Studio Brief 01 - Study Task 02 - Existing Book Cover Analysis

This cover includes the original artwork, from when the book was first published in 1982. The artwork was illustrated and designed by illustrator Caroline Holden, which due to the popularity of this first design, she was then commissioned to design the covers for the rest of the series. Caroline specialises in children's book cover design, as she is a child's author herself, therefore her style has developed to suit a particular audience. 

 The cover has a sense of mystery, where you would have had to have read the book to grasp the meanings and significance of the objects in the front cover. When researching the covers, it was found that Sue Townsend specifically requested for the characters not to be on the front cover just possessions and furniture to give a feeling of the character. Which almost creates a puzzle and gives an insight into the personality of both the book itself and the characters. 

 The colour pencil drawings give a sense of nostalgia and child-like drawings, however taken on in a mature approach, which gives the suggestion that the book is not directly aimed at young children, but older children and young adults. The colours are quite grey toned and less saturated, creating a contrast against other children's books and the stereotypes of bright, primary colours and character illustrations. The illustrations also represent the context and time that the book was published and illustrated, was when illustrations and cartoonists were up and coming production satirical drawings on artwork of the government and the establishment in general. With the likes of Spitting Image and Not the 9 O'Clock news. Due to the content of the book and the discussion of politics within it, when analysing the cover this could have a deeper relationship imitating this type of artwork of the time.

 The setup and the scene that has been illustrated is that of a typical teenage boy, which therefore makes the cover relatable to a range of ages; those who are currently teenagers and those who have experienced this time and are now older. 

 The type which has been hand drawn, hints to the layout of the book which is in a form of the diary. Giving the book a personal, relatable touch again, which everyone of all ages can engage with and relate to. The contradiction of the Noddy, toothbrush and shaving implements has a broader significance of growing up, puberty and the problems and obstacles that everyone has suffered and come across within their lives. 

 The mirror which is the grounding of the whole cover, acts as a reflection for both the story itself, in a diary from, reflective of Adrian's life, but also for anyone who picks the book up, they almost can see themselves. It is a standard everyday scene that all ages can relate to and imagine themselves in the same situation. 
In conclusion this cover is successful for it's time I believe, however if this cover was used today, it would take a back seat upon the shelf, especially so when thinking of a younger audience. However if it was aimed towards an older audience, this cover, if used in the present day, would emit feelings of nostalgia from over 30 years ago, and the design would bring back those memories of the 80s and the political and social state of the country at that time. 

The second cover, was illustrated by Roderick Mills, who has a very raw, unfinished illustrative style. This cover is extremely simple and has a much more mature feel, it is minimal and both archaic, nostalgic.

This cover was found within the adult fiction section of the book shop, therefore it has a much more mature feel with a dull, grey toned colour palette. Due to the context of the the time of production, that is has been specifically designed for a 30th anniversary edition. Which therefore explains the old fashioned, muted palette and creating the effect of ink and coffee stained paper, to give it an aged, nostalgic feel. 

The cover wouldn't necessarily jump out on a shelf, therefore we assume that younger children were not in mind when designing it. However the use of typeface then counteracts this idea, as the writing is quite childlike and brings back that immature feel of a 14 year old.

The single image of the broken glasses, has a deeper meaning, of the troubles of teenagers and adolescents, the ideas of glasses, embarrassment and puberty, also the glasses are representative of bullying, which is a concept that is discussed within the book. The broken glasses act as a reference to the class of Adrian's family, the working class, it also hints at the role of the NHS at the time the book was written. On the other hand it can light heartedly represent the life of an average, inept, teenage boy. It also holds the idea of Adrian's future career prospects of becoming an intellectual. The illustration of the glasses holds a whole window into the life and personality of the character and the problems explored within the book. This cover however isn't the most engaging for teenagers to pick up, however the more mature, sophisticated style, is a move away from the childish books they read years ago, therefore a more mature cover and book will stand out to them as they begin a new chapter, on their journey to adulthood. 

The handwritten typeface also emits a feeling of a close personal message as if it was our own diary, as Adrian's character was made to relate to everyone of all ages, it's as if it is each  of our own personal message and an insight into someone's life. The layout of the cover also seems quite educational, to represent the amount of life lessons that are discussed and can be learnt from reading this book. 

The unfinished, messy style of the type and illustration also gives an isight into the imperfect life of Adrian in the book, and on a broader scale, the imperfect life of all of us, nothing ever runs smoothly. It is an intimate reading as when reading we feel events of our past and can relate the life and characters within the book to those we know and who we are and who we were. 

 In conclusion this cover is quite minimalistic, and therefore wouldn't be appropriate for children. however this cover is mainly aimed at adults, which explains the more sophisticated approach to the illustration. Therefore it successfully communicates the message well to this age of audience, as it doesn't give anything away, it leaves one object, one puzzle to give an insight into the book and character within. The typeface also brings a personal, nostalgic touch, which invites the audience to read as it seems, friendly, relatable and familiar, which all the ideas discussed in the book are to that certain age group. the cover successfully communicates the heart, warming, sentimental impression that the book creates. However I don't think it would stand out on a shelf, or engage with a younger audience, but it is appropriate for the genre within which the book was found in the book shop a more mature audience. 

The third and final cover has been illustrated and designed by Joe Berger, who has illustrated many children's books including, Superhero Dad and Michael Rosen's A-Z, he has also written and illustrated his own books, including Bridget Fidget and has continued to illustrate and write a comic strip along with Pascal Wyse called The Pitchers which can be found within the Guardian. 

Therefore Joe has developed a certain style for children's books, mainly for younger children though, which maybe is why this book seems a bit immature for the intended audience, as the book isn't really appropriate for much younger children. This cover seems to have been designed specifically with a younger audience in mind, using much more vivid colours and comes across as youthful and engaging. This cover would definitely stand out on a shelf a lot more than the other two, and contrast against them.

 The key focus of the front cover is the type and the illustration of the main character. The illustration of the character has been placed carefully, as the book covers his face to leave most of the imagination to the reader themselves. It also infers that the focus of the book is purely on this character, as no other messages or clues are communicated or given.

 The type, similar to the previous cover, is extremely hand drawn and illustrative, emitting the feelings of a personal, hand written book, to represent the content of the diary inside. The added ink blotches infers the stereotype of a typical teenage boy, messy and chaotic personality traits. 

 In conclusion, I feel as though this book is too childish for the content, as Townsend originally meant for the book to be for adults, and young adults, therefore I feel this cover will attract the wrong type of audience and will be inappropriate for a younger age group. Even when placed in the young adult section, this age group will not want to pick up this book, as the cover looks too childish and immature, and they are looking for a more mature, grown up books to read. The cover doesn't necessarily relate to the content inside, it makes the content seem appropriate for a young audience, when in actual facts the topics and ideas discussed throughout the book are much more mature themes, such as politics and society. 

All books have a strong use of typography in common.