Experiments in Form

Designing a book cover in 6 hours after the publisher failed to deliver.

In the summer of 2023, my colleague Sam Black completed his book and began working with a publisher on the cover design. After about six weeks of back-and-forth—sharing ideas but making no real progress—Sam messaged me in desperation, asking for help. We had just one day to come up with a design he could feel confident about.

I told him I’d give it my best shot and got to work immediately. But after four hours of effort, I still had nothing promising. Frustrated, I stepped away to grab lunch and clear my head. During the drive, inspiration struck. I returned, quickly built out the idea, and when I showed it to Sam—he loved it.