Project Overview
This project redesigns the book cover jacket for the timeless novel Little Women. The redesign incorporated two distinct cover options—one featuring original photography capturing the wintry setting of Massachusetts during the Civil War, and the other presenting a pattern-only design. The imagery and motifs used in the photography and pattern design symbolize various themes and elements significant to the story, such as skates, snowflakes, money, flowers, birds, and umbrellas, each representing different facets of the March sisters' lives and the era they lived in.
Design Process
Literary Theme Interpretation — A deep dive into the themes and symbolism prevalent in the novel. Concepts of womanhood, sisterhood, societal norms, and the era's nuances were dissected to identify visual representations.
Photography Composition — The cover featuring original photography was crafted with meticulous attention to composition and symbolism. Elements like skates and snowflakes captured through photography aimed to evoke the winter setting of Concord during the Civil War, resonating with the joy the March sisters found in skating. Paper money, flowers, and birds were strategically incorporated to symbolize security, beauty, and the musical nature of the March sisters, respectively.
Pattern Design — The inclusion of umbrellas symbolized the security provided by men to the sisters, aligning with the book's themes of familial support and protection.
Both cover designs aimed to visually convey the depth and richness of the novel's themes through carefully selected motifs and symbolism.
Photography by Jane Chau
