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STEWART A. WILLIAMS DESIGN
Art Direction. Typography. Typesetting
Design. Layout. Print & eBook.
Client: Sterling Publishing This 476-page project for Sterling and Kodak, is along with The Scarecrow Video Music Guide is one of the larger coffee table books I’ve worked on. A book this size can take up to four months from start to finish, though this one was a particular challenge both in the truncated production schedule and managing my own time, which involved a solid week of laying out the entire book for first pass proofs. The initial cover process went through several permutations before the handsome embossed version with Pantone spot you see here.  Client: Sterling Publishing This 476-page project for Sterling and Kodak, is along with The Scarecrow Video Music Guide is one of the larger coffee table books I’ve worked on. A book this size can take up to four months from start to finish, though this one was a particular challenge both in the truncated production schedule and managing my own time, which involved a solid week of laying out the entire book for first pass proofs. The initial cover process went through several permutations before the handsome embossed version with Pantone spot you see here.  Client: Sterling Publishing This 476-page project for Sterling and Kodak, is along with The Scarecrow Video Music Guide is one of the larger coffee table books I’ve worked on. A book this size can take up to four months from start to finish, though this one was a particular challenge both in the truncated production schedule and managing my own time, which involved a solid week of laying out the entire book for first pass proofs. The initial cover process went through several permutations before the handsome embossed version with Pantone spot you see here.  Client: Sterling Publishing This 476-page project for Sterling and Kodak, is along with The Scarecrow Video Music Guide is one of the larger coffee table books I’ve worked on. A book this size can take up to four months from start to finish, though this one was a particular challenge both in the truncated production schedule and managing my own time, which involved a solid week of laying out the entire book for first pass proofs. The initial cover process went through several permutations before the handsome embossed version with Pantone spot you see here. 

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Client: Milkweed Editions This second project for Milkweed Editions this year had a similar period of exploration as My Green Manifesto, only in this case I went directly to archives such as the Library of Congress and Flikr to find by some miracle that stock agencies actually had something I wanted. There were some excellent early comps that came out of this project posted on my blog. Client: Milkweed Editions This second project for Milkweed Editions this year had a similar period of exploration as My Green Manifesto, only in this case I went directly to archives such as the Library of Congress and Flikr to find by some miracle that stock agencies actually had something I wanted. There were some excellent early comps that came out of this project posted on my blog. Client: Milkweed Editions This second project for Milkweed Editions this year had a similar period of exploration as My Green Manifesto, only in this case I went directly to archives such as the Library of Congress and Flikr to find by some miracle that stock agencies actually had something I wanted. There were some excellent early comps that came out of this project posted on my blog.

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Client: Slippery Rock University For over a year now I’ve been toying with the idea of doing more illustrative work to keep things interesting for myself. As a person I’m a bit restless and need more and different creative diversions to satisfy my mental wanderlust. My friend Mark O’Connor—an English professor over at Slippery Rock University and adviser to their quarterly literary journal SLAB—asked me if I’d like to do one of their covers. Opportunities like this are good times for experimentation. I wanted something obtuse and enigmatic concerning the power of writing, and the cover came to me in segments, the idea of the book tower eventually becoming the focal point. See my blog for other interesting endeavors. Client: Slippery Rock University For over a year now I’ve been toying with the idea of doing more illustrative work to keep things interesting for myself. As a person I’m a bit restless and need more and different creative diversions to satisfy my mental wanderlust. My friend Mark O’Connor—an English professor over at Slippery Rock University and adviser to their quarterly literary journal SLAB—asked me if I’d like to do one of their covers. Opportunities like this are good times for experimentation. I wanted something obtuse and enigmatic concerning the power of writing, and the cover came to me in segments, the idea of the book tower eventually becoming the focal point. See my blog for other interesting endeavors. Client: Slippery Rock University For over a year now I’ve been toying with the idea of doing more illustrative work to keep things interesting for myself. As a person I’m a bit restless and need more and different creative diversions to satisfy my mental wanderlust. My friend Mark O’Connor—an English professor over at Slippery Rock University and adviser to their quarterly literary journal SLAB—asked me if I’d like to do one of their covers. Opportunities like this are good times for experimentation. I wanted something obtuse and enigmatic concerning the power of writing, and the cover came to me in segments, the idea of the book tower eventually becoming the focal point. See my blog for other interesting endeavors.

