Back in this post, I asked for your feedback on the cover for the new Innerscape Omnibus. To my huge surprise, almost all of you chose version 3:
Of the three, this one was the one I liked least, from a purely aesthetic point of view. Plus it was obvious that the less nerdy amongst you didn’t know that the big square lump in the middle was meant to be the chip on the circuit board. So…
First I came up with this:
I really liked the new parts of the new design, but now some of the older parts of the circuit board looked messy. And that lump was still too big. So…
The differences are subtle, but to me they make the whole thing more aesthetically pleasing. Yes? No? Maybe?
Would love to get your reaction, and please don’t hesitate to point out things that don’t work. You guys really, really surprised me last time, but I had to admit that you were absolutely right. So… what do you think?
-on tenterhooks-
Meeks
Meeka's Mind 
March 31st, 2020 at 5:19 pm
#3 – love how that silver thingy in the middle looks connected to everything else … am not taken by the two-tone title, I think the solid gold look, with the silver thingy, has a really strong impact, but reading the comments I can see why you wanted it there.
Well done, m’dear, and done well. đ
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March 31st, 2020 at 9:09 pm
Thank you, thank you. It was more work than I’d anticipated but, you know how it is. ‘Oh, I’ll just fix this little bit here…damn now that bit doesn’t look right…’ But the comments have all been positive so it was worth it. Now to get it out there.
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April 1st, 2020 at 8:26 am
Yes, go forth woman, and publish!!! đ
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April 1st, 2020 at 12:32 pm
lol – just did! đ
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April 1st, 2020 at 1:41 pm
đ
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March 30th, 2020 at 9:16 am
Candy has a point about number one, and drama/tension is important. I like the last because the square is connected to the circuitry. It gives me a sense of things leading to and from the centre. ~hugs~
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March 30th, 2020 at 10:45 am
-hugs back- Yes! It’s a fine line between one and the other. In the past, I’d often reduce the size of the text so as to impinge less on the image. Plus, while I knew that the whole cover had to convey a /story/, I didn’t always get the story right. Very much a learning curve.
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:39 am
Looks great!
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March 30th, 2020 at 8:35 am
Thanks, Cage. đ
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March 30th, 2020 at 5:35 am
Looking great!
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March 30th, 2020 at 6:54 am
Thanks, Bette. đ
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March 30th, 2020 at 3:19 am
Ooh! The third one really appeals to me! Well done.
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:03 am
Thanks, Ellen. I’m finally happy with the aesthetics as well as the ‘message’. đ
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March 30th, 2020 at 2:47 am
yes. I prefer that last one of these three. It looks more controlled, and friendly.
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:04 am
Oh, now that’s unexpected. I found it ‘calmer’, you find it ‘friendly’. Thank you! I am literally learning so much about cover design it’s not funny.
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:51 pm
I love how we all interpret visual cues differently, and how having to express ourselves through text, but with the immediacy of t’interweb we are able to learn so much about others. One for my list đ
And I would think having to design your own cover is a super steep learning curve. I found attempting to build my own website incredibly challenging. I think I’m there, but there remains a lot of stuff I’m unhappy with.
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March 30th, 2020 at 9:38 pm
God yes, the learning curves in both instances are huge. I made my own website, a long time ago. Not doing it again so very impressed that you have. đ
Things you’re unhappy with? Hah. You’re human. :p
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March 30th, 2020 at 2:06 am
The third one looks good. Without the other versions nearby, I can see it’s merits. I like the colours in the title!
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:05 am
Bless you for noticing! lol I couldn’t help myself. Had to have a little bit of colour somewhere. -dance-
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March 30th, 2020 at 10:22 am
It provides a bit of warmth.
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March 30th, 2020 at 10:33 am
Exactly! đ
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March 31st, 2020 at 5:39 am
I agree, too, both for the third version and for the colour. Loved it!
Great work!!! đđđđ
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March 31st, 2020 at 12:44 pm
-huge hugs-
I’m feeling a lot more confident now. đ
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March 30th, 2020 at 1:20 am
Not greatly different but enough so that the chip now looks like a chip. The circuit board is wonderful, crisp and metallic.Well done
Hugs
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:06 am
Thanks, David. I love ‘crisp’!
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March 30th, 2020 at 12:23 am
Probably because I’m looking at these purely as abstract art that explores connections and connectivity, I still like the first of these three. It looks a bit more dramatic because there is space around the “chip” (a mirror, a window into a void, another mysterious thing) and because the blue in the titles of the others draws attention away from the patterns of lines. Again, I’m looking at it as ART and not as an illustration.
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:13 am
-grin- yes, there is that, very much so. It’s what I struggle with too. My head says ‘illustration must do X, Y, Z’. The inner me says, ‘but…but’. đ
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March 30th, 2020 at 12:09 am
My eye can’t really see the difference. I would go with the one you like best đ
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:51 am
Thanks, Elizabeth. How are things going over your side of the world? Can you still write or are the girls taking up all your attention atm?
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March 31st, 2020 at 5:41 am
True! All are good. Still prefer the clarity of the third one, but any single one of them would work great!
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March 31st, 2020 at 12:43 pm
Thanks, Yorgos. Definitely going with no. 3. đ Now I just have to work out how to make a PDF version available. I’m thinking Dropbox but still looking at the pros and cons.
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March 31st, 2020 at 5:54 pm
You’ve already found a way, by now. đđđ
Sync worked perfectly.
Dropbox doesn’t work right via mobile browser. You need to have the app and an account to use it, there. Personally, though, I’ve never had problems with Dropbox from laptop. My sister, on the other had, has encountered. That’s probably her, as she is technology/internet scared and unaccustomed đ
đđđ
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March 31st, 2020 at 9:04 pm
I did look at Dropbox but I still remember that security problem they had so went with Sync instead. That makes 2 out of 2 now. I think we have the PDFs sorted. đ Thank you!
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March 29th, 2020 at 9:58 pm
Yes, that’s absolutely it, the lowest down of those three looks great. Well done!
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March 30th, 2020 at 7:59 am
Thanks, Chris. I’m happy now and ready to go on to stage 2. đ
How’s your writing going? Are you working from home yet?
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March 29th, 2020 at 9:44 pm
By golly, Miss Molly – I think youâve cracked it, Meeks đđ¤â¤ď¸đ¤
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March 30th, 2020 at 8:00 am
lmao – after while, crocodile! Thanks, Chris. Definitely taking that as a compliment. đ đ
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March 29th, 2020 at 9:07 pm
Yes, the changes are subtle but better…it has grown on me đ x
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March 29th, 2020 at 9:14 pm
Yay! Thank you, thank you. đ
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