“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

Haruki Murakami, “Norwegian Wood”

How do you put the works of Haruki Murakami into an image? Many have tried and succeeded, with John Gall (paperback designer) and Chip Kidd (hardcover designer since 1993) reigning as the official designers.

I wanted to blend the elements of each artist and each set of designs to create a comprehensive design system with opportunities for expansion with each new novel release.

My redesigns channel the iconography and symbolism of John Gall’s 1997 designs with the flowing cohesion of the 2015 redesigns and the bold typography and graphic elements of Chip Kidd. What a mouthful.

I chose two of my favorites—”Norwegian Wood” and “Sputnik Sweetheart”—as well as a novel I’ve had yet to read—”Kafka on the Shore”—for my redesigns.

Chip Kidd's cover of "The Strange Library" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "Dance Dance Dance" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami
Chip Kidd's cover of "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" by Haruki Murakami
Chip Kidd's cover of "Men Without Women" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "South of the Border, West of the Sun" by Haruki Murakami
Chip Kidd's cover of "Sputnik Sweetheart" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "A Wild Sheep Chase" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "The Elephant Vanishes" by Haruki Murakami
John Gall's cover of "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami
Chip Kidd's cover of "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami
Chip Kidd's cover of "Wind/Pinball" ("Hear the Wind Sing" and "Pinball, 1973") by Haruki Murakami
"Norwegian Wood" was the first cover I designed. With this cover, I created the system I would use for the other covers: limited color palette, bold font with overlapping text, kanji for both the title and the author's name.

"Norwegian Wood" was the first cover I designed. With this cover, I created the system I would use for the other covers: limited color palette, bold font with overlapping text, kanji for both the title and the author's name.

For "Norwegian Wood," I wanted to emphasize the themes of mental conflict and a choice between two conflicting options. I used red to signify the vibrant presence Midori adds to the book while the more subtle blue represents the serenity and struggle

For "Norwegian Wood," I wanted to emphasize the themes of mental conflict and a choice between two conflicting options. I used red to signify the vibrant presence Midori adds to the book while the more subtle blue represents the serenity and struggle that Naoko brings.

For "Sputnik Sweetheart," I loved the preexisting imagery of women as the focal point of the cover. Here, I chose an image to represent Miu and the mystery and intrigue she brings. I chose a simple palette of black, charcoal, and red to showcase the

For "Sputnik Sweetheart," I loved the preexisting imagery of women as the focal point of the cover. Here, I chose an image to represent Miu and the mystery and intrigue she brings. I chose a simple palette of black, charcoal, and red to showcase the dark

I had yet to read "Kafka on the Shore" at the time of creation, so I had a lot of fun trying to find the essence of the novel. I chose more childlike and vibrant imagery to stand out against the gloom of the other two covers.

I had yet to read "Kafka on the Shore" at the time of creation, so I had a lot of fun trying to find the essence of the novel. I chose more childlike and vibrant imagery to stand out against the gloom of the other two covers.

For the spines, I varied the font weight while keeping the same placement for the title and author name. I kept the spines simple to emphasize the contrast the individuality of each novel and focus on their specific color palettes.

For the spines, I varied the font weight while keeping the same placement for the title and author name. I kept the spines simple to emphasize the contrast the individuality of each novel and focus on their specific color palettes.