Name: _____________________________ Illustration & Design – Mr. Vedder
Book Jacket Designs
Objectives: To create a fictitious book jacket design illustrating
a “modern romance”, “true crime” or “action thriller” using
intriguing storylines, effective text, and creative artwork. Use
the library for inspiration and see which book jackets draw your
eye.
Challenges: To develop and imagine a fictional story and
translate the concept into a visual story for a book jacket
design. Think about what type of book you would read yourself.
Take your interests and incorporate them into your book jacket
design.
Illustrators to explore: Mary Grandpre, Cliff Wright, Gail Doobinin and
Stephen King book designs.
Requirements:

Library research. Find an interesting book jacket design and check it out
of the library. Your personal book jacket can be inserted for a realistic
look and feel.
 Sketchbook work showing the development of your book jacket. Try
different compositions, ideas and use of text.
 An effective title of the book and a one line descriptive sentence to entice
the reader. Make sure it clearly separates from the background.
 A creative front cover that tells a visual story relating to the book.
 Back cover that relates to the front cover to create a sense of unity of
design. On the back should be a short synopsis of the book.
 Design of the spine of the book that relates to the front and back covers.
 Use of at least three different materials. Explore different media.
 Clean craftsmanship and use of class time.
A Brief History of Book Jackets
Dust jackets were first used during the 19th century. During this period
books were expensive items bound in fine materials such as leather or silk
and displayed as desirable objects. Such examples of craftsmanship
needed protection during their journey from the bookseller or binder to the
library, and so the dust jacket came about. Initially these were just plain
paper wrappers and once a book had been unwrapped its dust jacket was
thrown away.
The oldest dust jackets held in the British Library Dust Jacket Collection
date from 1919
It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that British publishers slowly
began to realize how useful dust jackets could be in promoting the books
they contained and in providing useful advertising space for other
publications. Over time dust jackets became increasingly decorative. A
striking jacket design would be more likely to grab the attention of the
bookshop browser and could also be used to advertise other books
published by the same company. By the 1920s it had become common
practice for publishers to issue their books with illustrated dust jackets.
The function of the dust jacket had changed from providing protection to
being an important promotional tool.
As the use of the dust jacket as a marketing device rose, the art of the
publisher's 'blurb' developed, first occurring around 1910. This might
include a brief synopsis of the text, biographical information on the author
with perhaps even a portrait of them, along with details of other books by
the same author and publisher.
Following World War I, the standards of dust jacket design rose as high
quality artists started to work commercially.
Today old dust jackets have become valued items. A first edition book
becomes infinitely more collectable (and valuable) if paired with its original
dust jacket. What was once a throwaway item used purely to preserve the
book it housed has now become covetable in itself.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-the-dust-jacket/