Project Brief
To celebrate the most influential books of all time, the Library of Congress is hosting an exhibit that will feature historical artifacts, original manuscripts, first editions, and other objects related to the authorship and original release of each text. The show ends with a “Looking Deeper” section that features newly designed cover concepts that focus on the meaning and message of the book, and not just the story or familiar elements. The idea is to use the book cover as a way to more directly express the author's beliefs, point-of-view, and/or agenda behind the famous story.
Three Methods
Cover 01 – Type Only: Use only typography to create your book cover concept. This doesn't mean a standard font on a flat background, it means using typography in a clever and conceptual way to visualize the book's message. Challenge yourself to create beautiful and interesting imagery with typography as your primary tool. The type can but need not be an actual font. Feel free to explore a full range of textures, depths, shadows, or other necessary design elements to strengthen the overall aesthetic of the book cover. Just make sure the concept itself is typographic.
Cover 02 – Physical Elements: Cover must be constructed from physical materials that can be assembled, collaged, photographed, and/or scanned for the final cover art. You may print elements and pieces, but the final piece should be physical or at least appear as if you created it physically.
Cover 03 – Designer’s Choice: Cover art can be developed in any style or format you choose as long as you stay within the requirements.
For my typography cover I chose to cut paper into the shapes of the letters in the title, creating doors that provide a glimpse into a secret world. The stark, cold, white paper stands in contrast to the warmth and beauty found beneath. This juxtaposition symbolizes the majestic garden, our heroine, Mary, discovers hidden away on the gloomy grounds of Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, England.
All three of my book covers were created from physical elements. For this particular cover, I have created a flower made from coffins and two serpents, here used to symbolize death, rebirth, healing, and renewal. Finding joy in spite of the pain and loss of death, is a strong theme in The Secret garden. Beauty and blessings can be found in all of life's trials, if we will only take the time to discover them.
For this cover I wanted to create a gateway into a colorful garden. The white trees were sculpted from paper pulp and plaster of paris. I wanted them to resemble stone trees that can be found as grave markers in cemeteries. The cold outside world, is left behind as one steps through the tree trunks, and into the warmth of the garden. Life and death are intertwined once more in this juxtaposition cover.
