Empathic Design of Cover Pages

Recently, someone asked me why my name doesn’t appear on the front cover of my books. Both my first book, “A Window for a Home Without Walls: Life Imagination Design,” and my most recent work, “Being & Belonging: A Journey of Curiosity and Imagination,” intentionally omit my name from their front covers.

My two books without the author’s name on the cover.

This design decision is rooted in a set of core beliefs about the relationship between a book, its author, and its readers. These beliefs have significantly shaped my approach to cover design, as they emphasize the importance of fostering curiosity and conversations among readers.

1. My books are not merely containers for my original thoughts. I recognize that the ideas within these pages have been shaped by my interactions with the world. By giving the book an identity that represents the ideas themselves, rather than emphasizing my ownership of them, I invite readers to engage with the content more openly.
2. I want the cover to pique curiosity about the book’s content, rather than drawing attention to the author. By focusing on “what” instead of “who,” I hope to encourage readers to explore the ideas within.
3. When displayed in a reader’s environment, an idea-centric book cover, as opposed to one focusing on the author’s name, has the potential to attract like-minded individuals who share similar values, beliefs, and curiosities. This approach shifts the focus from the author’s identity to the content within, fostering engagement and connections among readers with common interests.
4. As a conversation starter, I want my books to spark meaningful dialogue and connections among readers, rather than serving as a platform for self-promotion.

To help realize this vision, I turned to my friend Dr. Peter Kwok Chan, a professor of visual communication at The Ohio State University. Our three decades of friendship have revealed that we share similar curiosities and philosophies, making him the ideal collaborator for the project. Likewise, my first book was designed by my friend from NID days Mookesh Patel.

Dr. Chan’s design for “Being & Belonging” beautifully captures the essence of the book through a spiral image symbolizing self-discovery and exploration. The spiral serves as a metaphor for crucial qualities that contribute to understanding one’s identity and place in the world: insatiable curiosity, deep compassion, boundless imagination, and expanding consciousness.

Through this thoughtful collaboration, the cover design of “Being & Belonging” invites readers to embark on a personal journey of growth and connection, reflecting the transformative potential of a carefully designed conversation starter.

My latest book, “Being & Belonging: A Journey of Curiosity and Imagination,” is now available for purchase on Amazon in ebook, paperback, and hardcover formats. For those interested in a unique addition to their collection, an elegantly bound collector’s edition is currently in the works and will be available within the next few weeks.