Don’t judge books by their cover – especially Arab works in translation | The National
As a designer, I felt annoyed while reading this article. Despite agreeing with a lot of the author’s points, I also felt that it would’ve given it something more if she had bothered interviewing designers who work for these publishers. The fact is designers rarely have a final say when it comes to marketing. This neglect of a designer’s opinion makes us designers yet again seem irrelevant in the process.
The blame cannot just be put on marketing when it comes to stereotypical covers however - authors and translators likely play a role in constructing the brief. As a designer, I can’t tell you how many clients (both Arab and non-Arabs, both educated about the region and those merely interested in it) have asked me for “Arabian looks” that are nothing more but silly stereotypes. Yes people do judge books based on their cover: the proof that good design works is everywhere. When I browse a bookshop and come across books in translation, I often shake my head in disapproval. Frankly, I question a publisher who has the nerve to favour marketing over content.
I’m not saying designers are innocent either: the fact that the design profession is so reliant on the client allows this to happen. Rarely do designers question this unquestioned service to clients (it is their paycheque after all), or argue against the contents of a brief. But this is also the problem with universal/standard design. I’m certain when designers think of the Arab region the first imagery available to them is arabesque, veils, mosques, camels, turbans, and geometry. Context is everything - there is no one size fits all solution.
I believe that publishers need to start thinking about having teams of designers designated to work on specific regions - designers that are aware of the places they are designing about. Or better yet, publishers should hire an experienced and knowledgeable freelancer familiar with a specific region and who is capable of giving them an informed critique. Either way, designing book covers is like translation: the wrong choice can alter the meaning completely.
