Fresh Cover
I was approached by Abrams Books to create the cover for Margot Wood’s debut novel “Fresh.” They were looking for a type-focused, super bright and big, and bold cover for a young adult novel which is the story of a girl and her college experience that goes not quite as she planned.
Role
3D Type, 3D Illustration
Art Direction
Hana Nakamura
Agency
Abrams Books
Year
2021
Process
I was given the synopsis of the book to base the cover on: “While Elliot McHugh is undecided about most things (including her major), when she arrives at Emerson College she feels ready to experience everything college has to offer—from hooking up with lots of new people, to dancing all night at parties, to finding her tribe of friends on her dorm floor.”
I was also given the object list: laundry detergent, ping-pong, a whiteboard, solo cups, crumpled-up notes
a rainbow pin or sticker or patch, or the bi flag
Phase 1 Concepts
Phase 2 Concepts
The concept chosen was the spilled alcohol and solo cup. They wanted a simpler version of the spill so the type was the focus. I kept the gradient to allude to the pride and bi flags. I tried out different forms of spills.
Phase 3 Concepts
We chose a more minimal and legible lettering style with a vertical orientation. The background chosen from the 3 choices was navy.