In my JMC:2030 Visual Communications and Design class, I was asked to come up with two visually dynamic book cover designs for a book, one symmetrical and one asymmetrical. The focus was on composition, as opposed to creativity. In the end, the main goal is supposed to show my competence in creating hierarchy, movement, and balance.

When looking at this mock-up of the Sunrise on the Reaping book, your eye goes to the title as the strongest focal point, especially SUNRISE in large yellow text. REAPING is emphasized next as it’s bold and has a filled box behind it, making a layered hierarchy. This then moves your eyes down the arm to the author’s name. Which goes around to the bowl, making a visual path that’s circular. This cover uses asymmetrical balance, as the black silhouette on the right is balanced by the bowl and title on left. It feels like a dynamic piece, which creates movement throughout the piece. The contrast is strong between the solid colors and the textured background. There’s also repetition with the background pattern. It’s visually compelling since the silhouette creates tension in the piece and may make the viewer curious as to how it connects to the story.

With this mock-up of the Sunrise on the Reaping book, SUNRISE dominates the top in large dark orange text, which immediately grabs a viewer’s attention. ON THE REAPING is still eye-catching, but not as dominant as it moves down. The glowing sun on fire acts as a visual anchor, while the author’s name stays small at the bottom. Your eye is instantly drawn to the sun, then moves outward across the horizon line. From there, the viewer reads the title top-to-bottom. The flames and light rays subtly guide the eye to move upward. This cover uses symmetrical balance, keeping everything side-by-side and aligned. Everything radiates from the middle. The color gradient, which goes from deep orange to bright yellow reinforces the sunrise theme, which also creates unity as the colors flow from top-to-bottom. It’s visually compelling since the glowing light and symmetry creates a symbolic image for this specific book, making it feel dramatic.