Katie Wilhelm
Designer and Consultant
Funding & Exits, Book Cover Concept and Design
“Katie designed a unique and eye-catching cover for my client’s book and effectively incorporated design components representative of the book’s major themes. ”
About the Project
Last Draft Inc. contacted me to create a custom book cover design for “Funding and Exits” by author Tom Mohr. The project was to design a minimalist book cover that conveys the book’s major themes and stands out against other books from the same category.
About the Process
Excited for the challenge, I started by researching the book topic. The first line of the text read, “Funding is the fuel you need to scale your company and to exit at a time and on terms of your choosing.” This line would be the inspiration behind the winning concept. Specifically the word “fuel”. Fuel reminded me of vehicles. The title of the book uses the word “Exits” which led me to think of exit signage.
I began exploring wayfinding as a means for conveying the book’s subject. I wanted to illustrate the journey of an entrepreneur, from inception to fundraising, to eventually selling at a maximum valuation - A key theme in the book, Funding and Exits. I discovered that this entrepreneurial journey could be illustrated with imagery similar to traffic lights and directional signs. The familiar feeling of the stop, start, slow down, and speed up of travel mimicked the story of an entrepreneur.
About the Design
I discovered that the entrepreneurial journey could be illustrated with directional icons and shapes with traffic light colours. The familiar feeling of the stop, start, slow down, and speed up of travel mimicked the journey inside the book.
The minimalist presentation of primary colours arranged in a grid stands out on the store shelves against other books with similar topics. I thought a younger, “hip” entrepreneur would be attracted to this contemporary and professional design as well as seasoned corporate executives.
This minimalist presentation is also used in Tom Mohr’s previous book, “Scaling the Revenue Engine”. I wanted Funding and Exits to visually be part of the same book family, without being directly related. I referenced the circular shapes in the design and some of the colours.
Once the design was selected, I supported Last Draft Inc. with preparing the cover files for print with their publisher.
Services
Print and Book Layout Design
Assistance with Publisher and Printing Process
“Katie was exceptionally timely with all communication and deadlines.
She was a pleasure to work with throughout the design and editing process.
She returned minor revisions quickly and ensured our client received an end-product they were happy with.”