Drayton Travis
Pandemic Story: Book Cover
Book Cover Design / Visual Narrative
Research Question
What do we see when we read? (Other than words on a page) What do we picture in our minds?
Project Description
Create a book cover design depicting your experience(s) in 2020. I chose a specific memory or feeling which is unforgettable from 2020 and created a story out of it.
Project Overview
The coronavirus pandemic was sweeping the world; cases were going up and everyone was in a panic. The panic led to widespread purchasing and hoarding of food, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Surviving the Store: A Pandemic Story tells this story from my view point. I designed the cover to recreate the feeling of hopelessness that was felt when I saw the empty shelves and food shortages at the beginning of the pandemic.
Criteria
I wanted to show the bare shelves and set up an "apocalyptic" grocery store scene. I also aimed to show a person about to put their mask on to enter the store like a superhero.
BRAND BOARD / MOOD BOARD
Design Solution
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I used images from the early part of the COVID pandemic when the shelves were empty and the panic was widespread. The image was placed on the cover in a large scale to emphasize the grocery store scene and my hesitancy to enter. I chose an image with the point of view of a person walking down a grocery aisle. The long hallway is a scene used in horror films to create a sense of anxiety and fear. The image I chose recreates this feeling.
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I used Photoshop to digitally add an image of hands holding a mask from the reader's point of view. The mask is held the way you would hold it before you put it on your face. I did this to mimic the way a superhero holds his mask before he puts it on to fight crime.
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I chose the gray scale to add to the somber mood of the task of shopping during the pandemic.
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The text was called fun sized. I chose this font because I wanted a diary or journal feel to the story and not formal text. The color of the text is white and black to go along with the gloomy color scheme.
FINAL DESIGN
Front Cover
Front Cover Flap
Back Cover Flap
Back Cover
MOCK-UP IMAGES
