The Testing Book Cover Redesign
This was a book cover redesign for a Young Adult Post Apocalyptic novel following our main character, Cia, and a group of selected teens who are put through rigorous trials in order to be able to get high-ranking titles and jobs as adults. The intention behind the design was to show off the main symbols of the books (our main character Cia and the star symbol she wears) as well as other gestures and imagery that gave off that high intensity and grungy feel. I found this style coated to the cover's original look was a lot more intriguing to viewers as well as represented the plot of the books better. While they say it's bad to read a book by its cover, I do feel a cover should give you a sneak peek into the plot of the book as well as draw viewers in to learn more. I feel this rendition does just that.
Iteration
I first sketched out potential layouts of the new poster after researching some new book-cover trends and styles. I wanted to really modernize the book and give it the intensity and visual impact I felt the story deserved. After running my initial ideas past my college's, we decided on going with my first sketch.
After doing my initial research on the book (target audience, symbols, themes, styles, etc.), I collected my color pallets, typeface options, and images to begin to create the elements I needed for the new design. Finally landed on the red and grey color scheme and the typeface (GarageGothic) to create a high-intensity but modern feel to the piece.
Using a reference photo for the face and descriptions of the 8-pointed star pendant for the book, I began to put together the central image for the cover. While my original design had the two pieces split down the middle, I consulted with my colleagues who helped me come up with the a-symmetrical bolt using negative space. This design choice also fits better with the plot as the star represents our main charters rebellion against "the testing" and the bolt shows her intention to "break" the system. The additional textures were added later to help the piece feel less like vector art and blend more with the background.
For the background, I played with a simpler version with just the maze and then a more player version by adding the cityscape and more spatter-brush textures. I in the end picked the version with the cityscape as it created more visual depth in the piece as well as connected more with the plot (society was originally destroyed in a Great War). A subtle glow was added in the middle of the maze where my illustration piece would go to help it stand out more against the background.
When comparing the original design to my new rendition, I am very happy with the improvements I was able to make. I feel my piece does the content of the novel more justice as well as draws viewers' eyes much more to pick it up off the shelf.