Peter Mendelsund: Read, Think, Design: Create Stunning Book Covers

I found the Peter Mendelsund’s NPR interview to be very interesting. I never realize how much thought is put into designing book jackets. I was surprised when he was explaining how he usually makes 100 variations of designs on one book jacket. Peter Mendelsund explained how every book has a mood. Designers show the books mood using different colors. After the interview, I looked at some of his designs online. I found them all to be unique and interesting to look at. When I was looking at his book jackets I was defiantly able to understand what he meant when he said every book has a mood.

Peter Mendelsund’s NPR interview

I found the Peter Mendelsund’s NPR interview to be very interesting. I never realize how much thought is put into designing book jackets. I was surprised when he was explaining how he usually makes 100 variations of designs on one book jacket. Peter Mendelsund explained how every book has a mood. Designers show the books mood using different colors. After the interview, I looked at some of his designs online. I found them all to be unique and interesting to look at. When I was looking at his book jackets I was defiantly able to understand what he meant when he said every book has a mood.

PRINT Magazine

In the article, The Seduction of Romance-Novel Design Gail Anderson explains her history with romance novels. She explains how she has been reading them since she was a teenager and now her job is to design them. Anderson explains how the romance book cover design is driven by sales. Most romance books have a similar typeface and photographs on their cover. Familiarity in typeface and layout lets the reader know exactly what kind of book it is. I found this to be interesting because it contradicts the saying “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

Environmental Design

The article, What Is Environmental Graphics, which can be reached here https://segd.org/article/what-environmental-graphic-design-egd, is a great way of teaching readers the uses for environmental graphics and how necessary it is to society. Environmental graphics are used as a means of communication, directory,  and information. This article made me rethink about the art I use everyday to travel. It also sparked my thinking of what  I can potentially design in the future for my city.

Passing by signs in the subway in New York, I never thought of those signs as graphic design. They are so crucial in all of our lives though. People who are visiting New York City depend on those signs to get to their destinations. Stepping out of the subway, their are several pieces of art connected to the streets such as sculpture. These create an identity for the land around it. It helps people connect the place they are in with art.

Environmental graphic design can also be found in public installations such as museum exhibits. Content is intricately placed to provide a more meaningful and satisfactory experience.

To learn more about environmental graphic design, check out this article, https://segd.org/article/what-environmental-graphic-design-egd. To see examples of environmental design see above! All of these examples can be seen in New York City.

 

 

 

Great Design Blog

Es Devlin is an incredible artist and designer featured in various solo galleries, collaborations, operas, dance concerts and theatre events. that has worked alongside artists such as Kanye West, Adele, Jay-z, Beyonce, The Weekend, as well as other designers such as Louis Vuitton and Don Giovanni. Es takes craftsmanship of a space to a whole other level, which resulted in receiving the 2017 Longdon Design Medal, 3 Oliver awards, Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and Wall Street Journal Innovation Award of 2016. Adding to her various awards she was elected a Royal Designer for Industry Theatre Design in 2018.

 

U2 – Experience and Innocence Tour.

The Weekend – Coachella.

The Weekend – Legend of the Fall Tour

 

All of Es Devlin’s work can be found on her website here.

 

Jimdo

Jimdo is a paid site that offers different layouts and tips for it’s users. I really liked this layout because of it’s simplicity and because it’s letting the work shine, not the layout. I also like how Jimdo is no where on the page, distracting from the artists’ work. Th only thing about this site is that you have to pay for it, but I think it would be worth the money.

Self-Promotion

I came across this a while ago while looking for resume inspiration. Apparently, Samuel was applying to a packaging design company and printed his resume on a carton. I thought this was very clever and displays his graphic design skills, package design skills, creativity, and ability to think outside the box.

Here is a link to his portfolio: https://samprofeta.com/58614/4314418/work/curriculo-criativo

Creative Review

I really like this design blog. It has a little of everything: news, photography, fine art, graphic design, and more. I like the simple grid design of the website and found it easy to navigate. One of my favorite parts is the “themes” section because you can easily see and choose what to view. Great content and overall design.

Information Design

I love this info graphic for a few reasons; there is many layers of information, the illustrations and colors are simple, it’s easy to read, and it’s clever and unexpected. Comparing apples to Apple products is something I never thought about but it’s interesting to look at the difference between a food and a smart phone. I love how much this graphic tells you; I kept scrolling and scrolling and it felt never ending. The creator also clearly and extensively listed his/her sources.

The graphic says it was created by https://www.mbaonline.com and I found it at https://mashable.com/2012/01/09/apple-company-fruit-comparison/#fkI8BlsVT8qy

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ Donuts recently dropped the “donuts” from it’s name, saying they are now on a “first name basis” with their customers. Having worked there since 2014, I’ve seen a lot of packaging and branding changes through the years. They have been simplifying and figuring things out for a while and I think this is a good place for them. I like the bold, inviting colors, and the casual, friendly feel of their identity system. It’s a stark difference from their main competitor- Starbucks- who are going for a more sophisticated feel. Both the font and colors the chose are unique and recognizable.

Here’s a link to their explanation of the re-branding: https://news.dunkindonuts.com/news/releases-20180925