I’ve been under the weather for the past couple of days and I didn’t really have the mental energy to do real work, so I used the opportunity to freshen up my portfolio site a bit. I have very little patience for or interest in designing stuff for myself, so I’ve been putting this off for ages.
I think I might actually get around to having some real business cards printed up, too. Can you believe I’ve never* had business cards? I’m forever scrawling my name and URL on the backs of receipts and cocktail napkins. Part of me feels like being able to say, “Here, take my card” will be a true certification of grown-up-ness, and that freaks me out a little. Okay, a lot. The only thing left after business cards are nude pantyhose, and I’m definitely not going down that road.
*That’s a lie. Last year I printed a sheet of 12 cards in a fit of panic before an “industry” party I went to. Then, as I was frantically trimming them down, I sliced off a huge hunk of my left thumb with an X-Acto knife. I then proceeded to bleed all over the cards. It was all very Cheese Monkeys.
35 Comments
Holy crap! I sell books, and these are SO FAMILIAR. Some of them I *love*. It’s so neat when two bits of my world collide.
Psssh. Business cards and panty hose are not symbols of “grown up.” They are merely practical solutions to problems. I started wearing panty hose before I could drive! Neither are necessary; both have benefits.
I dunno, man—you show me a 16-year-old that needs either of those things! 😉
(At least I don’t know how to drive yet! So there’s that…)
I love seeing your work in my local library. How fun to have your talents seen by so many random people.
illness becomes you, my dear. 🙂
Oh, it looks SO GOOD, Anna! Really, truly, such a nice job. I feel mega-special to be on the websites page. Probably more special than even Shania.
I second Victoria’s comment! Beautiful work — your website is not only visually stunning, but so simply functional. That auto-loading cover business is very cool. (jQuery? Ajax??) Is that a WP plug-in?
I’ve been trying to build jQuery sliders for iPad / iPhone interfaces lately and it’s tough to do!! Anyway, . Awesome job and thanks for sharing!
It’s a jQuery plugin! http://www.infinite-scroll.com
aaaaaawesome. Thanks for sharing! I can imagine this could be pretty cool for photography portfolios as well. I friggin’ love WP and its development community.
Apparently, WP doesn’t like my use of .
(What were you trying to type?!)
Ha! It still didn’t work, grr. I was just trying to include a fake HTML end tag for ‘geek’.
… wow, most awkward joke explanation ever. 😉
Very nice work. Putting off designing your own portfolio obviously worked in your favor.
I am probably one of the few designers (or people on earth for that matter) that doesn’t have a website-so I totally get it about you not having business cards. The last thing I want to do when I’m done working is work on my website. Very counter productive however-in fact kind of stupid on my part. Do you manage the photo shoots for the book covers with photos, or does someone provide you with the images and you do the rest? Do you do the illustrations for the covers without photos? Just curious.
Ellen, I’ve written a couple of posts about how I got into cover design and how the process works:
http://www.doorsixteen.com/2010/09/15/answers-part-one-how-i-got-into-it/
http://www.doorsixteen.com/2010/09/16/answers-part-two-how-it-works/
It all depends on the cover, in short! Yes and no to everything you asked. 😉 (It’s very rare to be provided with photos, though—that really only ever happens in the case of a celebrity book where a shoot has already taken place.)
is it weird that because I work in a book store I feel like I know you? 😀 a bit huh. ha.
Anna, I call them calling cards and it makes me feel much better!!
and nude panty hose…eeek! The only time I have ever worn them was at a funeral in the South and my cousin’s made me by declaring “that is disrespectful, cover your legs!” and I normally wouldn’t have but the I was a bit distraught with the whole funeral thing so I wore them. I will never wear them again!
they kinda freak me out.
xx
callie
Gorgeous work, Anna.
I seriously am going to take a trip to B&N to see them in person 🙂
:: Marta
Hey Anna, for me it also took 3 1/2 years to get business cards… For me it is always hard to design something for myself. Most of the time I don´t like the design after a short time and redo it. So a lot of projects are a neverending story… 🙂
You should do moo cards for your business cards. You, in particular, could do something really interesting.
Do you mean because of the multiple options for the backs? I thought about that, actually. I think I’d probably just do a variety of colors!
As a certified AARP member for xxxx years, I remember nude hose before there were pantyhose. And trust me, you don’t want to go there, either!
Anna, bet you could design yourself a lovely calling card with just typography: All that’s really needed is your name and a way to contact you. Tres simple. And classy. Like you.
Thanks, L—that made me smile. 🙂
Anna, I TOTALLY understand with updating your own stuff…let’s not talk about my blog 😉 But I can recommend moo mini cards (http://us.moo.com/) – takes two seconds, you can upload pictures like off your book designs and they come in a pretty packaging …have no affiliation with them but i print a rainbow of colors and a very simple Natalie – Title – Email – Phone – Website layout and I just love them.
(although I do quite love scribbling on paper too ;))
so great! i’ve been seeing ads for “then came you” and was intrigued by the cover alone. well done you!
your logo is looking totally snazz! love it!
Hello Anna! I love your work,blog designs and book covers, everything! I wanted to ask you, because I really loved the idea of designing book covers, how does it work? I mean you make some designs and go to publishers/editors to offer your work, or do the editors ask you to make the covers? It must be a fascinating work,especially if you get to read every book before you design the cover!
Hi Christina, here are two posts that should answer a lot of your questions:
http://www.doorsixteen.com/2010/09/15/answers-part-one-how-i-got-into-it/
http://www.doorsixteen.com/2010/09/16/answers-part-two-how-it-works/
LOVE your new portfolio! Tis beautiful. Did you use a wordpress plugin for the display of the gallery? I love the way it works with the hover, kind of like cargo collective, but better!
Thanks, Shelley! The site is Wordpress-based, and the hover states are just done with basic CSS. No plugins.
Oh, impressive!
what beautiful work. i love seeing your covers grouped together as a collection — certain themes and your own personal style very subtly emerge. very interesting!
I just subscribed to your blog after stumbling across it when searching for a wall-mounted folding desk and just fell in love with the simplicity, yet elegance of your apartment. Now I come to find out you designed the covers of many of the books I have read!!! How awesome! Keep the blog posts coming!
Wow Anna, I am just catching up on blog reading after a long time of getting so far behind I didn’t know where to start,and doorsixteen was one of my first stops. Anyway, WOW. I remember admiring your work awhile back but I’m really blown away by what you do from 9:30-6:30 in addition to your aesthetic at home.
Hi Anna! Your book covers are beautifully designed. Love your blog too.