The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” gets every graphic designer and illustrator who’s once designed one, rolling their eyes in amusement – and even though we all agree and believe the sentiment of the saying is good, sometimes, in its most literal form, it’s ok doing the opposite. Designing book covers and coming up with fresh ideas that perfectly represent the book in question, can be a tough ordeal. To create a cover that the author, readers, and viewers will love and gravitate towards, the designer often needs to think outside the box, come up with something unique and add to the reading experience, without taking away from it. We want to highlight and celebrate the occasion when all the above and more were achieved by a designer, by listing our twenty of the most beautifully illustrated and designed book cover we could find.
There’s something compelling and curious about getting a glimpse into someone else’s idea or imagination of the visual world between the two covers you’re about to open.
There are many ways and styles to design a book cover, and the trends vary from very minimal and typographical to bright and plentiful, but it’s the illustrated ones that are dearest and nearest to this bookworm’s heart. There’s something compelling and curious about getting a glimpse into someone else’s idea or imagination of the visual world between the two covers you’re about to open. And whether it’s an abstract take on the style of writing, a view of the world the book takes place in, or just the designer’s idea of a fitting visual representation of the topic – it combines two creative’s work, a visual one based on one’s words.
