The Paper Orchard
A commissioned book cover for a mystery novel, translating a client’s visual references into an attention-grabbing cover with a retro feel.
Scope:
Full Book Jacket, Cover Design
My Role:
Art Direction, Graphic Design, Typography, Print Design
The Concept
A Mystery With a Sense of Fun
I was tasked to design the full book jacket for The Paper Orchard, a mystery novel. He came with a clear starting point: the cover needed to feel eye catching while incorporating the imagery that was key to the story.
He shared How not to Kill a Spy as a visual reference, giving me a strong foundation for the direction while leaving plenty of room to develop the idea into something original.
I took the combination of the imagery and mystery genre and developed it into a visual language that fit the tone of the book.
Rather than leaning too dark or ominous, I used bold colors and fun typography to make the cover feel energetic and approachable for the audience.
Exploring the Direction
From Concepts to Final Cover
idea 1:
I developed multiple cover directions before presenting them to the client. Through feedback and revisions, we refined the strongest concept while maintaining the original goals of the brief.
The process gave me the freedom to experiment while still designing toward a specific audience, genre, and client vision.
final concept:
idea 2:
From Screen to Shelf
Designed for a Real Book
The final design was developed as a complete book jacket and prepared for print, including determining the necessary dimensions and production specifications.
The finished cover was printed and used on the actual book bringing the project from an initial conversation and visual references to a tangible, published piece.
The Result
A Step Outside My Usual World
The Paper Orchard was an opportunity to take my design practice beyond the church environment and apply the same creative problem-solving to a completely different audience and genre.
I'm especially proud that the final design resonated with the client, was produced as a physical book, and showed me that my design skills aren't tied to one type of organization or industry.
