(B5) Penguin Book Cover: Finalising

Thinking back to books already out there, 'The Uninhabitable Earth' stands out as it isn't competing for your attention, it's humble and grabs your attention this way.

When looking at other books on the market they used similar style of typefaces, going with a more elongated typeface is a real difference to those already there. It adds a contemporary feel to a topic some people may think is an old, and tired one.

Need to consider the whole book cover, not just the front.

- How will the back adopt the same themes without becoming too complicated?

- Noticed on previous shortlisted covers the blurb encapsulates the same tone as the front but is more subdued since there is a lot more text.

Text to go on back:

The international bestseller, now with a new afterword

‘Dazzling’ Daily Telegraph

‘Riveting’ Economist

‘A sensation’ Sunday Times

‘If you read just one work of non-fiction this year, it should be this’ Evening Standard

‘Urgently readable. However much you think you know about climate crisis, Wallace-Wells will open your eyes even wider’ Matt Haig

‘This generation’s Silent Spring’ Washington Post

‘A must-read. It’s not only the grandkids and the kids; it’s you. And it’s not only those in other countries: it’s you’ Margaret Atwood, Twitter 

Front Cover:

Something about the type doesn't feel right to me, not sure what it is.

Experimenting again with layout and typeface.

- This layout is interesting with the justified text, provides a sense of rigidity for the type. 

- The condensed type is too reminiscent of the Extinction Rebellion typeface, feel as the topic is about climate change would go with something different. 

- Image off the page, not sure how I feel about this one, it seems a little cheesy.

- The composition on this cover however is good, it strikes the right balance between text and image placement.

- Again the justified text, it's something different you don't see often on a book cover.

- It is more difficult to read in this format, but the extended letterforms help reduce the large gaps between characters which helps elevate the problem slightly. 

- Really experimenting with vertical type here, but realised quickly this wasn't going to work, the words are too long and there are too many of them.

- There is no reason to have the text laid out like this. 

- This text is nice as it interacts with the image, it adds a sense of movement to the cover, making the topic feel more approachable and a lot less intimidating. 

- I fear with the other type it demonstrates an appearance that's too intense, want to showcase the publication as serious but nothing that is daunting. 

Ideas I like so far:

A

B

C

- Feel as though the justified text as a strong tone to the work, it's bold and brings you attention to the title.
- Is capital letters too aggressive? The book isn't all anger, the purpose is to inform so want people to want to pick up the book.
- The call caps reminds me of space and sci-fi, it seems to convey this more.

D

E

- Adding a secondary typeface to add differentiation between the copy, it makes for  more visually interesting cover and helps the reader navigate the page.

- Need to make the type at a heavier weight so it is more distinguishable from the image in the back.

Back Cover:

Thinking back to CoP research since there is going to be more text a hierarchy is needed.

- Want to show differences between quotes and who said them

- Bring attention to strongest parts of the text so if people are scanning they see the key info. 

- Starting point, all in Basis Grotesque

- Needs hierarchy elements like bold, size, italics, capitalisation etc. 

- Separating quote from who said it, don't feel this is successful as some of the quotes are one word, they could do with being on one line. 

- Add more elements (but make sure they have a purpose). 

- Moving the non quoted element to the centre, not sure if this words but it adds balance to the text, not an odd rag left on the page. 

- Using Termina for who said the quote and Basis Grotesque for the quote.

- Adding italics to differentiate between quote text and blurb text. 

- Adding bold to the text within quote to highlight the positives within them.

- Noticed this was common among blurb text, it helps bring the attention of the audience to specific elements.

- Text aligned to the right, the alignment is easier to read (in the western world) as we naturally scan from left to right (know we go in an F shape). 

- Could perhaps move the blurb text 'The international best seller...' to the top so this is read first (goes with F scanning theory). 

- This works much better, it's easy to read, you're eye is directed around the page so you can see all key information at a glance.

- This layout feels successful for a back page of a publication.

- Using the spine as a way to catch attention.

- The whole things looks a little flat as it's all one colour, I think adding a secondary colour could be a good way to go, would add another element to the design. 

Where to get another colour?
Colours associated with the climate crisis tend to be more blues and greens. Feel this is a little typical.
The blue colour came from graph paper, could do a more cyan toned blue as this is more similar to the colours of graph paper?

I have an old paper collection at home and one is old fashioned graph paper which is orange, test this?
- Tried looking into the reasons behind different colours of graph paper but couldn't find any history about these choices. Nothing to say they have a specific use or purpose. 

Old graph paper at home

Colour tests:

On book:

- I think the orange is more interesting, it's got a foundation in graph paper

- I was thinking about old paper I had at home and I have an old graph paper that's a slightly burnt orange tone, so edited the paper scrunch to be this colourway and it's really good contrast to the blue. 

- It also works with the penguin orange in the logo.

- Should ask peers what they think, does it work? Could things be altered? 

- Or thinking about previous idea with new paper? 

- Ask peers and then choose a final out of these.