METAMORPHOSIS

EDITORIAL DESIGN

A closed cover of The Metamorphosis book laid on a left angle on a grey background.
An open book showcasing the front dust jacket and half page with the title and a white insect image.
The Metamorphosis book with the book laid faced down on a grey background.
An open magazine spread of an image of a woman in a denim dress running with her backside to the camera through a field of grass..

THE CLIENT & PROJECT

Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is a classical story of Gregor, a salesman who turns into an insect overnight. This project required me to redesign the book cover and stylize the text.

Two closed books laid ontop of one another in a left angle on a grey background.

THE TOOLS

Illustrator

InDesign

Photoshop

THE PURPOSE

The book cover was redesigned with the purpose of attracting a new set of audience while maintaining the tone of the classic story.

THE STRATEGY

By first familiarizing myself with the plot of the story, I wanted to emphasize the human form of the character and entrap the insect and the darkness from his room within his silhouette.

An image of the cover design with a figure of a boy with superimposed images of a beetle image and a dark hallway.
A darkly lit hallway with two faint light sources on the walls.
A boy with brown hair covering his eyes looking at the camera.
A close up shot of a beetle on a plant stem with a green background.

The images superimposed through Photoshop to create the cover image for the redesign.

The first page of chapter one showcasing the beetle image on top of the chapter number and name.
Half Title page with an image of an insect, title and author beneath.
A spread of the book dust cover design with the flaps on either side, the author's information on the back, spine and the front cover design.

THE PROCESS

Through the creation of a mood board composed of existing book covers and images related to the theme of the book, I was able to create the book cover.

The cover image was created by using three different images of a beetle, boy and a dark room (as shown above) to create one cohesive image that represented the overall plot.

A drawing of a black insect.

The chosen typography represents the classical nature of the story while also showcasing a transformation similar to the plot of the story.

The story is about Gregor’s thoughts and struggles from his transformation and not the process of turning into an insect. Unlike the other covers, I wanted to show that he is still the main character without emphasizing the insect that he becomes.

TT Frantz B typeface showcasing letters, numbers and symbols.
TT Frantz B typeface showcasing letters, numbers and symbols.
TT Frantz C typeface showcasing letters, numbers and symbols.
TT Frantz C typeface showcasing letters, numbers and symbols.

THE LESSON

I was able to learn how to superimpose multiple images to create a cohesive image for the cover through the use of Adobe Photoshop.

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