{"id":14758,"date":"2025-06-19T07:27:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T07:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=14758"},"modified":"2025-06-19T08:30:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T08:30:54","slug":"behind-the-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2025\/06\/19\/behind-the-cover\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind The Cover"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cEditorial design is about the small details \u2013 you\u2019re not just designing the cover, but also the book interior \u2013 and those extra details need to be tight and finessed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading graduate Emily Lapworth \u2013 deputy design manager at Quadrille Publishing<\/a> \u2013 talks about her experiences at Reading, her career in the creative space and what she does to stay grounded. \u00a0<\/p>\n

A lightbulb moment <\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"AEmily had her sights firmly set on studying fine art at university, but after visiting Reading she realised it was graphic design that she wanted to pursue.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cMy favourite subjects were art and English but I wasn\u2019t given any advice at school on careers that involved both subjects. When I visited the Reading campus on an Open Day and walked into the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication something just clicked.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI knew in that moment that graphic design was the right choice, and it was Reading that instigated that for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI loved the history of the department and the rustic building, but what really stood out for me was that the course was print-based and had a strong focus on editorial design. I\u2019ve always loved books and the opportunity to learn how to design these professionally was something that really excited me.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is no doubt in Emily\u2019s mind that her time at Reading had an impact on her career. She said: \u201cReading turned out to be the best choice for me. I absolutely loved the course \u2013 it was hard work but the joy of creating designs with such a lovely bunch of people made it all worthwhile.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt also gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed when I first started out in the design industry. I was prepared technically but I could also communicate my ideas well, which was something that was instilled into me at Reading.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe first person who hired me was actually an alumna of the University and I know she thought very highly of the course and the experience that it gave its students.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Emily also shared that three of the friends she made on her course have become friends for life and she met her future husband at Reading. She said: \u201cWe met at Wessex Halls. We lived on the same corridor in our first year and as they say, the rest is history!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fuelling creativity<\/strong><\/h4>\n

After graduating Emily landed her first job as a designer at Quadrille \u2013 a global, award-winning food and lifestyle publisher. Fast forward 11 years and Emily is now a deputy design manager at the renowned publishing house.<\/p>\n

In her current role Emily oversees the book design process. She explained: \u201cHalf of the job is as you would expect \u2013 coming up with ideas and creating books \u2013 but the other half is producing them. This can include managing budgets, arranging photo shoots, commissioning freelancers, creating mood boards and directing the shoots.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou have to be able to do both parts of the job well and juggle a lot of spinning plates.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Emily shared that her favourite type of book to design are craft books. She said: \u201cDuring a craft photo shoot, I always end up having lots of roles on set which means I can have a real impact on how the book looks, which I really enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning to her career highlights, Emily revealed that she worked with Anja Dunk, a freelance cook, food writer and artist on her book Advent<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

She explained: \u201cThe idea behind the book was for it to become our readers\u2019 Christmas Bible \u2013 something that you would revisit every year and cook a recipe from with your family. It was a real collaborative effort and such a treat to see the final copies land on shelves at Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2022 Advent<\/em> was nominated at the British Book Design and Production Awards<\/a>. Emily said:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThis nomination was one of those stand-out moments. I felt very lucky to work with someone as talented as Anja on this project.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Beyond the screen<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Emily\u2019s creative flair doesn\u2019t stop at work. In her spare time she loves to screen-print \u2013 something she was taught by former University of Reading Typography & Graphic Design Lecturer, Martin Andrews<\/a>. She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019ve been looking at a screen all day it\u2019s so nice to get your hands dirty. In the last few years I\u2019ve also taken up sewing which I find relaxing and really takes my mind off of the day job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cat\"When she\u2019s not creating, Emily also enjoys exploring new places and being with her feline companion, Peach. She said: \u201cI love going on a long weekend. I recently visited the Lake District which was beautiful and I\u2019d like to go back there and explore more of it. Peach loves jumping on my desk and showing her bum in video calls. She definitely keeps me on my toes and helps me stay grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about the detail <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Having worked in the creative space for over a decade, Emily shared her advice to anyone looking to embark on a career as a book designer.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cEditorial design is about the small details \u2013 you\u2019re not just designing the cover, but also the book interior \u2013 and those extra details need to be tight and finessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t have any experience to add to your portfolio yet, my advice would be to create your own. I love seeing interpretations of existing book cover designs as it allows you to see the creator\u2019s individual style and vision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discover more about studying graphic communication<\/a> at Reading, or find out about Quadrille Publishing<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cEditorial design is about the small details \u2013 you\u2019re not just designing the cover, but also the book interior \u2013 and those extra details need to be tight and finessed.\u201d Reading graduate Emily Lapworth \u2013 deputy design manager at Quadrille Publishing \u2013 talks about her experiences at Reading, her career in the creative space and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":14766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[163,54,74,66,191,65],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBehind The Cover - Connected<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Emily Lapworth talks about her experiences at Reading, her career in the creative space and what she does to stay grounded.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2025\/06\/19\/behind-the-cover\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Behind The Cover - 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