OUGD503 - Studio brief 01 -  Penguin student design award briefs

The brief has three categories, adult fiction, adult non fiction and children book cover. It is my decision to pick one then continue my research into penguin, the book title, book cover design and other research paths relating to the brief. The book titles to choose include To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend. I believe the best and most efficient way of selecting a title is to read all the synopsises of the books, then choose one judging from the short passages. By doing this it'll skip past the process of researching all the books thoroughly, for me to only select one in the end. 

To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee uses memorable characters to explore civil rights and racism in the segregated Southern United States of the 1930s. Told through the eyes of Scout Finch, you learn about her father Atticus Finch, an attorney who hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man unjustly accused of rape; and about Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed.


In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences

On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues. As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerising suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ is the first book in the Adrian Mole series of comedic fiction, written by Sue Townsend. The book is written in a diary style, and focuses on the worries and regrets of a teenager who believes himself to be an intellectual.

From reading the short synopsises I gained a brief insight into each title, learning themes, motifs and symbols that may inform the design of the book cover. One title that stood out was To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the theme of good and evil coexisting and social inequality are something I'd be interested portraying in a book cover. Further research will continue to inform the design but at this stage To Kill A Mockingbird is the most appealing title to design for.