On Writing Well
A redesign of William Zinsser’s classic guidebook on nonfiction writing.
Role: Designer
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop
Course
Design Media Concepts
Amy Finkel, Instructor
I redesigned the cover of On Writing Well by William Zinsser, a well-known guidebook on non-fiction writing. The original design was straightforward, but lacked visual interest, which is common for many guidebooks. For this redesign, I aimed to make the cover more visually engaging while maintaining a strong connection to the book’s content, which emphasizes the craft of writing. My goal was to create a cover proposal that would capture the essence of non-fiction writing (structured, yet creative) while appealing to a wide audience of writers looking to improve their skills.
Proposal 1: Structure
In the first design, I wanted to convey the concept of writing and structure, so I used a series of rectangles to simulate the appearance of words in a paragraph. The title is intertwined into this pattern, ensuring it remains the focal point through contrast in size and shape. I chose a typewriter-style font to match the 1976 publication year and the historical role of typewriters in the writing process, tying the design to the book's era.
Proposal 2: Revision
For the second design, I focused on Zinsser’s advice, which emphasizes the revisions a writer goes through before finalizing their work. I decided to incorporate a portion of the book’s text with pen marks to evoke the process of editing and refining. The title is placed over this with a white border to keep it readable against the busy background. Blue was chosen as the dominant color to evoke trust and reliability, creating a calm, professional tone for the cover.