I have no shame in admitting that sometimes often, I judge books by their covers. Although a bland and uninteresting cover won’t stop me from buying a book, an intriguing and well-designed cover certainly encourages my buying behaviour.
There is something wonderful about the books you love becoming art, worthy of filling shelves, claiming frames and mounting walls. Penguin has long since proven their commitment to book design, which is best exemplified in their whimsical, arts and crafts-y, clothbound redesign of classics by Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and many others. These have become classic collectibles and just go to show how a little design can go a long way.
My most recent cover-design obsession? Julian House – with his gorgeous muted pallets and thoughtful graphic collages. I first came across him on the cover of Herman Hess’ Siddhartha (which I am reading now), and upon further investigation, found that House lends his signature style to several other Penguin titles, as well as album covers. I would love to find this in poster size.
THEN, on my hunt for more book cover design, I came across this really cool book called ABC 3D by Marion Bataille. It is book reading at its finest – a tactical, surprising and memorable experience. Take that Kindle.
