OUGD503 - Penguin Student Design Award - Penguin Blog

Referring to Penguin's blog posts will keep me up to date with current news and events from Penguin so I can understand themes and concerns that they look for. 

Penguin’s Art Department chooses 5 favourite book covers of 2016:

I aim to gain a better understanding of Penguin by critically evaluating the chosen covers and written content.

1971 - Never a Dull Moment
Rock's Golden Year
David Hepworth

Chosen by Richard Shailer, Deputy Art Director

The publication covers the dawning of a new era after the 60s when in 1971 saw the release of more monumental albums than any year before or since and the establishment of a pantheon of stars to dominate the next forty years – Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, the solo Beatles and more.

The immediate response for this book cover would be to do a historical pastiche with lots of cheesy, psychedelic type over halftone photographs of guitars and records which was a typical style from the era. However, Shailer believes that 'this design tries to reflect that time whilst sitting resolutely in the present.' The use of Budmo Solid for the copy reflects the anachronistic culture that had been born with a modern feel. The colour scheme is appropriate for the 70s as the vibrant orange contrasts with the photograph of a dull-looking moment in the summer of ’71 which is an amusing contrast to the subtitle.  The type is the main focus of the cover due to the striking colours scheme, however the image balances the overall composition well. 

• Bold
• Striking
• Well considered and engaging typesetting

Again, the typography is predominantly at the top of the publication, providing space for the user to interpret the image. This design is very similar to Marber's grid system layout for Penguin's classic books which suggests Shailor likes this particular style. 

My Name is Lucy Barton

Elizabeth Strout

Chosen by Jessica Hart, Junior Designer

'The beauty of this cover lies in its simplicity. The artwork features a simple line illustration and elegant serif text with thoughtful use of negative space. The result is a stark, literary look that reflects Strout’s writing style perfectly.'

I agree with Strout as the simplicity of the traditional design elements such as quarter binding. The cover reflects the writing style and also illustrates a poignant scene described in the publication. The odd setting of the type gives the publication a modern feel, which is consistent throughout my research so far. This shows that Penguin look for traditional design with a contemporary/modern twist. 

Fates and Furies

Lauren Groff

Chosen by Melissa Four, Senior Designer

Four was impressed by the way the text and image is weaved together in the flowers, 'conveying a sense of hope, beauty and life, whereas the word Furies intertwines with the sharp, prickly thorns, hinting at a darker side to the book.' I have identified a focus on typography throughout my initial research which is something I will take time to consider in my initial ideas. Four also highlights the importance of colour cold blue and purple play really well with the warmer hues of the yellow and orange, allowing the white title to pop from the design. This will be important to consider so that my design stands out over the rest of the submissions.

Richard Ogle - Art director for Penguin Random House

• How do you come up with cover design ideas and then decide which ones will end up on the bookshelf?

The ideas for the covers come from reading the books and attempting to distil the message of the book into one appealing image. We produce a range of visuals using commissioned or stock photography or illustration. Our ideas and concepts are shown in a weekly ‘book cover meeting’ at which the editor, publisher, sales, marketing and publicity teams discuss what we think is the best approach. We then send it to the author for their thoughts, feedback and ultimate approval.

This enforces the importance of asking for feedback and crit sessions in order to develop a solid final idea.

• Redesigning existing titles are an important part of your role as Art Director. Talk us through the process of breathing new life into these jackets, what is your unique approach?

It’s hard to say as each redesign has it’s own challenges and requirements but, as a designer, the main thing we can offer is our interpretation of a book, so I think it’s very important to read the books to be able to distill your own vision rather than simply taking briefs at face value and supplying exactly what is asked for or expected.

Summary:

Ogle has enforced that in order to create a new cover, the designer needs to have an understanding of the publication and create their own interpretation of the book. Ogle's designs for commercial publishing is diverse due to the range of genres and target audience.