book design
cover + concept
I have been an avid reader my whole life, and carry a passion for designing books. As someone with a literary interest, I highly value when design and writing intersect—something that appears often in my work.
I currently do side projects for indie/self-published authors and am interested in leveling up my skillset.
Program: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator
Limited Edition Design of Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicolás for Fox&Wit. Illustration by Andie Lugtu.
Student Project—3 Covers designed for Stranger in my Own Country by Yascha Mounk.
Cover Design for Tell Me How it Ends by Quinton Li. Illustration by me.
A video detailing my process designing a book cover.
process
Another example of my process is with my latest cover design for Tell Me How It Ends by Quinton Li.
Research
During the Research stage, if time permits, I will read the entire book from start to finish. If not, I will read a couple of chapters, and consult the information provided by the brief. In addition, I will research any information relevant for context + visual media as references to feed the brainstorming phase. For example, TMHIE heavily draws from Tarot, so I read up on the practice of reading Tarot Cards as well as the visual language involved.
sketching
As the stage I spend the most focus on, sketching is where I pull in the research and brainstorming to create solid thumbnails that I can develop into tight sketches to share with the client to move forward in direction. As a concept driven designer, ideation is integral to my process. I typically create 10-20 thumbnail sketches that I refine further to experiment with the concept.
first draft
After selecting a direction to go in, I will create the first version of the cover (or book layout, etc). The fonts and colors are finalized here to best elevate the concept. This is the step I like to incorporate feedback and let the design breathe. It’s not a design project by Alex if I don’t save no less than 10 variations of the same design to test what works best.
Here you can see different stages of the process, from starting the illustration to testing the type choices I made and, as seen, the font I originally chose didn’t quite work.
final draft
Taking all the feedback I receive on the first draft from the client, I go in and tweak the design to elevate the draft and to make it as impactful as the design should be. Every design I create, I hope to exceed the author’s vision and, as a fellow creative, communicate with their work.
