Kobo Editions eBook Covers
Role: Art Director, Lead Designer
Collaborators: Clariana Lorelli (Designer), Leah Flanigan (Designer), Rebecca Rooks (Designer)
Working with the Kobo Originals team, I created concepts and templates for the new Kobo Editions ebooks. The ask was to create a collection of book covers for classic novels that embrace their longevity, but also gives a contemporary spin to entice modern reading audiences. The covers are meant to look cohesive together, understanding that there is the potential to be hundreds, possibly thousands, of classics that could be published under the Kobo Editions aesthetic.
I presented 3 book cover concepts ranging from the most classic to the most modern. They had to be covers that were a) easily executed due to timelines and different designers working on them b) all work together cohesively (as I worked I imagined what these would look like as physical books on a shelf) and c) have the potential for endless covers to be made without looking repetitive d) be readable / recognizable in black and white on Kobo eReaders. They ended up choosing all 3 concepts to use, with Iconic representing classic books, Watercolour representing children’s books and Contemporary representing plays & poems. Currently there are hundreds of these editions live, with the collection expanding more each month.
During pandemic lockdowns, we were able to offer these editions for free to customers as a way to get them engaged with Kobo while also giving them an affordable past time to enjoy. Over 65,000 Kobo Editions were downloaded in this time.
-
Iconic
This concept is meant to embrace the elements of classic novels that make them iconic, while giving them a bit of a glow up to entice modern readers. The covers find a happy place between the past and the future so these stories can be enjoyed for decades to come.
-
Watercolour
Imagine the whimsy of getting lost in a book, the sensation of the pages between your hands, the fantasy of illustrations. The concept behind these covers is to evoke the memory of classic novels by using traditional details like the paper texture background and watercolour imagery. Illustrations by Mimomy Cute.
-
Contemporary
Since these books will live beside other covers, I created a look that's bold, graphic, and leverages contemporary cues to really stand out from everything else. This not only creates a cover that has prominence, but also makes these classics feel more fresh and relevant in the modern era.
