Designed by

Louisa Maggio

Category

Emerging Designer of the Year

Year

2021

Publisher

Penguin Random House Australia

About the Designer

Design Rationale

A Zero Waste Family: I chose to illustrate a cozy lounge room scene for the cover design, filled with baby toys, and styled simplistically to represent family and the zero waste home environment. When illustrating the internals (line illustrations) I wanted them to be slightly intricate, and feature nature. I also wanted my illustrations to feature Anita, the author, throughout. The use of the bright, jade green pantone is intended to be a hero of the design as well as represent the environment. The overall look is intended to be calming, clean and playful.

A Zero Waste Family
Cover Designer: Louisa Maggio
Internal Designer: Louisa Maggio
Author: Anita VanDyke
Illustrator: Louisa Maggio and Melissa Stefanovski
Publisher: Penguin Life, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Size: 180 x 235 mm
Pages: 252
Typesetter: Louisa Maggio
Printer: 1010 Printing

The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan: Symbollically framed by the jacaranda tree, I wanted to create a sense of poignance. The story intercuts years of marriage between Shirley and Frank and centres on the now elderly Shirley kidnapping her hushand for one last beach adventure. The front shows Shirley, overlooking the beach in the 1960s (where she first meets Frank), with the back showing Shirley sitting next to her husband, overlooking the same beach in the present. Spoiler alert: it is inferred that Shirley’s husband is swept to sea and drowns, and so does she. The design is supposed represent a ‘full circle’ moment.

The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan
Cover Designer: Louisa Maggio
Internal Designer: Louisa Maggio
Author: Lisa Ireland
Photographer: Trevillion and Shutterstock
Publisher: Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Size: 153 x 234 mm
Pages: 352
Typesetter: Midland Typesetters
Printer: Griffin Press

You Will Rise: Designed to be an amalgamation of photography and poetry. I read the poems prior to typesetting, selecting accompanying photographs to tie in with each, and their message. I was able to play with selection, composition and framing with complete freedom. The square trim size is an homage to the instagram interface. Poetry acts as the accompanying caption (and hanging indents used as a convention for them). I aimed to utilise white space to create a sense of visual calm, motion and movement. The usage of ‘breakout’ text is sporadic to set Sjana’s poems apart, like handwritten messages.

You Will Rise
Cover Designer: Louisa Maggio
Internal Designer: Louisa Maggio
Author: Sjana Elise Earp
Publisher: Ebury Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Size: 175 x 195 mm
Pages: 328
Typesetter: Louisa Maggio
Printer: 1010 Printing

Zen Mamas: A baby bible for new and expecting (Zen) mamas, I intended this design to be concise and clean, with a palette referencing the spiritually-inspired brand the authors have established. I also wanted to highlight the stunning photography, shot on location in Los Angeles. The endpapers are designed to resemble a candid photo album. The most challenging aspect was setting the text in a way that established the heirarchy of information: differing voices, anecdotal stories, medical advice and resources without creating a cluttered design. I tried to ensure the design is ‘airy’, with part openers intended to provide visual breaks throughout.

Zen Mamas
Cover Designer: Louisa Maggio
Internal Designer: Louisa Maggio
Author: Teresa Palmer and Sarah Wright Olsen
Photographer: Gemma Pranita
Publisher: Ebury Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Size: 180 x 235 mm
Pages: 295
Typesetter: Louisa Maggio
Printer: R.R. Donnelley

 

Details

Special finishes

A Zero Waste Family (Matt Lamination and Spot UV. Printed inside covers), The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan (Matt Lamination, Spot UV and Embossing), You Will Rise (Hardback, faux linen with tipin. Foil stamping on front and spine), Zen Mamas (Flexi cover, matt lamination with foil stamping (solid foil on spine) and foil on title (front cover).