Penguin Design Award / Brief

Adult Non-Fiction Cover Award

We are looking for a cover design which breaks boundaries in the same way that the book did. It should be bold, maybe even shocking, yet remain true to the book, reflecting both its literary merit and its chilling content.

Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy supplied and be designed to the specified design template – B format, 198mm high x 129mm wide, spine width 20mm, incorporating all the PENGUIN branding and all additional elements such as the bar code.

What the judges are looking for

We are looking for a striking cover design that is well executed, has an imaginative concept and clearly places the book for its market. While all elements of the jacket need to work together as a cohesive whole, remember that the front cover must be effective on its own and be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting. It also needs to be able to work onscreen for digital retailers such as Amazon.

The winning design will need to:
have an imaginative concept and original interpretation of the brief
appeal to a contemporary readership
show a good understanding of the marketplace
have a point of difference from the many other book covers it is competing against

Copyright must be cleared for all images used in your cover design and you must include a credit line on the back cover of your design for any third party images used. For example: ‘Cover photograph by Joe Bloggs’.

Brief Analysis

I have chosen to submit for the non-fiction cover award this year, as I enjoy working with publication covers, and due to my interest in crime/serial killers, I know this will be enjoyable and complies with my interests and level of comprehension/research I will naturally do into the book/crime case. I learned last year that it is a challenge to rework a classic novel, and would like to attempt this again as an evolving designer. 

Concept is key for this brief, and will lead the direction of the design I will produce. It is important to experiment and enjoy the process but also remember that this is a competition and consider what the judges are looking for.