind. Drawings and other physical artwork do lose something when scanned into a computer, but they gain something new at the other end of the process. I typically use scraperboard, which gives high contrast and very clear lines. Digitising the image actually serves to improve those qualities. There is something more intangible lost when you make a physical object into a digital file, but illustration is concerned with communication and the image itself, not the preciousness of the original- that's a concept that belongs to fine art.

8: Does designing a cover for a classic book have its drawbacks?

You have a set of presumptions to counter, but the advantages outweigh this- you can be more oblique and playful with a book everyone thinks they know.

9: How do you use your design to interest the modern audience in a classic book?

The challenge is to interpret something very familiar and established for an audience who is familiar with it. I try and find some aspect of the atmosphere of the book, and hint at the story obliquely, which flatters a certain audience I think.

10: Do you always read the book you're designing for?

Yes, whenever the manuscript is available. Very occasionally the book is unfinished when I create the cover. I usually find an unabridged audiobook, which means I can get through it while running or washing up. I also use a computer programme which converts PDF manuscripts into audiobooks. These sound a bit robotic as you might imagine, but I simply wouldn't have time to get through every book for every cover otherwise. I would hate to be an author and to think that the person who is going to represent my life's work to the customer hasn't even bothered to read it himself.

11: Do you have an agent who helps you find work for book design?

No, not at the moment. I get work through word of mouth, and from people who have seen other covers I have done.

12: Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre are a very famous stories. Did you find it difficult to break the expectations people could have of these books and how their design should look? How did this affect your design?

Other than bearing in mind that the audience will have a level of familiarity with the title, if not the story, I find it best to treat illustrating them like any other book. Trying to respond in some way to hundreds of years of established ideas about those books would be impossible- better to ignore it, and hope that works!

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I have highlighted sections that deal particularly with the physical book and the ebook. I found Joe McLaren's insight extremely interesting. He made it clear that, to make the most of the physical book, designers should revel in textures: "foil printing, registers, belly-bands etc;  all of which fetishise the book as an object, and none of which really serve the content in a physical way", while he also said that ebooks were not necessarily a bad thing, as they encourage more people to read. 

A Talk With Jane Ray

I attended a talk in which author and illustrator, Jane Ray, spoke of her practice, interests and typical working day.

Jane was particularly interested in mythology, patterns and colour. Her work appears intricate and decorative, while she works in the medium of paint and sometimes collage.

As an illustrator and author, I was especially interested in what she would make of the physical vs. digital argument. When asked, she started off by saying that she thought ebooks were “amazing”. She liked how the book covers glow on the ebook screen and how they now can be seen as a coloured image too.

When asked if ebooks affect the way she produces her work, she said no and explained that she does not work on the computer. Her media would not be affected by the ebook; she would work in exactly the same fashion, using paints and sometimes collage. 

She went on to say that she thought ebooks were “fascinating” and that she did not think they presented a threat to the physical book. She said that people will begin to see the physical copy of the book as perhaps more beautiful, as people value print, and perhaps that will also make the sales of the physical copy rise.

She finished the question by saying that she thought the two “could exist happily together”.

Waterstones Experiment

I decided to try an experiment, regarding what type of book cover attracts a person.

To start, three other friends and I went to Waterstones book shop. I told the three to browse the shelves, pick up books to have a closer look if they wanted to and to select two books which ultimately caught their interest. I also told them to not be distracted by author or genre – this experiment was on the book cover alone.

My Choice

As we set off to browse the shelves, I found two book covers that I appreciated.

The first book was The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom. I could find no indication to who the illustrator was. Inside the book it only said, Typeset by Birdy Book Design. 

What I liked about the design was the sweep of the road, which halves the page in the most attractive way. It gives the eye something to look at. By following the line of the road, you are first drawn to the title and the illustration of the car. Next you follow the road to see the author's name and the blue background. You follow the road to the top of the book and then you have to open it – to see what happens next. The colours are minimal – blue, black and yellow has been used – and I found them immediately attractive and complimentary to each other. 

The next book that caught my eye was Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. This has been designed by Mick Brownfield. 

What attracted me to this book was that it is 3D! 3D glasses are even included inside. See my next post for more information on this book cover.

Kirstine's Choice

My friends had also selected their two books. Kirstine made the fastest selection. She is twenty-two and an English Literature student. The books she selected were Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth and Book of Ghost Stories by Roald Dahl.

I was pleased to see that Kirstine had selected two very similar books... both with a yellow and black colour theme. When I pointed this out, she was surprised to note that this was true; she had not been aware of her decision. Yellow and black are colours often combined, especially when it comes to warning signs. Therefore, it is likely that they continue to stand out to us, even when on book covers.

Kirstine explained that she chose the books because she liked their simplicity (this simplicity perhaps because their minimal colour scheme), while she also liked the silhouette seen on Bitter Greens. With paper-cuts growing in popularity, there seems to be more silhouetted images coming into existence. I personally love the bold look that they accomplish.

Zoe's Choice

Next, was Zoe, who is twenty-eight and studying Graphic Design and Illustration. I had therefore expected her to go for a more design-orientated cover, which she did. Her selections were Wild Abandon by Joe Dunthorne and Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

Wild Abandon contained strong typography, which immediately catches the eye. The combination of bright colours – purple, yellow and red – on a plain white background is also striking. 

With Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Zoe admitted to be attracted to geometric shapes, which this book certainly makes use of. It was interesting to see this selection of Zoe's, for Kirstine said that she did not like this cover, as it made her feel dizzy. Nonetheless, it was certainly a cover that stood out to anyone passing by, which seems to be half the battle in bookshops. 

