Trilogy Book Cover Redesign for Typography
My overall theme I chose to go with was the intention of creating three book covers that speak the story, plot and themes through visuals. But not only did I feel that I wanted to create an adventure with the viewer, I wanted to create a feature in the books. This feature is located on the spine with the bottom consisting of the lay-out of District 13 split into three parts that together form a whole image, including the similar font, imagery and layout linking the books together as stated in the brief, “How and why they’re linked is up to you”. I felt positive about this idea as books are mainly on book shelves and rather than having the usual three books with font, I wanted to adapt it and add some charisma that will appeal to the viewer to pick out the book and then be inspired by the specific cover to dwell into.
FIRST HI-FIDELITY CONEPT DESIGN FOR ALL THREE BOOK COVERS
For my concept designs I went with a simple approach as I needed to show any thoughts that I had about designing the three book jackets. Due to time constraints, the concepts being computerised with the complexity of the designs that were lurking around in my head were not easily portrayed.
After considerate feedback regarding the overall design over the three book covers, I had to rethink the designs. I adapted to use my choice of typography in a way that will justify my need for creativity and uniqueness while appealing to my general direction of the project.
Final design for all three book covers
In the first book jacket, 'The Hunger Games' I looked at the basics of the story and themes being the way children were used as sacrifice for entertainment by the leaders of the districts, the Capitol. The cover is adapted to work around the main character, a female who wields the bow and arrow as her weapon of choice. I used this to my advantage by using it as a silhouette and added a gradient for the colour scheme of the book - orange which represents the impact of using kids as toys and pitting them against each other in a fight to the death. I then used a certain type of font for the title which speaks a 1000 words itself as it is used to represent the futuristic views the book portrays. It has an effect of half-tone so it shows the disconnection of the districts and the Capitol, also the dehumanisation of beings through such acts. The back I used the mocking jay that is associated with the first series to tie it together and followed with the foreground of the front visual to hold the book together. This theme for the back of the books has the same concept throughout. Finally in the inner flaps, I put a quote from the book that speaks for the book and also about the author accompanied by a picture.
In the second book jacket, 'Catching Fire' I looked at the themes and story again to construct the cover. This book in the series was more about the political factors in the ongoing story which is why I set out everything that way. The visuals used of the main character having her rough exterior of survival being the bigger image and the smaller consisting of her being paraded around as this object by the Capitol showing her as this elegant prize for their benefit, representing the two-faced theme as well. Although the font isn't centred, it is set out to look very uniform within the cover as if it were professional to represent the political theme once again. The colour scheme chosen – red, was done so through the name and theme, Catching Fire. Red is the colour that represents fire but also speaks about the attack secretly on the main character, etc. For this back cover, I chose to go with the whole back cover to be a flame. The reason I chose to do this rather than a simple vector graphic as I wanted the middle book to be set apart due to its different nature in the story.
Finally in the third book jacket, Mocking Jay I followed the theme and story of the rebellion of the people against the Capitol and the uprising. So for this aspect I chose to incorporate the typography with the graphic in the cover. The ‘O’ from Mocking Jay is made bigger as it attracts the viewer’s eyes to the characters hand which is the signal that was created for the rebellion. This is a significant aspect of the third book and I felt it needed to be incorporated. The colour scheme is blue as I wanted it to show the loyalty and trust the followers have in the main character. Blue is a colour which represents this. The typography that was used is to represent the rebellion once again as it is a brushstroke font. This is as it gives that aspect of hiding in bunkers and painting on the walls with their crest, etc.
What did I learn?
During this project I learnt a magnitude of different things within design and typography itself. I was opened to the fact that any decision made on typography impacts the whole design. By introducing a specific font type, and size it drastically changes the way the design is portrayed and interpreted.
One of the biggest aspects I learnt was choosing a theme for the project during the concept stage and having the design process flow through it. This ensures the rest of the project flows and a bonus, reduces the workload.
What would I do differently?
My only decision that I feel could be altered is my decision to keep the original back cover of the second book jacket 'Catching Fire'. Although the concept and idea fit, it detaches the individual book from the trilogy even though it is the back cover. I was just so overwhelmed by the visual aspects that the general brief got away from me; however, the representation of the fire for the individual book and charisma does create a very pleasant aesthetic.
