A book design cover for the 2022 Penguin Books Award competition.
The brief was to design a fresh and exciting cover, primarily aimed at children from 9 to 11 years old. The book was a 2014's mystery novel by Robin Stevens, Murder Most Unladylike. In addition, the brief required me to design a series logo and type.
I focused on the illustrative side for this cover and wanted to depart from the mystery genre tropes such as monochromatic silhouettes and a magnifying glass. I did this by designing the two protagonists based on their descriptions within the book and the setting they're in.
The front and back cover below features plotlines and elements which play a key role within the story, and by reading the book you'll be able to piece together why things on the covers are there.
The idea of visually portraying them rather than a classic silhouette you would see in the murder mystery genre is because not only children but many people, in general, like to see characters physically within themselves and it's great to have a 'face' attached to a franchise when the franchise is brought up in conversation.
