Penguin: Visual Research

In order to start developing ideas and designs for a brief History of Time I started by looking at existing covers to see what already existed and how these worked both online and in-store. A lot of the existing covers are very similar with some (see figures 1-2) looking quite outdated and unattractive to a younger audience due to the use of bold typography and colours used within the covers. Furthermore the heavy focus on the copy of the text gives a more textbook like aesthetic to these covers which further discourages a younger audience. Other covers I found (see figures 3-4) where also quite similar but had a more modern aesthetic due to the use of imagery within the covers, however these covers appeared to attract an older audience, those of middle age due to the use of a serif typeface and the dark colours used. The layout of these covers further adds to the modern aesthetic due to the space created allowing the audience to focus on the visuals rather than the copy itself. Furthermore these covers work well online as all aspects are clearly visible however I think they would be more effective in-store due to the stock and processes used during printing. Both figures 5 and 6 feature different approaches to the covers with figure 5 focusing on time itself which is discussed within the pub however I feel this cover doesn't accurately reflect the tone or content of the book plus aesthetically it looks quite outdated which fails to show the groundbreaking nature of the book. Figure 6 however is more modern and simple, representing the book in a more abstract manner then previous covers. The use of negative space and simple use of bold colours allows the copy to stand out without being the made focus. This use of colour also creates a more intriguing cover as it forces the reader to pick up the book to discover more about it as its not necessarily shown in the cover. In addition the use of white space and a sans serif typeface further add to the modern aesthetic, attracting a younger audience without alienating an older one. This abstract representation is something I plan to experiment with within my designs as I think it creates a more interesting and engaging design.