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Client: Sasquatch Books This monster was done by myself and one editor, who actually had the brunt of the work in editing the compiled reviews which came in from 67 different authors in various states of disarray. Formatting the text was no easy feat and I recall a long process of body text samples in order to find the right typeface that was small enough to for the book to come in at a reasonable 832 pages, while at the same time being legibly pleasant to read. Printed a light, almost newsprint paper stock, the books is surprisingly light for its size. Because of the constraints of having to use Scarecrow Video’s logo on the front, I’ve often thought the back cover was the stronger of the two. Client: Sasquatch Books This monster was done by myself and one editor, who actually had the brunt of the work in editing the compiled reviews which came in from 67 different authors in various states of disarray. Formatting the text was no easy feat and I recall a long process of body text samples in order to find the right typeface that was small enough to for the book to come in at a reasonable 832 pages, while at the same time being legibly pleasant to read. Printed a light, almost newsprint paper stock, the books is surprisingly light for its size. Because of the constraints of having to use Scarecrow Video’s logo on the front, I’ve often thought the back cover was the stronger of the two. Client: Sasquatch Books This monster was done by myself and one editor, who actually had the brunt of the work in editing the compiled reviews which came in from 67 different authors in various states of disarray. Formatting the text was no easy feat and I recall a long process of body text samples in order to find the right typeface that was small enough to for the book to come in at a reasonable 832 pages, while at the same time being legibly pleasant to read. Printed a light, almost newsprint paper stock, the books is surprisingly light for its size. Because of the constraints of having to use Scarecrow Video’s logo on the front, I’ve often thought the back cover was the stronger of the two.

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Client: 4 Walls 8 Windows A pair of very old covers from the days of independent publishers like 4 Wall 8 Windows who parented these titles. I really enjoy working with violent or otherwise harsh imagery, and there’s a lot to be said for shock value in properly distributed doses. Being so intrinsic to our society we had to constantly come up with new ways to present violence because it was never going to go away. So here’s an example of violence as something fun and playful and cool, which neutralizes the reality of two people beating the hell out of each other. Client: 4 Walls 8 Windows A pair of very old covers from the days of independent publishers like 4 Wall 8 Windows who parented these titles. I really enjoy working with violent or otherwise harsh imagery, and there’s a lot to be said for shock value in properly distributed doses. Being so intrinsic to our society we had to constantly come up with new ways to present violence because it was never going to go away. So here’s an example of violence as something fun and playful and cool, which neutralizes the reality of two people beating the hell out of each other. Client: 4 Walls 8 Windows A pair of very old covers from the days of independent publishers like 4 Wall 8 Windows who parented these titles. I really enjoy working with violent or otherwise harsh imagery, and there’s a lot to be said for shock value in properly distributed doses. Being so intrinsic to our society we had to constantly come up with new ways to present violence because it was never going to go away. So here’s an example of violence as something fun and playful and cool, which neutralizes the reality of two people beating the hell out of each other.

