November, 2025
A Designer’s Statement
As the designer of two of these covers currently being scrutinized by the media, I believe it’s important to express how I feel, not only to clarify the process behind the work, but also to remind people that there is a human being, with craft and intention, behind these designs. These covers were not “designed by a robot.” They were created through a thoughtful, hands-on, collaborative process in which AI was only one of many tools.
What has been frustrating in this debate is that the creativity and craft of these designs have barely been acknowledged. For us, AI is an extraordinary new tool, one that allows us to bring visual ideas to life in ways that were not possible before.
The process for Angel Train was complex and deeply considered. To achieve the right train, the right angel, the right mountain and atmosphere, we began with sketches based on real elements. We developed multiple versions of the angel in conversation with the author (via the publishing house), and parts of the final image were hand-painted to achieve the tone and detail she envisioned.
For Obligate Carnivore, we sent multiple options to the publishing house, including my own sketches, and the surreal close-up of the cat that appears on the final cover was chosen. At the author’s request (again communicated through the publishing house), we explored versions with metallic teeth, but after trying different approaches we returned to the denture-style look she preferred. Throughout the entire process, we were COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT about the use of AI.
The concept, the direction, the composition, the adjustments, the decision-making, the collaboration with the publishing house – and theirs with the authors – these are all the work of humans. We use every tool available, traditional techniques, hand-drawn elements, photography, digital processes, and now AI, to craft the best possible cover for each book. AI does not replace design; it expands it. These covers are the result of careful thought, skill, collaboration, and intention. They deserve to be seen as part of a new kind of design, not dismissed because a new tool was involved.
For more on our process, see below.
Case Study: Integrating AI into Book Cover Design
Client: Quentin Wilson Publishing
Background:
Quentin Wilson Publishing approached us with a request to design several book covers using a combination of AI tools and our illustration and editing skills.
Objective:
Our aim was to integrate AI technology into the design workflow in a way that supported the creative process and helped produce visuals that felt authentic to each book’s theme, tone, and genre as specified in the brief.
Solution:
We used AI-powered design tools to explore a wide range of concepts. This was a multi-stage process, much more involved than simply generating images from a prompt:
- Conceptualization:
We developed detailed prompts aligned with each book’s narrative and aesthetic direction. At this stage, we often introduced sketches, collages, or hand-drawn ideas to influence the AI’s results. - Generation & Curation:
After producing multiple image sets, selecting the most suitable starting images, and sketching the complete covers with typography, we sent them to the publishing house, which advised us on which option to develop further. All decisions were communicated through the publishing house, as we had no direct contact with the author. - Refinement:
Using the selected designs as a base, we carried out additional editing, compositing, and customization. Some covers required many hours, or even days, of refinement to reach a polished final result.
Results:
For these Quentin Wilson Publishing titles, we created covers that reflect each book’s themes and combine traditional creative approaches with AI-driven techniques.