old book, new cover

Hello readers! Things have been busy around here; I've been working on an identity package for talented photographer Kate J. Miller, the invitation for my sister's bridal shower, and these fun bookplates for you! Just print out the bookplate with the letter and design of your choice, put it on the inside cover of your book, and write your name on it. Now when you lend your books out to friends, it will always find its way back to you! 

Initial bookplates: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I recently graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in graphic design and am currently looking for full-time employment as a graphic designer (hi potential employers—let's talk!). 

There are several different avenues graphic designers can take. They can work for an in-house creative department, designing for one specific company. For example, clothing company Gap has an in-house creative team, and graphic designers working for them create all the print and digital collateral for Gap and Gap only (unless they do freelance work on the side). Another option is for designers to be a part of an independent design studio. These designers work on projects for a variety of different clients. Take Stitch Design Co.: they have designed products for clients as diverse as an identity package for an interior design firm and an e-commerce website for a baby clothing company. Finally, designers can choose to strike out on their own and seek freelance work. Sometimes the designer will contact potential clients and other times the client will get in touch with the designer to discuss a project. 

Hi there! Megooligan & Sons is a fictional publishing company I created for a class project during my senior year. You can read a bit about it here.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

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It's a new year and time again for a new book cover! This time around I gave Jane Austen's Persuasion a makeover. The majority of existing covers feature a classic painted portrait. And then there are covers with images that seem to be selected at random from a stock photography site (Anne Elliot would never have gone walking through a field in bare feet, for heaven's sake!). Maybe I'm just old fashioned but I think a cover should give the reader a feeling for what's inside. 

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to share one of my favorite gifts to make. I first learned how to create books with coptic binding during my semester in Italy from our wonderful resident assistant Christine. Ever since then, I've been hooked. My favorite thing about these books is the materials; almost all of the paper used in the book I make is found material. I love collecting bits of ephemera to use for bookmaking: paper place mats with interesting patterns, old sketchbook pages, colorful advertisements…the possibilities are endless. It's really easy to personalize each book for the recipient as well by using bits and pieces that have meaning for them, like ticket stubs from a trip you took together or handwritten letters you've exchanged. I love making these books in all different sizes so I can have a larger one at home for sketching (coptic bound books lay flat when opened so they're easy to use for sketching or writing) and a small one to carry around in my bag to jot down notes and ideas. Equally as important is the actual act of creating them. Most of the design work I do is created digitally (once I've moved past the sketching and idea-generating stage) so it's wonderful every now and then to turn off the computer and make something with my hands.

Suite Française by Irène Némirovksy

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Suite Française is a remarkable work of fiction infused with an authenticity that can be attributed to the fact that Irène Némirovsky wrote it as real-life events unfolded. Originally planned as a five-novel cycle, only the first two parts, "Storm in June" and "Dolce", were completed before Némirovsky (a Jewish convert to Catholicism) was shipped to Auschwitz in 1942 where she died. Suite Française was lost until 2004 when Némirovsky's daughters unearthed the existence of their mother's prolific notebooks.

Némirovsky's goal in writing Suite Française according to a notebook entry was to reflect "daily life, the emotional life and especially the comedy it provides." In "Storm in June," the lives of disparate groups of Parisians are chronicled as they flee the city in the chaotic hours ahead of the German advance. Set in 1941, "Dolce" tells how the denizens of a quiet French farming village find ways to coexist with their Nazi rulers. 

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

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The Innocents Abroad should be required reading for anyone who plans on traveling abroad at any point in his or her life. It is Twain's account of a tour of Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land in 1867. In classic Twain fashion, The Innocents Abroad is full of satire, blunt honesty, and lots of humor. 

This is a great question. I think there are many misconceptions about what graphic designers do. Design isn't just opening Photoshop, throwing a few things together until it looks good, and calling it a day. Graphic design isn't just about knowing how to use the software or being artistic. Ultimately graphic design is about visual problem solving; it's about selling a product in a captivating way.

So why go to school for design? Well, I for one would not have been disciplined enough to go through and learn all the layers of design theory, typography, art history, etc., on my own, and knowing how to prioritize and balance all of that would be daunting to say the least. A design degree program has the course requirements all figured out so you're getting the information you need. Great design has substance; every design choice should have a raison d'être beyond "because it looks cool." Creating design with substance takes practice and being able to discuss it with and get feedback from professors is hugely helpful. Taking design classes also provides a place to meet and exchange ideas with other designers. This is one of the most invaluable aspects of working towards your degree, making connections with your peers and professors and possibly designers working professionally. Sure, there are designers who have done everything on their own and been successful at it, but this is a tough road. Many employers want to see that you have a degree because it gives them the peace of mind that you have a strong foundation of art and design knowledge that will help you do your job well.

I know this is a "book jacket redesign" blog. I also know this is not a book jacket. I'm breaking with tradition this week to tell you about a project I worked on over the summer that wrapped up this week. 

I met my good friend John Mirisola during my semester abroad in Italy. He is one of the funniest and most intelligent people I know. He also happens to be an amazing musician and one of the founding members of post-rock band Glass America. I had worked with them in the past to design some gig posters and jumped at the chance to design the album layout for their sophomore album, Fathom. Another friend from our Italy days, Sergiy Barchuk, painted the beautiful artwork. The band members wanted the album artwork to reflect the darker, moodier tone of the music. I loved working with them on this project; they are so passionate and intentional about their music which in turn really inspired my work. Thanks to John, Jared, Michael, Micah, and Rafaell for bringing me in for this project!

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

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I love Florence; around every corner is a church with world-famous Renaissance frescoes or sculptures. (There's also a gelateria where you can get gelato for a euro but that's a discussion for another day.) One of my favorite places is the Piazza della Signoria and the Loggia dei Lanzi. It's a prime spot for people watching. It also happens to be the setting of a pivotal scene in A Room with a View (see, my Italy ramblings did have a purpose).