Book Design Course

Lesson 1 • History and Evolution of Book Design

Traces book design from manuscript illumination through digital publishing. Historical context informs contemporary aesthetic and structural decisions.

Lesson 2 • What Book Design Encompasses

Defines book design as a holistic practice spanning typography, layout, and production. Situates the discipline within publishing workflows and reader experience.

Lesson 3 • Anatomy of a Book

Maps every physical and structural component of a book, from cover to colophon. Understanding anatomy enables precise communication with editors and printers.

Lesson 4 • Design Brief and Project Scope

Teaches how to read, interpret, and create a design brief for a book project. Students learn to define scope, constraints, and success criteria before designing.

Lesson 1 • Special Typographic Situations

Addresses footnotes, captions, pull quotes, running heads, and folios as distinct typographic challenges. Each element requires tailored size and style decisions.

Lesson 2 • Typeface Pairing Strategies

Teaches principles for combining two or three typefaces harmoniously within a book. Students practise pairing body, display, and accent fonts with rationale.

Lesson 3 • Typographic Hierarchy in Books

Establishes size, weight, and style relationships across chapter titles, headings, and body text. Hierarchy guides readers through content structure effortlessly.

Lesson 4 • Type Classification and Selection

Surveys typeface categories and their historical and functional associations. Students match typeface character to genre, audience, and reading context.

Lesson 1 • Building a Book Grid

Guides students through constructing a grid tailored to a specific book's trim size and content. Grid decisions are tied directly to typography and image placement.

Lesson 2 • Introduction to Grid Theory

Explains the origin and logic of grid systems as organisational tools for page design. Students understand how grids impose order without eliminating creativity.

Lesson 3 • Spread Design and Visual Flow

Teaches layout at the two-page spread level, managing eye movement and pacing. Students design spreads that feel unified whilst guiding readers forward.

Lesson 4 • Margins, Gutters, and White Space

Defines margin proportions, gutter widths, and white space as active design elements. Proper margins protect text and create visual breathing room on the page.

Lesson 1 • Colour Accessibility in Books

Addresses contrast ratios, colour blindness considerations, and inclusive colour choices. Accessible colour decisions expand readership without sacrificing aesthetics.

Lesson 2 • Colour Theory Fundamentals

Reviews hue, saturation, value, and colour relationships as applied to book design. Students connect colour theory to emotional and communicative intent.

Lesson 3 • Colour Modes for Print and Screen

Distinguishes CMYK, RGB, and spot colour systems and their appropriate applications. Students learn to set up files correctly for each output medium.

Lesson 4 • Building a Book Colour Palette

Guides creation of a limited, purposeful colour palette for a book project. Students assign palette roles to headings, accents, backgrounds, and imagery.

Lesson 1 • Spine and Back Cover Design

Extends cover design to spine and back cover as a unified three-panel system. Students apply consistent visual identity across all exterior surfaces.

Lesson 2 • Cover Composition and Hierarchy

Teaches compositional strategies for arranging title, author name, imagery, and tagline. Hierarchy ensures the most critical information reads first at any size.

Lesson 3 • Cover Design as Communication

Frames the cover as a reader's first contract with the book's content and tone. Students analyse successful covers to extract genre signals and audience cues.

Lesson 4 • Series and Brand Identity Systems

Teaches how to design a cover template system for multi-title series consistency. Students build flexible systems that unify a series whilst allowing title variation.

Lesson 1 • Designing Infographics and Data Visuals

Teaches principles for transforming data and processes into clear, book-ready visuals. Students design charts, diagrams, and maps that integrate with page typography.

Lesson 2 • Placing and Scaling Images in Layouts

Covers image placement, cropping, scaling, and anchoring within the grid. Students learn to size images proportionally and align them to the baseline grid.

Lesson 3 • Image Specifications for Books

Defines resolution, colour mode, and file format requirements for print and digital books. Students audit and correct image files before placing them in layouts.

Lesson 4 • Illustration Styles and Book Genres

Surveys illustration styles suited to children's books, non-fiction, and literary fiction. Students match illustration approach to genre expectations and production budget.

Lesson 1 • Understanding Print Production

Explains offset, digital, and print-on-demand printing processes and their design implications. Students choose the appropriate process based on run length and budget.

Lesson 2 • Bleed, Trim, and Safe Zones

Defines bleed, trim, and safe zone areas and their role in preventing production errors. Students set up documents correctly from the start of every project.

Lesson 3 • Exporting Print-Ready PDF Files

Covers PDF export settings for print, including standards compliance and compression. Students produce press-ready PDFs that meet printer specifications.

Lesson 4 • Digital Book File Formats

Introduces EPUB, fixed-layout EPUB, and PDF as digital distribution formats. Students understand format trade-offs and prepare files for major distribution platforms.

Lesson 1 • The Book Design Workflow

Maps the full design process from manuscript receipt to final file delivery. Students identify milestones, dependencies, and handoff points in a real project timeline.

Lesson 2 • Presenting Design Concepts

Covers how to structure and deliver a design presentation to clients or editorial teams. Students build presentations that contextualise choices and invite productive feedback.

Lesson 3 • Working with Authors and Editors

Teaches communication strategies for collaborating with non-designers on book projects. Students learn to translate editorial feedback into actionable design revisions.

Lesson 4 • Building a Book Design Portfolio

Guides students in selecting, presenting, and contextualising work for a professional portfolio. A strong portfolio demonstrates range, process, and problem-solving ability.