This project involved the design of two textbook jackets for the Complete Companions A-level Psychology series. I really enjoyed this project as it combined book design which is a favourite design style for me with psychology; a subject that I am fascinated by.
This project highlighted the importance of consistency and the implementation of brand guidelines. It also improved my series design skills, and a trip to Oxford University Press itself gave me an insight into the creation of book covers for a range of audiences.
Design Decisions
Both of the covers have negative space imagery featuring companions. My covers include dogs and cats as I believed that they were essential to keeping the companion theme and would be suitable for the brief as long as they were presented in a different and refreshing concept. This is because creating an image out of space is designing and thinking differently, I thought this would relate to the mind of a psychologist and how the target audience’s brains work in response to their subject. Moreover, it relates to the idea of perception and how individuals can view something differently. The designs also work when they are scaled down to a suitable size for a thumbnail. The background image colours were chosen as they are radiant and eye catching. The reason for this is so they would be identifiable and prominent on a shelf, therefore tempting the target market to pick them up. The front, back and spine logos were all officially provided by Oxford University Press.