Alyson's Choice

Alyson, another English literature student, 20 years old, selected He Lover of Death by Boris Akunin and Adam Roberts: Short Stories by – you guessed it - Adam Roberts.

He Lover of Death was another example of only a few bold colours being used. This book cover uses red, white and black, a well-used combination that never fails to attract attention. The decoration frame around the book also draws the viewer immediately into the title and image. Alyson said that she liked the gothic feel to this book cover.

Her next selection had a very vintage appearance, reminiscence of old sci-fi movie posters. Alyson said she liked the cartoon style of this cover, perhaps expressed in the spiky speech bubble that displays the text, “Short Stories”. 

 

I really enjoyed doing this “experiment”. A few things I noticed were:

- It seems that the combination of only a few bold colours is very appealing to the viewer. ALL of us chose one book that contained only two or three strong colours.

- Simplicity of image was another occurring feature.

- All of us picked books that were either from shelves or displayed on stands. The problem with having a book on a shelf is that the viewer can only see the spine. Therefore, the spine should also remain a selling tool. 

Interview with Jim Tierney

I contacted Jim Tierney, designer of the Jules Verne series (see previous post), with a number of questions and he was nice enough to get back to me with some answers.

1: Due to the recent rise in digital publishing do you think the physical book is losing popularity? 
Apparently not. I've read some studies that even though ebooks have risen in sales, so have physical books, so books in general are becoming more popular, which is great. I think eventually the market will settle, and if anything, paperback books will just print fewer copies, since the people who usually wait for the paperback are the ones who have moved to digital readers. The hardcover audience is still buying physical books at almost the same rate.


2: How does this affect your design? Does it influence your approach to designing the physical book?
Ebooks to not effect our design at all, really. The principals are the same: a rectangle with words and pictures.
The only think that effects book design is online selling. Since both physical and ebooks are sold so prominently online, publishers are now aware that a book has to look good at thumbnail size so they are pushing designers to start using larger type, and bolder graphics.


3: Would you find digital books more limiting to design for? 
No, not really. Since every book is sold online just as much as in book stores, publishers want the cover to look just as good either way.


4: In contrast to the digital copy, a book is 3D. Do you use this to your advantage in your 
design?
Sometimes. If a book is expected to sell a lot of copies, we may emboss the cover, or use a spot gloss or some other texture on the paper. But the design itself isn't really effected by that.


5: Are you interested in the gothic genre of literature? Would you find it an interesting genre to design for? 
I haven't really read or designed any gothic literature, but if a job came up I think it would be fun to try. Designers don't get to pick the books they work on, but If I wanted to work on a certain type of book, I would probably contact an art director at an imprint that specialized in that genre.


6: Do you think your individual techniques and the medium you use would compliment the Gothic genre?
I guess so. I like doing symmetrical decorations and decorative lettering, so I would probably be fun to try it out.


7: How do you transfer your illustrations to a graphical format? Do you think any effect is lost through this? 
These days I just draw with ink and pencil onto tracing paper and scan it in. Then I color the black shapes and layer them into the final file. Sometimes I even just draw directly into photoshop with my Cintiq monitor. For quick and graphic images I usually just use the cintiq, but when I want a very hand-drawn quality with textures and little mistakes, I usually scan in real drawings.


8: Does designing a cover for a classic book have its drawbacks? 
The only "classic books" I've ever designed are a series of Arthur Miller plays. I don't think there are any drawbacks, though. In fact, classic books are much easier to design. Since these stories are already ingrained in the culture, they don't rely on their cover to hook a person's interest as much as modern books to.


9: How do you use your design to interest the modern audience in a classic book? 
Mostly hand-lettering, or more bold graphic approaches. Usually anything but a painting.


10: Do you always read the book you're designing for? 
Not always. For instance, if I am assigned a book about stay-at-home dads or the Battle of Bunker Hill, I probably don't need to read every chapter in order to get the gist of what the book is about. Fiction is different, since the story is what matters, so I usually read the novels.


11: Do you have an agent who helps you find work for book design?
No, but sometimes art directors will recommend me to other art directors.


12: Journey to the center of the earth and the other Jules Verne books you have designed for are very famous stories. Did you find it difficult to break the expectations people could have of the book and how it should be illustrated? How did this affect your design? 

Like I said, since most people already know the gist of the story, that frees up the design process a bit. The real challenge was finding a design for each one that would work in a multi-layered construction. I did a lot of sketches and mock-ups before I was able to make all 4 ideas work.

My thoughts

I found this interview particularly interesting, for Tierney seemed to have no problems with the ebook and even said that to design in that format was not restricting for him. I admit, I was hoping to hear (after looking at how interactive his book designs for Jules Verne were) that there was room to experiment more with the physical copy. However, Tierney seems to be able to adapt to whatever format he has to design for.

Like Tierney, I don't think that the ebook is a particularly bad thing. I even own a kindle myself. However, I do prefer the physical book. I often find myself purchasing the physical copy of a book that I love, or a book by an author that I love, even if the digital copy is cheaper. I save purchasing books on my kindle for a book or author I have never read before, one that I'm not sure I would ever read again. I'm not sure why exactly this is. I think it may be that the physical copy still means more to me. If I love a certain book, I like having it sitting on my bookshelf for me to see. And, at other times, I find myself buying a book simply for the attractive cover - and this is always with a physical copy, not a digital one.

However, I did find it encouraging that Tierney said the book is more popular than ever. Perhaps ebooks can not be seen as a bad thing if they are getting more and more people involved in reading.