Hawaii Book Cover Design Project

For one of my graphic design classes, I was tasked with creating a book cover for an assigned novel, "Hawaii" by James Michener, a historical compilation of stories about the region's history. Using a blend of Illustrator and Photoshop, I crafted a collage that captured the essence of the narrative while aesthetically showcasing the title. I blended a beautiful image of Hawaiian mountains with a transparent overlay of a antique map of Hawaii and then added a boat on top of it all to show the adventurous spirit of the novel. I manipulated the letterforms of the title to create a more custom and unique look instead of leaving them as-is and then I slightly tucked the title behind the mountains, adding depth to the collage. Surrounding the title, I also layered traditional Hawaiian patterns to show the native Hawaiian aspect of the novel.

On the back of the cover, I matched the wood of the boat with a closeup image of wooden boards and then layered vintage parchment and a compass to stick with the theme of the novel while also creating a good background for text.