(B5) Penguin Book Cover: Research and Initial Tests

Researching 'The Uninhabitable Earth'

Watching David Wallace Wells discuss his publication 'The Uninhabitable Earth': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eClQNwymHcE

• The big picture is bleak.
  - Thinking about this from a visual perspective, shouldn't want to add too many bells and whistles to the design but want it to stand out still.
  - How could this be achieved? Could use elements of a book like the spine to add visual freedom so looks intriguing on the shelf but the rest is more minimal. 
• Book focuses on the science and addresses the science.
  - What could this look like as a visual without being a cliche or too literal? 
•  'Alligators in the arctic'
  - this stuck out to me as a really strong visual, something so strange to imagine.
  - Is a result of where we'll be in 2030 if nothing changes.
  - Could this be a visual for the book cover?

Visuals from Publication:

• we liked driving our cars and eating our beef
• hyperobject
• “business as usual”
• the world in a permanent food deficit, the Alps as arid as the Atlas Mountains.
• “fire tsunami,”
• biblical rains flooded Japan
• Hurricanes

Thinking about the simplicity of the cover that already exists and how to make it more contemporary without completely changing the aesthetic.

- Clean, simple, minimal works for the publication as it's presenting science, data and fact to the audience. Deviating too far from this could be distracting.

Other books about the environment:

There are a lot of blue and green within the designs when it comes to books about the environment.

- This feels rather typical so could try and rear away from this.

Type as the focus seems to be the most common theme amongst these. 

- Non of the type is laid out in a more interesting fashion, the text is placed on the page and then alterations made around it.

- I feel there is room to be more experimental with the layout of the covers, this on a simple design could be an interesting way to go. 

The style seems to be minimal and graphic or more busy and hand rendered. 

- Interesting that these categories have seemed to of emerged, what does this mean in terms of the audience. Need to be considering the audience here. 

Own Initial Ideas:

Thinking about the simple minimal layout.
- Ideas of the earth not being there anymore, how it isn't somewhere we can live. What would that look like? 

Presenting the earth as a blank empty space where there used to be life and joy and if things continue there will be nothing left.

- Feels too simple? Doesn't seems like it would work as is, could develop more to show a contrast between the earth now and the earth later?

- Could showcase natural disasters within this circle? 

Here presenting the 4.3 degree threshold mentioned in the publication.

- Feel this makes it much more maths-ey, feels like a very scientific read (which this publication is).

- Not sure if this is the tone I'm wanting to strike with the cover. 

Again same concept but the number if presented in the middle of the circle so the shape is more visible. 

Really stripped back idea, just the black, hollowed earth with the title inside it.

- This design seems much more corporate, the text and placement lends itself well to being a logo design.

- Could test with other type and alignment to see if this changes.

Here when centred it looks less corporate, still not something that presents itself as environmentally conscious but it is a striking image. 

Inverting the colours on a previous idea.

- I feel this suggests something has been removed more than the previous experiment. 

- It shows a lacking of instead of an adding which I find visually interesting.

All developments need pushing further but this idea is a strong one. 

Thinking along the lines of natural disasters, some of the types mentioned in the book are hurricanes. Wanting to display the text in a way that represents the chaos of a hurricane. 

- The text looks a little odd on it's own like this. It seems out of place, almost as though it should have something accompanying it. I think this would add much more context to the image, preventing it from looking out of place. 

REFLECTIONS:

• Currently working with minimal colours and style, should look into colour more and experiment with physical practical ideas as well as digital ones.
• Like the more experimental type idea, feel as though this has legs and could go somewhere.
• Need to look at the previous shortlists and winners to see the style penguin go for as they can be particular in their choices. 
• Read more of the book and make notes on anything that stands out. Currently:
  - Very harsh facts
  - Isn't fluffy around the edges, it communicates the truth.
  - Is pretty gloomy picture it paints but is an important one.