Faber & Faber Well – Book cover design

Well, is a dark and gritty debut novel by American author Matthew McIntosh. Publishers Faber & Faber had been struggling to capture the correct visual tone for the sleeve design, so they commissioned graphic design studio Superfried for a fresh creative solution.

This was a challenging brief, since it was a collection of unconnected short stories. The heterogeneous content led to the development of a wide variety of design iterations and illustration styles. Design experimentation continued until the desired balance of visual tone and impact was achieved.

The final creative solution captured a common thread throughout the novel. Although the stories were not directly connected, there was a subtle link via the consistent sombre fate of the protagonist of each tale. It was this key connection that resonated with the interlocking fingers within the photography. The exaggerated, repeating nature of the hands provided a slightly unsettling vibe. Finally, recolouring the design solution for the book jacket with a sombre, cold blue hue established the missing sinister edge.