To Design a ‘Limited Edition’ Book cover for the chosen title ‘The Invisible Man’ By H.G. Wells
Research | Development:
My Target Audience was 16-25 yr olds. The book was written in the late 18th century and I wanted to create a design that would appeal to the new generation, With a modern look.
After reading the book I was able to pinpoint key areas, items and objects that held alot of value within the story, I felt I could pull off a very intelligent minimalist design by using these findings.
I considered each part of the cover design as separate pieces: Front - Spine - Back
Front Cover:
I chose Grey as my primary colour for the design as I felt that this represented the cold storyline and cold character of the Invisible man, It also appealed to both male and female audiences.
Leaving negative space in the middle of the cover creates a feeling of emptiness and confusion, Why is it empty? It also directs the viewer to look at the title.
I used Gill Sans as the typeface because Its a very old type but I felt it was clean and modern enough to appeal today. By leaving out the ‘I’ and replacing it with the hat I encourage the viewer to take in the design and think about the book.
Spine:
I had many options for what graphic to place in the spine, but I felt the lighter was the most appropriate, it had a feel of life, the flame burning. When the book is on display and the spine visible it gives that feeling of being lit, lighting up the title.
The lighter also plays a big part within the story, so as the reader gets more deeper into the story the lighter has more value.
Back Cover:
The blurb is placed central to clean up the whole design, Again I have used objects from the story in a minimalist manner. The potion is pouring into another beaker but with no support, again creating a sense of emptiness and confusion.
Limited Edition Factor:
I had two approaches for this, a loud limited edition packaging or a subtle sentimental value. I opted for the subtle value as I felt it was a more mature approach and harmonized with the overall design.
I created a small limited edition card labeled with the title and author, stamped with a issue number, thus making each book unique.
Final Cover.
Numbered Limited Edition Card.
