Designing an Early AI-Themed Book
Author David Espindola approached me looking for assistance with the cover of his second book. He had already been working on the book discussing the practical and ethical considerations of a world with artificial intelligence when ChatGPT was publicly launched in late 2022. By early 2023, his well-researched essay/discussion was “ready,” but he needed help finishing the book’s details.
Although the preparation of print-ready files was all he was initially looking for, after evaluating his situation, we agreed that I would refresh his cover concept, typeset the interior, and prepare files for the softcover, hardcover, and ePub version.
This included assistance in preparing and formatting the index, glossary, and over one-hundred endnote citations.
Design Reflections
Design Objectives: Designed to appeal to adult readers seeking authoritative insights into AI, my main goal was clarity—bringing out David’s structure and letting the reader dig in deep. The book needed to convey an authoritative, academic feel. As requested, the cover was built around art provided by the author (generated by AI, of course—an early Dall-e 2 image by the author).
Creative Process Highlights: I had only typography as my creative dimension on this project since the specified cover art allowed little wiggle room on sizing and placement. Collaboration with the author was essential to ensure alignment with his vision while creating a book that would appeal to his audience.
Design Choices: With a long and critical subtitle, creating a balanced appearance with a clear sense of hierarchy on the cover was critical. I opted for titles in Garamond for their elegance at a larger size, paired with Berlin Sans for the subtitle and interior headings. I used a slightly purple-blue cover to complement the cover art, creating contrasting dual-toned typography accents in orange and yellow to allow the subtitle to command the necessary attention while emphasizing the two key concepts of “You” and “Artificial Intelligence.”
