the Ogmios Directive
While working for small fantasy/sci-fi publisher Snowbooks I had the privilege of working with a fantastic author named Steven Savile. His series the Ogmios Directive was due a redesign, and I happily got to work on updating the look of the series to a more modern, clean feel.
See below for the series in full, and below that are direct comparisons from the original.
CHAPTER 1. Redesign
It’s hard enough to come up with an original idea, but I found it even harder to take an existing book and slap a new face on it. There was already a die-hard fan group for this series that I was terrified of letting down – never mind the 6 authors.
However, once I’d decided upon doing something completely new and scrapped everything, things became easier.
Taking one symbol from the book and making it the sole focus for the cover gave it a much more modern feel. It also allowed for a delicious bookshelf view, as the spines lined up perfectly – with their own little symbol (see images below).
Similarly, giving each a colour tied them in as a series and gave it a more unified presence.
CHAPTER 2. Brand awareness
This was also the first instance of introducing the new Snowbooks band – that strip of colour at the bottom with a snowflake inside.
I don’t know if you’ve ever had to design a series of books and had to have things line up quite so perfectly – but let me tell you I bricked it the first time.
Imagine lining them up on your shelves and each band was a totally different height, the shame.
Fortunately I am a smart and attentive cookie, and the printer gods were on side, and they came out fabulously.
Credit
Cover photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash
