Lean Media in action – gathering feedback for the book design

Lean Media book design concepts

As I have noted many times on this blog, I actively solicit feedback from potential readers about chapters, diagrams, examples, and other elements of the book. Feedback helps me understand my audience, identify elements that are working well, and also head off potential problems. It’s Lean Media in action. This week, I am soliciting feedback about book cover designs, and hope you can share your opinion on the designs listed below. While anyone can leave feedback, I am especially interested in people who work in the media industry or create/produce entertainment or informational media of any type, including books, music, film, news, websites, videogames, advertising, and live performances.

A little background: I am working with TLC Designs in Austin, Texas, to come up with visual concepts that convey some of the themes that are central to the Lean Media book: A strong creative vision, lean thinking, and different types of media. When asked what other book covers I liked, I indicated that strong visual images were important, such as the figures on How to help your friend with cancer. I also wanted to stay away from the overused business book style that only feature text, usually dominated by a big catchy title

I further asked the designer to avoid pastels, cursive or serif fonts, and nostalgic accents in the book design. Finally, “[the look and feel] needs to project authority & modern design without being avant garde,” I said in the questionnaire.

You may be wondering why I did not get more specific about colors, specific visual pieces, or other elements that I want represented in the book design. The answer: I am not a designer, and I am content to step back and let professionals do what they do best. In my experience working with TLC in the past on the redesign of the In 30 Minutes series, the designers were extremely talented at taking my rough guidelines and concepts and turning them into striking covers that really define the brand!

Yesterday, I got the first round of book design ideas from TLC. They look great, but what I need to do now is whittle down the options so the designer can move forward with just one or two designs. Several of them definitely resonate with me. Which ones work for you? Feel free to share your opinion and observations in the comments. I will also be gathering feedback from other sources, including social media and Kboards.

Here are larger versions of the covers:

Cover #1

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Cover #2

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Cover #3

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Cover #4

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Cover #5

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Cover #6

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Cover #7

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Cover #8

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Cover #9

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