Monday, 20 January 2020

Previous winners for the Penguin competition


Previous Winners



This book cover design by Toby Clarke uses a very minimal approach, and manipulates text in order to convey themes of obstruction; what I think is particularly effective about this design is that it isn't a cliche/ obvious concept, and its simple layout shows confidence in design. The judges comments seem to focus on this simplicity and its effectiveness, which stands out in what I should consider when designing my own cover. 


I really like the subtle nod to punk zines and rebellion in this design; similarly to the cover above, the concept involves manipulating text and creating a striking image; I think this design fits well into contemporary audience expectations, as it is very allusive and creates a sense of intrigue. 


This cover design has a very stripped down approach, through using symbols to convey messages instead of heavily decorative illustrations. As a graphic designer, I feel like this is an avenue I could explore in my own work, as the role as a graphic designer is to create something clever, and not necessarily 'pretty'. The layout of this cover also follows a simple rule, and I think the gradient helps to add drama to the design, which is effective as gradients can often look tacky.


This past design is really interesting through its focal point of manipulated text; the cover features phrases within the book and what each word means, as well as serving as the books title; this has a very witty atmosphere, and links to wittiness of characters in the book itself. I want to try something similar with my own design in the sense that I should reflect the personality of Bill Bryson in my cover. 

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