Designer of the Week Colin Webber is passionate about book cover design, which is obvious from his selected work below, in which you’ll also find a beautiful and effective use of typography. Read on to learn all about his thoughts on the connection between music and design, his greatest challenge to date and his favorite artists.
Name: Colin Webber
Name of Company: Designer @ Penguin Random House
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Website: squareyroute.com
Design school attended: School of Visual Arts
How would you describe your work?
Tasty, type-driven and minimal. Working in publishing, the constant is always words. I like to try [to] convey as much as possible through the typography.
Where do you find inspiration?
Making music has always been another creative outlet for me. The constructive process is similar to design in a lot of ways, finding the right balance of elements, tones, sounds, etc. I always reflect on the way my mentor defined design as “the organization of space and time” (or something to that extent). As designers it’s our job to control the way and order in which information is conveyed. Likewise with music—it’s a guided experience.
Who are some of your favorite designers or artists?
Oliver Munday, Rodrigo Corral, Pablo Delcan, Gemma O’Brien, Alex Merto, Peter Mendelsund, Joan Wong
[Related: Rodrigo Corral walks us through New York and the world at large, as only he can see it; Gemma O’Brien discusses her influences, her work, and how her career has evolved; and brilliant book cover designer Peter Mendelsund offers a look into his process and philosophy.]
Do you have a favorite among all the projects you’ve worked on?
My favorite project to work on was also my biggest challenge. The hardcover for I’m Traveling Alone was one of those great moments where they chose the design I’d hoped for, and everyone was really stoked the whole way through. Then the paperback version came around and they chose not to keep the cover. I was crushed because it was my favorite design, and now we had to start from scratch. Having been given little direction (other than a list of things it can’t be) it was tough, but eventually I landed on a cover that was a total 180, but still something I’m very proud of.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
On the real I just want to play drums or low key produce some sweet tracks. Design wise though I’d like to freelance and work on my own schedule.
What’s your best advice for designers today?
Fuck up a lot! Not on purpose though—what are you, crazy?! I haven’t been in the game that long, but every mistake is a learning experience, and you can never have too many of those.
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