How Not to Design a Book Cover with Paul Sahre

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026 at 10:00 am to Thu, 25 Jun, 2026 at 05:00 pm UTC-04:00

The Cooper Union, 41 Cooper Square | New York

Typographics Festival
Publisher/HostTypographics Festival
How Not to Design a Book Cover with Paul Sahre
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Typographics Conference (in-person) ticket holders can have a 10% discount on this workshop. Write to [email protected] for the promo-code
About this Event

ticket holders can have a 10% discount on this workshop. Write to [email protected] for the promo-code to take advantage of this offer before you pay.

Why do most book covers tend to look like every other book cover? In this 2-day workshop, graphic designer Paul Sahre will be your guide as we explore the possibilities of cover design outside of the context of cover briefs, mood boards and pre-sales meetings. We will question the notion of ‘cover as marketing tool’ or what a cover ‘should’ look like. Rather, we will be concerned with drawing out the each designer’s unique point of view, as applied to a particular book (of your choosing) and exploring cover design with an eye to making work that matters.
We will have access to materials from the Herb Lubalin Study Center’s collections, to help inspire, and engender discussion.
Level and prerequisites: beginner, no prior knowledge necessary.

Required materials:

  • Bring in a book you’ve read recently (or a favorite book),
  • your laptop with design software installed
  • sketching materials

Some materials will be provided and we will also be encouraging you to explore alternative processes and mediums.

started his own practice in 1997. He is a frequent visual contributor to The New York Times, designed book covers for authors such as Chuck Klosterman, Malcolm Gladwell and Clarice Lispector, authored books, and built and destroyed a life-sized monster truck hearse for the band They Might Be Giants. His book, Two-Dimensional Man, deconstructs the concept of a design monograph, revealing his personal reflections on the tradition and craft of graphic design shaped like a memoir. He has delivered lectures and workshops globally and teaches graphic design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Cooper Union, 41 Cooper Square, Taras Shevchenko Place, New York, United States

Tickets

USD 572.73

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