Cozy Mystery Audio Book Cover
I've been itching to dive into this project all week, and with a day off, I knew exactly how to spend it: audiobook covers, cozy mystery edition! If you haven't discovered the joy of cozies, you're seriously missing out. Imagine a world where the biggest drama is a stolen recipe or a misplaced garden gnome (okay, maybe someone does occasionally get bumped off for their inheritance or rare book collection but it’s always PG rated!). Think quirky characters, charming towns, and amateur sleuths with a talent for baking, knitting, or running a bookstore, all solving puzzles with wit and a dash of friendly gossip. And yes, there's always a happy ending, a brooding (but charming!) character, and plenty of tea. They’re the perfect mental escape.
Confession time: I haven't actually read or listened to the series I decided to redesign. And honestly? The covers are why! They just felt… dated. The font was trying way too hard, and the overall look was a bit of a visual headache.
Original Audiobook Covers
Right off the bat, these covers have some serious problems. First up, good luck reading the titles! Seriously, I must’ve spent five minutes just trying to find the 'a' in them. And the font? Chaotic. Plus, the subtitle on book one is practically invisible. Then there's the blurry images, they look like scans- possibly as artwork before becoming a book cover they were lovely but they just didn’t translate well. Last but not least, don't even get me started on the author's name switching fonts between books- a pet peeve of mine for sure. So, I grabbed Adobe Express and gave the entire five-book series a fresh, modern makeover and let's just say, I think these new covers are a lot more inviting.
Below are my redesigns for the first two books. Looks like they bailed on the audiobooks after book two. No clue if it was a financial thing or if nobody was digging them. Either way, that’s a bummer for fans of the series. I noticed the Victorian house was a theme across most of the covers, so I kept that going. But I did try to stick to the same general vibe as the originals, just, you know, way more enticing.
My Redesigned Audiobook Covers
I could've gone full technical and used InDesign or Illustrator for this, but I just wrapped up my Adobe Express certification and was itching to see what it could really do.
I'm really pleased with how these covers turned out. I think they capture the essence of a cozy mystery perfectly, with a blend of comforting nostalgia and a subtle sense of mystery. Don’t be fooled- even though I used Adobe Express a significant amount of work went into refining each one of these designs. Each cover comprises 13-20 layers, meticulously blended using various techniques to achieve the desired effect. I also added the scarecrow to the second cover as a deliberate nod to the original, while enhancing the overall aesthetic.
Let's finish this up! Just a reminder, these last ones never got the audiobook treatment, but I kept the style going for consistency. However, if I wanted to turn my designs into regular books, Adobe Express's resizing tool would make that a breeze.
Originals
Redesigns
This was definitely a marathon project, not my usual sprint! This was a full day of work to create 5 audiobook covers. I started this morning around 9 and wrapped up around 5. Once I got the vibe down—fonts, artwork style, the whole shebang—things went pretty smoothly. Honestly? I'm in love. They're bright, cozy, with just the right amount of mystery. Plus, they were a blast to create, I can’t wait to pick my next mark!
