Norwegian Wood Final Design - Penguin Books - Competition Brief

For the final design I decided to go with the template using the white spine, this felt the most natural and balanced. The combination of colours represents a mix of innocence and sex, romance and death - all hinted at through different aspects.

The design itself is fairly simple, but after research I believe this is the best approach to have the most impact. The concept relates to a specific part of the book so readers will be able to appreciate the meaning whilst general viewers will also be intrigued by it. The colour and shape immediately indicate the Japanese cultural theme without being too overt or appropriating the style.

The back cover again is very simple but this has been shown to be most effective. The text is legible and bold - it is not over worked or overwhelming. With classic books like this I believe it is important to let the literature speak for itself - the design should only enhance what is being said - rather than adopt or alter it to have new meaning. 

The cover design alone is striking and works effectively without the blurb in addition. It appears like a contemporary novel which would fit well within a bookshop like Waterstones or online on Amazon.

The Futura typeface is sharp and bold, yet is still very legible. The swift strokes it uses relates to the Japanese style of writing yet again do not westernise or appropriate the culture.