The final spread that will be submitted to the Penguin book brief competition. Designed for A Clockwork Orange the main feature of the spread is the large uppercase sans serif, enticing the audience from the first look, and setting serious authoritative pragmatics with not only the use of uppercase which instills volume, but the colour choice of black. A light dusty pink for the background of the cover contrasts brilliantly and incorporates a contemporary feel, modernising an old classic. The spine would perhaps be one of the first things the user might see, this is kept minimal with a black solid colour and white text, although simplistic, it does not distract from the elements on the front cover.
The imagery used is an image that has been heavily manipulated of the UK. This was done to convey the downward spiral that the dystopian society set in the book is facing; corruption and violence are all heavy themes of A Clockwork Orange, and the imagery captures a somewhat 'glitch' that has took place for the UK to become so grim. Again the size and placement of the imagery is contemporary and leaves negative space letting the other elements 'breathe'. This was taken from my original manipulation here:
The use of geometric shape with a thick stroke is modern and adds another ingredient to the design. The composition overall fills the dimension. On the cover, the use of a long rectangle which intertwines and frames a selection of letters signifies part of the title "clockwork", the rectangle appears to be going clockwise around the letters, overlapping accurately.
The use of 'broken' word is also a contemporary aesthetic that hits certain trends within design currently.
Taking the feedback I gained during crits, I managed to create a resolution that is the most appropriate. It was said that in previous versions the text was not legible enough when placed with the busy manipulated image; a resolution to this problem was to of course make the title text bigger, bolder and eye catching, whilst positioning the other elements to compliment this design decision, therefore not overlapping image and text so it is much more legible.
Although during feedback a lot of peers could not tell what the image was, I think this adds an overtone of mystery and keeps the reader guessing. From the aesthetic of the image, you can definitely tell something is not right.
Overall the cover effectively appeals to the target audience of young adults/adults and brings a unique concept that may not have been created for this widely redesigned publication.
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