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Client: Milkweed Editions This was a nourishing project in so many ways. Firstly it was my inaugural assignment for Milkweed Editions as a new client, which I’d tried to land for some time; secondly it was a about a subject I’m pretty close to which is grass-roots environmentalism (the more mundane kind that never really gets any press, like going outside and picking up some of the 9 trillion tons of litter that’s all over the country, or planting some flowers in an alley—stuff like that), and thirdly I found out the beauty of using Flikr to find new artwork instead of wasting time with on warhorse stock agencies (which all seem to be owned by Getty in one way or another) that never seem to have what I want. I decided to look at Flikr for the hell of it. I love finding new talent, and if I saw something I liked, who wouldn’t want a few bucks for an photo they’d already shot. I found Taylar Hall, a nice young woman in Arlington Texas who had just the empty parking lot image I was looking for, and did a composite with and old illo from the Thomas Bewick archive, which all made sense to me in the context of author David Gessner’s ruminations on local green activism while canoeing down the Charles River. Check out the blog for more work. Client: Milkweed Editions This was a nourishing project in so many ways. Firstly it was my inaugural assignment for Milkweed Editions as a new client, which I’d tried to land for some time; secondly it was a about a subject I’m pretty close to which is grass-roots environmentalism (the more mundane kind that never really gets any press, like going outside and picking up some of the 9 trillion tons of litter that’s all over the country, or planting some flowers in an alley—stuff like that), and thirdly I found out the beauty of using Flikr to find new artwork instead of wasting time with on warhorse stock agencies (which all seem to be owned by Getty in one way or another) that never seem to have what I want. I decided to look at Flikr for the hell of it. I love finding new talent, and if I saw something I liked, who wouldn’t want a few bucks for an photo they’d already shot. I found Taylar Hall, a nice young woman in Arlington Texas who had just the empty parking lot image I was looking for, and did a composite with and old illo from the Thomas Bewick archive, which all made sense to me in the context of author David Gessner’s ruminations on local green activism while canoeing down the Charles River. Check out the blog for more work. Client: Milkweed Editions This was a nourishing project in so many ways. Firstly it was my inaugural assignment for Milkweed Editions as a new client, which I’d tried to land for some time; secondly it was a about a subject I’m pretty close to which is grass-roots environmentalism (the more mundane kind that never really gets any press, like going outside and picking up some of the 9 trillion tons of litter that’s all over the country, or planting some flowers in an alley—stuff like that), and thirdly I found out the beauty of using Flikr to find new artwork instead of wasting time with on warhorse stock agencies (which all seem to be owned by Getty in one way or another) that never seem to have what I want. I decided to look at Flikr for the hell of it. I love finding new talent, and if I saw something I liked, who wouldn’t want a few bucks for an photo they’d already shot. I found Taylar Hall, a nice young woman in Arlington Texas who had just the empty parking lot image I was looking for, and did a composite with and old illo from the Thomas Bewick archive, which all made sense to me in the context of author David Gessner’s ruminations on local green activism while canoeing down the Charles River. Check out the blog for more work.

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Client: Sunnyoutside Small presses with their limited budgets tend to give a lot of freedom, and I like that. I also like to support independent publishers because I think without them the literary world would seem a lot like Top 40 radio. This cover went through several permutations before deciding on this final version where I scanned an out-of-registration segment from a larger image in an old newspaper travel section from the 50s.  Lots more stuff to see here. Client: Sunnyoutside Small presses with their limited budgets tend to give a lot of freedom, and I like that. I also like to support independent publishers because I think without them the literary world would seem a lot like Top 40 radio. This cover went through several permutations before deciding on this final version where I scanned an out-of-registration segment from a larger image in an old newspaper travel section from the 50s.  Lots more stuff to see here.

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Client: Source Books This book went through so many permutations and cover designs that in the end I was probably making minimum wage. I’d already felt my first round of ideas (posted on my blog) had some excellent solutions, and for awhile the book headed in a very determined direction until out of the blue I was asked to completely redesign the cover. I’m one of those people who out of my own worst interest consistently gives 173% to whatever job I’m doing, someone tell me why I’m not a plumber. No doubt, there are times when you can do something 93 times and on that 93rd time make magic, and I think this cover is great (except for text lopsided praise text added after I turned the final files over and some other stuff on the final design that vanished), but in general, I’m with the Allen Ginsberg principle of “First Thought, Best Thought.” In general, it’s never a good idea for project to get strung out forever, lest it lose some essential chunk somewhere on the way that will always be the thing that doesn’t seem quite right. Check out my blog for a wagonload of unused versions for this title, and numerous other works. Client: Source Books This book went through so many permutations and cover designs that in the end I was probably making minimum wage. I’d already felt my first round of ideas (posted on my blog) had some excellent solutions, and for awhile the book headed in a very determined direction until out of the blue I was asked to completely redesign the cover. I’m one of those people who out of my own worst interest consistently gives 173% to whatever job I’m doing, someone tell me why I’m not a plumber. No doubt, there are times when you can do something 93 times and on that 93rd time make magic, and I think this cover is great (except for text lopsided praise text added after I turned the final files over and some other stuff on the final design that vanished), but in general, I’m with the Allen Ginsberg principle of “First Thought, Best Thought.” In general, it’s never a good idea for project to get strung out forever, lest it lose some essential chunk somewhere on the way that will always be the thing that doesn’t seem quite right. Check out my blog for a wagonload of unused versions for this title, and numerous other works. Client: Source Books This book went through so many permutations and cover designs that in the end I was probably making minimum wage. I’d already felt my first round of ideas (posted on my blog) had some excellent solutions, and for awhile the book headed in a very determined direction until out of the blue I was asked to completely redesign the cover. I’m one of those people who out of my own worst interest consistently gives 173% to whatever job I’m doing, someone tell me why I’m not a plumber. No doubt, there are times when you can do something 93 times and on that 93rd time make magic, and I think this cover is great (except for text lopsided praise text added after I turned the final files over and some other stuff on the final design that vanished), but in general, I’m with the Allen Ginsberg principle of “First Thought, Best Thought.” In general, it’s never a good idea for project to get strung out forever, lest it lose some essential chunk somewhere on the way that will always be the thing that doesn’t seem quite right. Check out my blog for a wagonload of unused versions for this title, and numerous other works.

