a sneak peak of the MoMA’s Alvin Lustig holdings

Elaine Lustig Cohen meets with the MoMA to discuss a massive collection of Alvin Lustig designed materials in the MoMA’s Library and Museum Archives!

(via The Daily Heller)

Penguin book covers “organized neatly” photograph by ClareNol

(via thingsorganizedneatly)

“Q & A with David Drummond, Salamander Hill Design”
(via The Casual Optimist)

series of 5 ‘Penguin Modern Poets’ book covers with photograms, c. 1962

photograms by Peter Barrett

(via unexpectedables)

“How to Design a Cover in 1:55 seconds”

The Creative Director of Orbit Books, Lauren Panepinto, shows the time consuming process of designing a book cover in a time-lapse video and offers additional comments on the project.

Camille Rose Garcia & Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

likeable:

Covers for Your Covers: Kate Spade downloadable wallpapers

Possibly the coolest website placeholder I’ve seen

Spines for cover + jacket designs by Peter Mendelsund
(via jacket mechanical, courtesty of Ben Pieratt)

Book Covers on the iPhone (via Book Cover Archive blog)

A film adaptation of the 1978 children’s book classic, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will hit theaters in Fall 2009.

paperback cover designs by Emma J. Wallace for Orion’s Future Classics

I’m always amazed when a designer is able to pull off cover designs sans titles and author names on the front. I think this is a lovely and refreshing looking series.

(discussion on her process via FaceOut Books)

Book Cover Design Made Easy by Tom Gauld
(discovered via casual optimist)

Lately rejected/killed designs have been a hot subject on the blogosphere. Following this trend, blurb, has launched their “Killed Ideas” competition. “This is where great ideas come to play. You nailed it the first time and you know it. — Now it’s time to bring your best work back, and let it stand on its own.”

It’s really interesting to see how designs that used to never have the chance to see the light of day outside the office, are getting some air time with the general public.

Many designers have sections on their websites dedicated to their favorite ideas that didn’t make it. There is a Rejected Designs pool on flickr. And book cover designer Kimberly Glyder just launched her Shelved Books blog.

I get a kick out of looking through rejected comps of designers I admire (and often find ones that I am shocked didn’t make the cut). But when it comes to sharing my own, I feel squirmish about this. Usually I place an incredible amount of trust in the final judgment of art directors, editors, authors, publishers, marketing people, etc. There are educated reasons why certain designs are killed (even if I struggle internally to agree), and I worry that presenting these designs on the web could be seen as disrespectful. What do you think? Am I just too old fashioned?

Kafka on the Shore (via The Book Design Review)

sneaking pictures in a thrift store
(via uppercaseyyc)

This image reminds me of the cover Ben Gibson designed for Sloane Crosley’s I Was Told There’d Be Cake which used a close up image of a mattress from You Work For Them.