“if you told me to describe myself in one word, it would be “not very good at following directions.”
― Lemony Snicket
If you’ve ever seen the movie, A Series of Unfortunate Events, then you already know how brilliant Lemony Snicket is. Poison for Breakfast brings out all of the best of the beautifully intriguing world of Snicket, so of course I had to tackle a redesign of this famous read. So what’s my goal? To create a book cover that not only grabs attention but also sets the perfect tone for Snicket's delightfully dark narrative.
Visual Conceptualization
“If I were making up a story, I would have it gray and miserable outside, but it was sunny and miserable instead,”
― Lemony Snicket
If there is anything we can say for sure about Lemony Snicket is that his work is filled with absurdity and obscurity, so first things first, I dove headfirst into the book, jotting down key themes, motifs, and memorable moments. Some of my inspiration came from book titles that focused on typography and pushing the boundaries of using every day objects to make a landscape.
I drew some sketches that I felt captured the essence of the book such as breakfast foods, tea, honey, and eventually I landed on the idea of using papers like the kinds of notes the main character of the book was leaving behind.
Typestudies
“I am a loneliness savant.”
― Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket has a very distinct voice when it comes to his books, so I wanted to really capture the whimsy with some fun type choices. I chose Doublebass for it’s funky up and down feel, which is what reading Poison for Breakfast feels like.
Visual Concepts
“It is almost as if enormous philosophical questions are not designed to be answered at all, but just to make you think.”
― Lemony Snicket
Some of the early iterations included a lot of collage work and picking patterns that would capture the colorful world of Lemony Snicket.I wanted the cover to be enigmatic yet inviting, a visual puzzle that called readers to uncover its secrets. Playing with the color of different papers, I explored various concepts, and decided on a blend of vintage aesthetics and minimalism, with a dash of whimsy thrown in for good measure.
Concepts
“Nobody knows anything at all. We have no idea what is happening. We are all bewildered.”
― Lemony Snicket
For these concepts, the emphasis is placed on the collage artwork and painting that evokes the sense of mystery and intrigue present in the book. Various visual elements are arranged in a dynamic composition, with the title integrated into the design. This concept aims to capture the imagination of potential readers and spark curiosity.
Final Iteration
“. . . while life is full of surprises, you can't leave any part of life out. Everything that happens to you happens to you. Often boring, sometimes exhausting, and occasionally thrilling, every moment of life is unskippable.” ― Lemony Snicket
This design effectively combines bold typography with subtle collage elements to create a visually striking and thematically appropriate cover. The title stands out prominently, while the background imagery hints at the mysterious and puzzling nature of the narrative. Overall, the final design successfully achieves the objectives of the redesign project and is set to attract readers.
