One of my favorite projects during my last semester at the University of Minnesota was the redesign of a given classic literature piece. Students were given a list of 40 book names and should pick one to create a complete design makeover that could potentially interest new readers. I only picked 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' because of my love for the Metallica song with the same name, although the design process took me in a different direction. The project should present a completely original illustration (no pre-existing vectors) and have either original typography or some sort of type editing.
I also designed an alternative cover, focusing on the John Donne quote that inspired Ernest Hemingway to write this book: "Never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee".
The final illustration aims to portray some of the book's storyline icons through very symmetrical and consistent angles, showing the Republican bridge and the recurring pine tree motif throughout the narrative; as well as direct symbolic references such as the bell tower.
The typography selection process was longer than expected, going through a series of feedback sessions that sent me in various directions before I decided on a final style. Below you can see some of the early ideas — from original typefaces created with the pen tool to edited versions of the 'Flathead' typeface. The main challenge was to create (or find) a font that would be effective both straight for the spine and angled to fit the cover illustration.
Most of the design process for this project was trial and error through many feedback sessions. My main inspiration for the illustration was a picture from Minneapolis' photographer Todd Hido, out of his collection 'Houses at Night'. The picture was shown at my photography class for a brief moment, and the image that stayed in my head only had color on one angle, and everything else was desaturated to the point of seeming black and white. The color palette was decided from the beginning — it should be simple, contrasting and intense in order to portray the dark and violent setting of the story.
