Brief
Redesign the book jackets for a series you have read and enjoyed, drawing inspiration from key themes, characters, and story elements. Create a cohesive visual system that connects each cover while allowing each book to have its own identity. The final designs should work together as a unified set suitable for marketing and retail.
Process
For this project, I chose to redesign the book jackets for Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series with a focus on the mythology and creatures within the stories. Rather than centering Percy Jackson, as many existing editions do, I drew inspiration from the mythical creatures, environments, and imaginative world-building found throughout the series. I also explored a new illustrative style to give the books a fresh visual identity.
I wanted the covers to communicate that there is much more to the Percy Jackson universe than its main character. By featuring the creatures and mythology found within the stories, the jackets give readers a glimpse into the expansive world they are about to enter. I also wanted the three covers to function as more than individual designs, creating a visual connection between the books that would encourage readers to collect the entire set.
Using the project brief as a foundation, I illustrated creatures and visual elements inspired by the stories and developed each cover around a different environment. When placed together, the three jackets form a continuous scene that moves from the depths of the world, through the land, and into the sky. This triptych approach creates a cohesive set while giving each book its own visual identity. Beyond creating a unified series, the connected artwork serves as an additional marketing element, allowing readers to display the three jackets together as a larger illustrated scene.
Book Jackets
Triptych Side by Side
Printed Book Jackets
