Poetry Book Jacket Makeovers

Redesign a book jacket for a new printing of My Life is a Poem by Mark Everyman. Even if you don't plan to do your own makeover, read the makeover parameters and use them as a guide when critiquing the makeovers of other designers.

The colors used for the jacket echo the coloring of the cover photo. The photo of a stretch of highway suggests travel. While the repeat of the cover image as a faint background for the text on the back is fine, I think repeating the image in a smaller size on the spine dilutes the strength of the cover image. What about taking a small section of the main image -- perhaps that sunlit horizon? -- and putting it on the spine? It may just be me, but with fully justified text I much prefer seeing paragraph spacing to separate the blocks of text, without the first line indents. What about you? Readers, what do you think of this makeover? Do you like the colors, the imagery, the fonts, the text alignment?

The designer Jernell writes, "My life is a colorful poem." Indeed this entry is more colorful than many of other makeovers. I kind of like these bright colors. I'm not so found of the distorted text for the book title or the font used for the author's name though. Readers, share your thoughts about this makeover. I'd like to hear from Jernell about the choice of images. I see the door, the mountains, the skyscrapers, but what is that on top with the writing on it (I can't quite make it out)?

Here's a nice simple design. I rather like the image with the train tracks although I don't care for the faded edges with the rounded corners. I'd like to see a few variations on the photo size/shape/placement. I also like the title font choice with the drop shadow. It could be easily overdone but it looks nice here. The designer writes, "I have no formal education in graphic design and I am completely self taught." Readers, let this new designer know what you think. Offer some constructive feedback.

The designer Geoff writes, "The picture should include a boy as well as the dog (or a boy and no dog). This is actually a picture I took of the southern beach of Phillip Island, south-east of Melbourne. I like it because of its feeling of walking into the great unknown, that kind of thing." Geoff also acknowledges, "I have also overdone the transparent text boxes a bit, but once started on them, it was a bit hard to get off the train!"

I like how the photo covers the entire book jacket. I don't mind the transparent boxes so much except for the graduated edges on the boxes. Readers, what do you think of Geoff's work?

The colors don't grab me but the image does have a mixed kind of sad/peaceful feeling like the "mix of happy, sad, angry, and just plain ordinary events and observations" in the book. The designer writes, "I specifically chose an ordinary treeline because I wanted to convey something that you might see everyday without thinking twice... I did not want to feature an indoor scene since traveling was a big part of the author's life." (read more)

I notice that the text alignment is inconsistent -- fully-justified on one flap and ragged right on the back flap. I'd prefer to see consistent alignment. What do you think?

The designer Jen writes, "The doorway seemed like an ordinary opening that is giving the viewer a unique perspective of the scene- A scene that you may see time and time again, but once in a while, the beauty is breathtaking."

I think it's very cool the way the scene seen glimpsed through the door on the cover appears spread across the back of the book jacket. The doorway theme is continued as a frame around the text on the front flap. I assume that light text across the cover is a watermark for the PDF and not part of the design. Jen also asks for "some input, as well as advice for how to work for publishers to create book jackets." Share your advice along with your critique.

After examining this makeover Trinity wrote,

I am not sure I get the connection between the image you chose (cup, keys and glasses) and "My Life Is a Poem." Maybe a feather inside the cup, as if it was a spoon, would have probably sold it as "a poetic ordinary life." Something that says, "It's ordinary, but not really."

What do you think? I like the simple black and white color scheme -- with the glasses providing a small bit of reddish-brown. But the images could be better tied together visually, perhaps with a touch of overlap. I do think, however, that they sort of fit the makeover parameters which calls for an image that "conveys something of ordinary day-to-day life."