Bookstore Scavenger Hunt

Successful Barnes and Noble and cheap Half Priced Books are the two bookstores that you will find me in the most. Therefore, on my hunt for interesting and cleverly designed covers, those two places were my destinations. Within the two stores I found an abundant amount of covers that intrigued me. So, below you can take a look at a few that inspire me typographically and creatively. They range from neat and tight layouts to layouts that are "out there". 

  Photo of Barnes and Noble at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, KS

Photo of Half Price Books in Olathe, KS 

The picture frame in this case needed to span out to see the colors working together. I really like the warm and cold colors mixing. To point out a specific book cover I enjoy, look near the bottom right where you see green. Friends and Boys has a dynamic cover that uses illustrations to make the eyes draw towards the frontal text.

Considering that this books have old fashion style, I still get drawn to them. I like how so much detail is put into every cover. Simplicity can be successful but details don't always hurt. It is smart to add the image into the middle so that the readers eyes see the art and the title.

I do love the Buddha statuses on the tops of the shelves just as much as the covers to be honest. However, why I love them is because of the bright colors which you can especially see on the 2nd shelf on the right. The reds, blues, and greens work great together. Even standing alone, the iconic symbol in the center of the cover pops out to any viewer.

This one is being shown mainly to show asymmetry. It is simple but the pop of color adds something extra to the title so you don't just see the bird. The title screams asymmetry with the words differing back and forth in length so that it is not a boring cover with the little elements that are being presented.

Of course, I had to show a design book itself. Asymmetry is clear as ever in this design. Again, color is used so that the simple layout is intriguing. Orange really stands out with the text being all white.

"Asymmetry is the rhythm in which we live our lives."

Until the first day of class, I never put much thought into the concept of asymmetry. Before, I mainly saw real world or computer generated objects as going in the same direction or in all different directions. Now however, asymmetry has taught me the up and down, side to side movement I see whether I am driving home, taking a walk, or in my apartment, is known as asymmetry. To give the proper definition of the word that this post is encompassed around, asymmetry is the lack of balance and symmetry between two or more things. Diagonals are what asymmetry avoids at all costs. Below are five photographs that represent asymmetry in all different forms. So, let's take a look!

 Kansas City Skyline: within this photo the skyscrapers themselves create the asymmetric movement being shorter and taller than one another. 

 Apartment Fire Escape: within this photo the stairs create diagonals that get blocked out by going in a side to side motion which represents asymmetry. 

 Colorful Flowers: within this photo, from left to right each flower goes in an up and down motion creating the perfect asymmetry through nature. 

 Tree Line: within this photo each tree, similar to the buildings above, is forming asymmetric movement by being a different height of another.

End Table Lamp: within this photo the rocks that form the middle structure of the lamp go side to side without ever really lining up creating asymmetry.