The aim of my design for the Emil and the Detectives book jacket was to create a contemporary finish to appeal to today's younger audience but still keep hold of the charm from the original tale that was published many decades ago.
Production and Developmental Process
Concept
The whole process took SO LONG. This was due to the volume of intricate detail as well as carefully planning placement taking into consideration the narrative of the cover. I based my design on a Police evidence board; an analogue mapping method using string, photographs and physical pieces of evidence on a large scale pin-board. Evidence boards are still used today to define crucial links and themes in aid of solving crime. This meant that the overall design was made up of a compilation of individually crafted images having to be placed in accordance with the layout being based on the events that happen within the book.
Methods and Processes
Each individual image was drawn out in Illustrator, using a combination of flat vector shapes and(recently discovered)textured brushes. The choice of media was difficult, having to take into consideration the age and era the book was set in and applying this to a modern audience. I thought that using digital tools to refine the images would create a more contemporary feel, especially with the added effect of the textured brushes.
Difficulties
Colour Scheme
I had absolutely no idea what kind of colour scheme I should use, and it doesn't help either that I am not gifted with creating strong colour schemes. Some initial ideas included the colours of the German flag; black red and yellow or the primary colours, or just three colours that could merely compliment each other. As there is a lot going on in my book jacket, I decided not to be too strict on colours, but not go completely wild with them at the same time. Ultimately I chose three base colours which were muted hues of light blue, red and green, which became the scheme for the key elements: the background, spine, string and pins. It worked really well having three base colours and working alternative colours for example skin and hair tones into the required sections, as well as incorporating the lemon-yellow post-it notes.
In a past tutorial Teresa advised me that children are likely to pick up the book that stands out from the rest, with one of the most important factors being colour. The yellow is eye-catching but isn't a complete eye-saw in relation to the rest of the colours, so hopefully it will have its desired effect!
Perfectionism..
Because the design had so much going on within a small frame, my perfectionist habits kicked in and I literally spent hours painstakingly adjusting tiny little details until I was 100% content with the finished look.
I also struggled with the images looking flat, so to amend this one of my course mates showed me how to create a drop shadow to create a three dimensional illusion, which made so much difference! You simply pick the colour of the background, in my case it was blue, and open the colour palette on Photoshop and drag the selection tool down to a darker shade. Then copy the shape, for example the square post it note, and place it behind the original, move it slightly to the left/right and decrease the opacity and viola, a drop shadow!
So in theory, being picky and perfect does have its advantages at times.
Evaluation
The whole process of developing a book jacket for Emil and the Detectives was certainly a long one, but I am so proud of what I have produced, and can probably say that it is my best piece of illustration to date (in my opinion). It was difficult to completely devote my time to this particular brief as so much is currently happening with other projects, so time management skills were essential, although I did go run over my time plan by two, nearly three weeks. Nevertheless, I believe my design answers the brief precisely with a strong imaginative concept that considers both the 1920's charm of the story as well as the aspects of today's modern society.
I found it surprisingly difficult to try and gauge the age range of the target audience. I understand that it is a children's book with the content being understood at the reading age of approximately seven, but as children grow so fast, have such a short attention span and are desperate to be grown up you have to be so precise with methods of visual and written communication. Although thorough research helped me to define a suitable audience in mind when I was sketching out initial designs. Reading the book also helped me to reflect on the way I read as a child, by asking myself questions such as 'would I have been able to read this at age seven?', 'would I have understood what this word meant?' etc.
To conclude, I have thoroughly enjoyed working on Emil and the Detectives especially as this is the first book jacket that I have worked on, and am proud of the outcome (for once). The process has given me valuable insights into effectively targeting specific age groups of children, as well as the challenges that come with re-designing such a historical story without distorting the originality beyond recognition. I would be enthusiastic to take on further book jacket briefs in the future, and am definitely going to enter the competition again in upcoming years.
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