In this elective students will learn the art of communicating the contents of a book through its cover. Students will receive a range of real world cover design briefs and will work to produce professional cover art in response. Students will create covers for singular books as well as work to develop a complete aesthetic for a series. They will consider the limits and possibilities of mass production and sustainable approaches to publishing. There will be a consideration of the environmental impact of relevant design choices such as paper stock, foiling, debossing and embossing. Students will learn how to balance their artistic vision with industry standards and the inevitable demands of marketing departments. Alongside work on their own cover designs, students will study examples of classic, contemporary and experimental book design from around the world. Students will learn about integrating image and type through experimentation and discussion of how each of these elements transmit meaning.This will lead into an examination of book cover design as a tool for reaching an audience. Representation and authorship will be considered in relation to groups of people traditionally underserved by mainstream publishing. Attention will be paid to the nuance of designing book covers for children and young adults as well as adult fiction and nonfiction. Guests art directors and editors will be invited to critique the students’ work.