Book Cover Designer Needed – Teen Workbook (Front & Back Cover, Spiral Bound)

I’m looking for a talented graphic designer to refine and professionally execute a cover concept for a teen life-skills workbook.

The core visual direction is already developed, so this project is about polishing and elevating the design, not reinventing it from scratch. I’m looking for someone with strong typography and layout skills who can take the existing concept and produce a clean, professional, print-ready cover.

The book is aimed at teenagers aged 11–16, but it also needs to appeal to parents who are likely to purchase it.

The tone of the book is honest, warm, direct, and slightly rebellious — not clinical, academic, or “therapy workbook” style.

About the Book

This workbook teaches teenagers practical life skills including:

• confidence and mindset

• resilience and emotional regulation

• breathing techniques

• handling bullying and peer pressure

• navigating social media

• building self-belief and purpose

The book was written by a martial arts instructor who has spent decades teaching young people that the strongest thing you can build is your mind.

The cover needs to achieve two things at once:

A teenager thinks:

“I’d actually read that.”

A parent thinks:

“That’s exactly what my teenager needs.”

Current Visual Direction

The concept already developed includes:

• Deep purple background

• Burnt orange / yellow accent colours

• Bold typography as the main design element

• A single illustrated sneaker as the main visual metaphor (stepping forward / growth)

The direction is bold and clean rather than busy.

Think:

• cool teenager bedroom poster

• music album cover

• modern editorial typography

Not:

• a school workbook

• a therapy manual

• a children’s activity book

• stock photos of teenagers

Minimal clutter and strong composition are key.

Typography Direction

The title is intentionally structured to feel like two statements speaking directly to the reader, rather than a single sentence.

The cover should read almost like a voice addressing the reader:

YOU SAW ME

FOR A REASON.

NOW

READ ME.

The second statement (“NOW READ ME”) is intended to feel slightly more emphatic — almost like the punchline or challenge.

This structure is intentional, but I’m very open to professional typographic refinement in terms of hierarchy, spacing, and scale to make the message as strong and readable as possible.

Designers are welcome to suggest improvements while keeping the overall tone: bold, direct, and confident.

Text That Must Appear on the Cover

Front Cover:

YOU SAW ME FOR A REASON.

NOW READ ME.

Life Skills for Teenagers

A straight-talk workbook for confidence, resilience and real life

Katey Wallace

No Fluff. Just The Truth.

Printing Format

This will be printed as a spiral / coil-bound workbook (approximately 120 pages).

Because of the spiral binding, the cover design should include a clean margin on the binding side so the punched holes do not interfere with the artwork.

The intention is to keep the design feeling intentional and balanced, rather than having the spiral appear to cut into the design.

A poster-style composition with strong spacing will work well.

Scope of Work

The designer will produce:

• Refined front cover design based on the existing concept

• Back cover layout (blurb text will be provided)

• Design suitable for spiral binding with appropriate binding margin

• Barcode placeholder on the back cover

• Print-ready files with bleed

Deliverables:

• Print-ready PDF

• Editable source files (Illustrator / InDesign preferred)

Style Reference

The final design should feel like:

• a modern poster

• a music album cover

• bold editorial design

Rather than:

• a school workbook

• a therapy manual

• a children’s book

Ideal Designer

I’m looking for someone who:

• has experience designing book covers or editorial layouts

• is strong with typography and composition

• can refine an existing concept rather than replace it

• understands print-ready design requirements

Please include 2–3 examples of book covers or bold typographic designs you have created.

Project Process

I already have a clear visual direction and a draft cover concept that I will share with shortlisted designers.

The goal is to refine and elevate this concept, focusing on typography, layout, colour balance, and preparing a professional print-ready cover.

I’m looking for a collaborative designer who can suggest improvements while respecting the overall direction.

Timeline

Ideally I would like to start within the next week and complete the design within 1–2 weeks, depending on revisions.

Application Instructions

To show you’ve read the full brief, please start your proposal with the words:

Teen Workbook Cover

Applications that do not include this may not be considered.

Apply Now

Apply Now