Bush: Okay. Not Great.
Well, finally:
My feelings could best be summarized as “a shrug.”
I feel a little bad for the authors, one of whom loved it enough to get in touch with me directly to thank me. The editor was surprised I didn’t like it more, either, but .… well, getting ahead of myself.
Here’s the runner-up:
I think they made the right choice between these two; although I prefer the photo treatment on the second, the first is the more powerful. I wasn’t satisfied with the runner-up when I presented it to the client, and I’m still not satisfied with it now. The type is wrong — the placement is almost there, but I never found a font I like. And then there are the colors. (Black 6 wasn’t better.)
That font is Sackers Gothic, the best of the style that I had available, but not quite what I wanted. Berlidin had more style, but the wrong kind, something the Sackers Roman was also guilty of. Not in a position with what I make on these covers to go buying fonts on speculation, so stuck with what I had — and never wound up finding anything to make the runner up “fit.”
The winner’s better, but still missing … something.
Part of it is a general level of frustration with how long this title took — and then running out of time, having to make do rather than being able to finish. Most of our readers know I’m not a Bush fan (in, ahem, a big way), but that doesn’t mean I can’t play neutrality — and I think this treads that line well. Pretty uplifting for Bush fans, but a few details for the left, too, if you look carefully. (No, I’m not going to be more specific…;)
No, it’s that I wanted more return for the time, or still more time. Sheesh.
The winner was based on draft 85a. The third final draft, which I discarded, was 49b12a. The “runner-up” was 111a4a4. That means the one hundred eleventh “idea,” second “branch” (a branch is a significant change of direction within an idea; I change the version numbers so I can go back and restart from where that “branch” happened if I want), fourth revision, second “branch” a second time, and another four revisions.
It took ten days to complete those hundred-plus different ideas, and now that the dust is beginning to settle, I’m just not satisfied with the results.
I’d appreciate feedback on how you, as someone interested enough to read this, would improve both of these covers, especially if you’re a book design professional. Thank you. (Follow-up: If you’d like, and you’re a Flickr user, make specific comments with Flickr’s “notes” feature. Thanks to Dystopos for the good idea.)
Major kudos on this project belong with the editor, Charlotte Roh. I’d worked with a previous editor, Rob Tempio, for a couple of years, and liked and respected him very much. He moved on to Princeton University Press just as this project started, and Charlotte took over — and proved very good to work with. (Not to mention patient.) Then, at the end of our first project, I rain on myself, hard.
So what does she do? Request me for another Bush title, coming next month. Second chance, here we come. Thank you, Charlotte.
TrackBacks: 0
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at 4:14 PM.
Posted to Book design | Flickr | Jobs | Personal | Type and typography
Comments:
Well, I agree that the placement of the image in the chosen cover and the transition to the blue section above it is awkward. I much prefer the runner-up’s use of image, although the screened light-blue dulls the image.
My biggest problem with them is the type, however. Somehow they both look academic. Perhaps it’s the quietness of all the type other than the title. Everything seems very safe and quiet.
And, the more I look at it, the less I like the photo. It, too is somewhat dull. It doesn’t say much. (Or perhaps it’s that it seems to say, quietly, that it approves of the subject, which I don’t. So this might be my bias coming out.)
Don’t mean to be negative. I admire that you put these out for comments. I also think you’re crazy to do it.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. The top one’s pretty good. “Bush Doctrine” type is a little chunky, perhaps, and I agree with the post on Flickr that Understanding the is a little under-emphasized. I always have an issue with blue and red against each other: they shimmer. If you want to use them together, they should be separated by white.
I much prefer the runner-up’s use of image, although the screened light-blue dulls the image.
Originally, that photo was in the Black 6c, which was much darker. Alas, the authors felt “lost” without something running across the bottom, leading to adding the second color, which meant a balance. Or lack thereof, in this case.
Thousand “if onlys” on this project.
My biggest problem with them is the type, however. Somehow they both look academic.
It is an academic/scholarly title, so to a certain extent I was specifically trying to avoid something that would look appropriate on the talk shows. (For instance.)
Having said that, while I like the type choice on the winner (at least for the headline — coulda/shoulda have done a variety), I dislike the type on the second in a big way. Thought I had the placement, but needed the excitement.
And, the more I look at it, the less I like the photo.
I was operating within very specific photo guidelines: Bush, at a podium, with a flag background, ideally over his shoulder. There’s a limited set. (All expensive, too.)
Don’t mean to be negative. I admire that you put these out for comments. I also think you’re crazy to do it.
Thanks for your comments, Dan. I don’t take it negatively. I want to be better at what I do — there are amazing book designers out there, and, simply put, I want to be one of them.
I work at it full-time. But I also toil out of my house in the middle of Georgia. In order to connect with the kind of people I want to learn from, you gotta get out there.
’Sides, I make a good piñata…;)
an issue with blue and red against each other: they shimmer
I tried and rejected lighter type where the red is (lots of side-by-sides on this one), but often not for the best reasons. Here’s a good example: I took the tradeoff in readability with the red not working too well because it’s only used on things I wanted to recede into the background anyway.
Requested a matte finish, by the way. Hope that will help with the shimmering.
Had to have red white and blue. [Shakes his head.] Sheesh.
(And don’t even get me started on the next Bush title. Thinking black and white…;)
maybe add butter and a lobster…
Just saw this entry, Giles. Thanks for the good words. You know that I love your work!