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Client: Wave Books This cover for another fine collection of verse from Wave Books came around the last presidential regime, when everything was as divided and messed up as it is now and headed for another perceived swing of the political pendulum. My take on the climate of things in this country tends to veer from dark to pitch black and I wanted to stay away from anything that remotely resembled a traditional idea of patriotism. Wave is one of the few publishers I’ve worked with who absolutely do not want literal treatments, which allowed me to work on this from a strictly intuitive perspective, working with textures and allusion to come to a place where the political landscape isn’t necessarily determined by ideology, but something older, insidious and ultimately ominous. See my blog for more versions of this cover. Beaucoup design samples can be found here. Client: Wave Books This cover for another fine collection of verse from Wave Books came around the last presidential regime, when everything was as divided and messed up as it is now and headed for another perceived swing of the political pendulum. My take on the climate of things in this country tends to veer from dark to pitch black and I wanted to stay away from anything that remotely resembled a traditional idea of patriotism. Wave is one of the few publishers I’ve worked with who absolutely do not want literal treatments, which allowed me to work on this from a strictly intuitive perspective, working with textures and allusion to come to a place where the political landscape isn’t necessarily determined by ideology, but something older, insidious and ultimately ominous. See my blog for more versions of this cover. Beaucoup design samples can be found here.

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Client; Sasquatch Books During my tenure as Associate Art Director there, Sasquatch Books wasn’t known for taking too many design risks on its covers, and something like this with the hand-drawn text and rough edges almost didn’t happen. I’m not even sure how, all I’m glad is that it did, and for the most part the way I wanted it, complete with Edward Weston photo on the cover. It was a cool book, an extended essay on a powerful sense of place. It deserved a cool over. More samples of other titles can be found on my blog. Client; Sasquatch Books During my tenure as Associate Art Director there, Sasquatch Books wasn’t known for taking too many design risks on its covers, and something like this with the hand-drawn text and rough edges almost didn’t happen. I’m not even sure how, all I’m glad is that it did, and for the most part the way I wanted it, complete with Edward Weston photo on the cover. It was a cool book, an extended essay on a powerful sense of place. It deserved a cool over. More samples of other titles can be found on my blog. Client; Sasquatch Books During my tenure as Associate Art Director there, Sasquatch Books wasn’t known for taking too many design risks on its covers, and something like this with the hand-drawn text and rough edges almost didn’t happen. I’m not even sure how, all I’m glad is that it did, and for the most part the way I wanted it, complete with Edward Weston photo on the cover. It was a cool book, an extended essay on a powerful sense of place. It deserved a cool over. More samples of other titles can be found on my blog. Client; Sasquatch Books During my tenure as Associate Art Director there, Sasquatch Books wasn’t known for taking too many design risks on its covers, and something like this with the hand-drawn text and rough edges almost didn’t happen. I’m not even sure how, all I’m glad is that it did, and for the most part the way I wanted it, complete with Edward Weston photo on the cover. It was a cool book, an extended essay on a powerful sense of place. It deserved a cool over. More samples of other titles can be found on my blog.

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