Book Design

Since I'm such an avid reader, I've always been fascinated by book cover design. If I find myself in Barnes & Noble I will pick up a book based on it's appearance and compliment it's good qualities while pointing out the bad (typically to a completely uninterested audience). But, I was a reader long before I knew that Comic Sans was spelled U-G-L-Y, or even before I knew what typography was.

This fact, in addition to the fact that I'm cheap, means that I read many an ugly book and enjoy it! Because, let's face it, you can't judge if a book is going to be well written from the cover. You can, however, discern what sort of story you're getting yourself into, a fact the following article expounds upon. I always wonder if non-designers really think about the choices they make when it comes to any purchase they make, including books.

In this article, Johnson points out that it could be impossible to tell why people choose certain books. With the influence of television, movies, and the internet, it is difficult to determine how individuals make the choices they do. Despite this, Johnson's article is a great analysis of the current trends you see in the book store, and provides food for thought.