Penguin Book Cover: Previous Entries

In order to gain an understanding for what the judges look for within the Penguin competition I've looked at previous winners and what makes there designs successful.

2016 winners:
Adult Fiction, A Clockwork Orange
The winning over featured a simple typographic design (see figure 1) used to show the title of the book through converting slang from with book. This clever use of typography allowed for a simple and objective design to be created. The use of incorporating aspects of the book within the design was done successfully without referencing the obvious themes within the book like other covers. In comparison a shortlisted cover (see figure 2) features a busy complex design which references the key chaotic themes within the book in a less refine cover than the winning cover.

Adult Non-fiction, How to be a Woman
Personally I feel the 2nd place cover (see figure 3) was very intersting and clever through the use of a receipt to highlight the key issues discussed within the book. This development use typography in an inventive and unconventional way that that of the winning design (see figure 4). 2nd place has a more innovative and conceptual cover making it more attractive to an audience in my opinion.  

Childs Cover, Emil and the Detective
The children's covers tend to be less refined design wise and more illustrative in order to appeal ot a younger audience. The winning design incorporates an illustration from a scene within the book which is appropriate fro young children as this sparks the imagination getting the interested in the book. Although this cover is largely illustrative its refined in the sense of the composition with the illustration being the main focus with the avoidance of overcrowding when incorporating the necessary information.

Conclusion:
Adult cover: find simple typographic covers preferred, limited conceptual elements
Children's: illustrations favoured however need to be fined and composed well.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5