Legacy of Courage

www.americandesignawards.com, 2008 Winter Semi-Annual Awards
designer: Rene Steiner, book cover

I found this design on the American Design Awards website and was intrigued with the text wrap around the image. It turns out to be not only visually interesting but symbolic as well. The book is about Ola Pawlowska who was born into Polish aristocracy and forced to flee to Canada during World War II. There she entered the Baha'i faith and became a Knight of Bah'u'llah, which is a teacher/missionary of the faith. This led Ola to travel the world and teach her beliefs. The dandelion is symbolic of the Baha'i faith and the the countries listed in the text wrap represent the areas where Ola spread her faith. I love the concept of the dandelion and the way the seeds are disbursed. It does make me pause to think about the association of a dandelion and weeds but I think since the designer is associated with the Baha'i, it is not meant to be taken in a negative connotation.
I believe the yellow color used by the designer is also symbolic. I looked up the definitions of color and found this color represents energy, intellect, optimism, enthusiasm, joy, and determination. All adjectives which seem to describe Ola based on the bio I read of her.
Did you notice the sun shining through in the upper corner which gives the design some depth? Also, the asymmetrical balance and the contrast of the rectangular block of text surrounded by circular elements add to the design appeal.
The text is an old-style serif used for publication purposes. The designer did a beautiful job of tracking the title and adjusting the leading to solidify the title. The designer is Rene Steiner from Switzerland/Canada. He has a superb portfolio and it seems that a lot of his work is designed around very detailed imagery, probably since he is also a distinguished photographer. His website links to other interesting design-oriented sites. Steinergraphics.com

Quarrel & Quandary

http://covers.fwis.com/quarrel__quandary
Designer: Barbara De Wilde, book cover

I think this is an excellent typographic solution for a book cover. The crispness and boldness of the design are quick to grab the viewer's attention. The red exclamation point and question mark framed by the bold black ampersand create a very eye-catching graphic element. I like the way the shared red dot seems to ground the whole design.
The typeface is a very unique decorative serif which I didn't have any luck identifying. All of the typefaces that were similar had upturned tails on the "Q"s. I like how the designer chose to use the regular font for "quarrel" and the italic font for "quandary". The regular font gives the word "quarrel" a solid concrete appearance while the italicized "quandary" kind of plays on the definition of quandary as being unfirm and wavering. Since "quandary" is in a true italic font, it offers enough contrast to "quarrel" to actually work and creates a sense of turbulence between the two words.
And back to the punctuation marks—the exclamation point emphasizes the word quarrel with its definitiveness while the question mark reinforces the uncertainty associated with a quandary. The bold red color emphasizes the stress between the two ideas and the black ampersand seem to tie the two concepts together. This design easily meets all design requirements: unity, balance, emphasis, rhythm, and depth.

High Fidelity

Front Cover Great Book Jacket and Cover Design, 2001, p130
Indigo, designer Gary Day-Ellison, Book Cover

The first thing that caught my eye in this design was the play on the dot of the "i" in the title. The dot corresponds to the center of the LP and the bright yellow seems to stand out in the dark colors surrounding it. I really enjoy the "i" turned upside down that shares the dot. It reminds me of trying to read labels on spinning record albums. The large red circle continues to draw your eye in and emphasizes the title. The next thing I note is the blue negative image on the album. It adds a lot of mystique to the book cover since it seems like a shadowy suggestion to a mystery inside. I find myself asking "what does the face look like under the dot? Why can't I see the left side of the image?"
The designer then successfully draws your attention to the tagline by the use of a vertical line that seems to come from nowhere yet has a big impact on the overall design. The line draws your eye downward through a text block that starts out with a bright yellow word and becomes harder to read as the last lines blend into the background. The line tends to anchor the text and, finally, leads you to the author's name. This vertical line visually ties the whole cover together.
It's interesting how the "I" in the author's name is the only oblique letter in that line of type. It seems to give the author's name some energy and the overall design a sense of motion. The oblique "I" contrast nicely with the long vertical connecting line.
The font is identified as Plantin and serves the purpose of publication.

Twin Towers

Full cover
Close-up of cover

AIGA Design Archives, 50 Books/50 Covers of 2007
designarchives.aiga.org
Designer: Peter Mendelsund
Font: Walbaum

I love how the black shapes draw your eye in to the type. The small font size enhances the concept of depth. And the title completely explains the image. At first, I thought this was just some abstract art but when you get pulled in to read the small font, there's an "aha!" moment when it becomes so obvious what you're looking at. The hint of the cloud is subtle enough to add interest and isn't really noticeable until you look again the second time.
The font is very "plain" - no pun intended. The font quietly announces the title but in a very dramatic way. The whole image seems to recall the enormity of the disaster.