Ep. 305 - Become a book cover designer with Ahlawat Gunjan

Introduction

As per Wikipedia, the phrase “You can never tell a book by its cover” was popularized when it appeared in the 1946 murder mystery, Murder in the Glass Room, by Lester Fuller and Edwin Rolfe: So let's talk about books today from a designer’s lens. For this episode, I have, Multiple award winning designer, Ahlawat Gunjan. He is Head of Design at Penguin Random House, India. Ahlawat has a master’s degree in graphic design from The Glasgow School of Art, UK. Previous to that he spent a semester at Indiana-Purdue University, USA, focusing on design thinking, innovation, and leadership. At the core, he is from NID, Ahmedabad.

What goes into making a book cover design? Secrets of Book Publishing, what goes into making a book, the future of physical books in the digital world, and a few tips if you wish to get into editorial design or publication.

Questions

1. They often say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” Although the metaphorical meaning is different, but how does that feel to you as a designer? How true it is in the world of Book Design?
2. What are the fundamental principles of effective book cover design? How is the balance achieved between telling a story through the cover, aesthetics, and shelf presence to grab a potential reader's attention?
3. How does cover design differ across genres? (literary fiction vs. Children’s book vs. Biographies and oh… there are endless categories) What role does audience research play in cover design decisions?
4. Beyond the cover, what design elements go into creating a cohesive and reader-friendly book experience (typography, layout, illustrations, etc.)?
5. How does the design team collaborate with authors and editors throughout the publishing process? Can you walk us through the entire process from penning it down to finally in the reader's hand?
6. What factors influence the size and dimensions of a book (content type, target audience, printing costs, etc.)?
7. With the rise of digital reading, how is the role of design evolving in the publishing industry?
8. I recently was in London and went to Waterstones. They have multiple stores. The one at Piccadilly Circus was 4 4-story huge building. The sections/categories they had were crazy. Each airport has a bookstore. What is the future of books in this digital age? What design trends do you see shaping the future of printed books?
9. How can one be a book designer? What advice would you give to aspiring book designers?
10. What are some of the most iconic book cover designs in history, and why are they effective? Any that you designed and felt nice about or had a good recall?

Reference reading

1. https://www.ahlawatgunjan.com/about
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLT_nLTtyPc
3. https://books.google.com.sg/books/about/Slow_Is_Beautiful.html?id=nMLFzwEACAAJ&source=kp_author_description&redir_esc=y
4. https://www.instagram.com/ahlawat.gunjan/?hl=en
5. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahlawat-gunjan-8b866015/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&originalSubdomain=in
6. https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/ahlawat-gunjan/
7. https://www.amazon.in/Slow-Beautiful-Ultimate-Journal-Mindful/dp/0670095265
8. https://booksfirst.in/2023/02/01/ahlawat-gunjan-i-always-try-to-strive-for-simplicity/
9. https://scroll.in/article/1041022/with-easy-to-use-prompts-visual-designer-ahlawat-gunjan-teaches-how-to-see-reflect-and-create-art
10. https://www.joinpaperplanes.com/ahlawat-gunjan/
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_judge_a_book_by_its_cover
12. https://www.instagram.com/ahlawat.gunjan/