book-cover-for-ready-player-one.md

title: "Creating a Book Cover for 'Ready Player One'"
slug: "book-cover-for-ready-player-one"
date: 1521557596000
category: "design"
published: true

For a project in my Design Foundation program at Humber College, I was tasked with creating a book cover for a book of my choosing. At the time, I was really enjoying Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One," a novel set in a dystopian future filled with references to the 1980s.

I began by researching appropriate typefaces and collecting fan art and other visual references that captured the book's spirit. Because I am not a skilled artist, I found a 3D model of an arcade cabinet online and modified its perspective using Blender. I then colored the cabinet by hand in Photoshop.

Next, I tackled the back cover, which presented a challenge because I was required to include all of the existing text from the book's cover. This meant carefully considering the font, size, and color of the text to make it readable despite the large amount of reviews. I chose colors inspired by the branding of old VHS tapes for the back cover and sides of the book.

Finally, I applied a VHS effect to the entire design using Photoshop. When I presented the cover to my professor, they suggested changing the text featuring Steven Spielberg's name to improve readability.

Overall, this project allowed me to explore my creativity and develop my design skills. I am proud of the final product and how it accurately captures the essence of "Ready Player One."