My challenge was to design book covers for the novel 1984 by George Orwell. I found this story to be a truly dystopian book without a happy ending where the hero conquers all. In researching other book covers made for this novel, I found that the colors red, white, and black were used extensively. I think there was good reason for this, red could been seen to stand for the totalitarian regime that oppressed its people. Many modern-day governments that act the same use the color red. Red could also epitomize the blood shed by the State in its effort to keep control. Black could be a symbol of the darkness or blindness experienced by those affected by the current rule. It could also represent the lies the government told to maintain power. White could be understood as the truth or that which was perceived as truth.

I created three covers, one focusing on typography, one using handmade items, and the final using whatever medium I chose.

For my typography cover, I chose to tell the story of the main character, Winston, by representing his job. He was employed by the Ministry of Truth to edit records so that they reflect what the government wants people to know. Sometimes this meant the truth was covered up or changed. I illustrated this by creating a document that was heavily edited/censored. Part of that censoring creates the title, 1984. I framed the title and author's name with sections that were heavily marked out to help the eye focus on those main areas.

For my handmade cover, I constructed a newspaper edition featuring news that might be seen in a contemporary periodical read by Winston. But instead of real news, the articles are more of the lies and propaganda dispersed by the government. You could say my creative strategy in this instance was material swap, lies instead of truth. Another strategy represented could be physical shape/similarity in that it appears to be the news, not the propaganda it really is. Once my newspaper front page had been crafted, I printed it and assembled it with other pages to simulate a full edition of the news. 

My final cover was using my choice of material for design. I chose to arrange pieces of a chess set to represent a crowd listening to their leader, with Winston in the back, not belonging. The strategy I used was isolation, very appropriate given how Winston often felt with his lack of someone he could trust. I applied a filter to the picture, giving it a not-quite-real feel that Winston seemed to live with everyday. I also played with the title, making it recede into the shadows to represent the recession of truth. I also wanted it to appear ominous and threatening as it hovers over the pawns below.