Book cover design

Design of the cover of the commemorative book for the 90^th anniversary of Itxaropena

Context

The Itxaropena publishing house has played a fundamental role in the promotion and preservation of the Basque language over the decades, contributing to the cultural and literary development of the region.

After starting out as a printing house, it also entered the field of publishing, becoming the leading Basque-language publishing house during the Franco regime.

On the occasion of the creation of a commemorative exhibition (view image below) that would bring together the main works along its route, the exhibition was accompanied by a catalogue-book with texts by personalities of current Basque culture. And in view of the need to create a cover and a poster for the exhibition, I was asked to collaborate.

Challenge

Design a cover to capture the essence of this 90-year legacy in a cover that not only honoured the past, but also resonated with today's audiences.

Design requirements

-> The brand identity ‘Itxaropena’ must be recognisable
-> The cover should inspire a sense of celebration and pride in the 90-year history of the publishing house and printing house
-> The design should arouse readers' interest in exploring the history and achievements of the publishing house
-> The design should reflect the linguistic and cultural richness of Basque, evoking its uniqueness and historical depth
-> The design should incorporate the image of “Kuliska sorta” in the centre of the cover (Kuliska sorta).
-> The design should reflect the linguistic and cultural richness of the Basque language, evoking its uniqueness and historical depth.
-> The design should incorporate the image of ‘Kuliska sorta’ in the centre of the cover (see image below).

Moodboard

My approach focused on fusing the style of past decades with the modernity of contemporary design:

Conceptualisation

Based on a model of the time, I created various compositions, adapting them to the current style. Simple shapes that divide the space and striking contrasts between the colours are the basis of the design:

The core concept of the design is based on the idea of merging traditional and contemporary elements of Basque and print, thus creating an image that reflects the dynamic evolution of the publishing house over time. Visual elements such as historical Basque typographies and relevant editorial symbols will be used to convey the heritage and unique identity of the publishing house.

Solution