Portfolio
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/25/2559/255963/d47478a8-4733-4230-bd02-0296ac978bc6.jpg "Dark thriller based on the abduction of a young girl from a playground in Boston and the subsequent manhunt by the FBI and the girl's mother.
One of the requests from the author was to have a dark deep cover with strong colors, but also quite simple.
In my design I played with the contrast between the innocence of the child and her teddy bear, with the heavy and stormy clouds that transmit a very dramatic feeling.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/32/3275/327545/004063c2-67a0-4d32-9a15-3313903aa583.jpg "Design for book 3 of the Vampire Queen Saga, a mature dark fantasy novel.
The design shows one of the scenes of the story, when the main character finds a chest in a tower containing the Vampire Queen's heart... but then a spider as large as a dog attacks.
The details that I added to the wooden chest, not only help to place the story within medieval times, but they also give a strange and mysterious appearance to this unique piece, as it had been requested by the author.
All the book covers of this series are substantially different but they all have the same strange and menacing atmosphere.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/70/7051/705105/b7191f43-b508-4469-9fc5-30417f1e9e8e.jpg "These are the two designs created for an Action-Thriller Collection, which includes stories from several authors that are always set within a military environment.
The main objective was to transmit in the imagery the concepts of “Honor”, “Duty” and “Sacrifice” within an atmosphere of combat. However, I also kept some high contrasts and a certain dark style that gives a sense of mystery and suspense, as it is needed in thrillers’ covers.
It was also requested to connect the title and subtitle, forming a unique block, as well as a lettering that could convey a sense of “toughness”. The choice of the font and the scratched steel texture helped to achieve that goal.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/101/101115/attachment_101115844 "This is a thriller book series, which stories take place in the town of Hollow Green. The detective Edgar Vincent is the main character that investigates several crimes.
In book 1, “Hollow Green\", young women are murdered during a snowy winter. One of the victims is found in a colonial old house, which can be seen as a central detail in the design.
The cover was made to catch the curiosity of the viewers and to transmit a sense of mystery and fear, but without revealing too much of the story.
In book 2, “Hollow’s Eve”, the brutal murder of a young man is committed in the woods. While investigating, the detective’s fingerprints are found riddled throughout the crime scene.
This is one of the most important details of the story that will influence the course of the events. That’s why it was included a fingerprint in a large scale that merges with the background.
This design for book 2 is a layout proposal and has never been published.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/103/103867/attachment_103867325 "These designs were a layout proposal and have never been published.
They were created for a YA dystopian romance set in parallel universes. The author wanted to have that sense of duality represented in the design, but in a way that it would be completely clear that the first book was set in our current universe, and the second one in a dystopian universe at the same place.
As one of the details from this dystopian universe was that all trees were dead, I used the image of two massive trees as the main focal point. They helped to represent the differences between those two worlds, also intensified by the different color schemes.
The poses of the girl (main character in the story) also reinforce the titles of each book: a static pose for “Here” and a moving/running pose for “There”.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/42/4253/425313/22ba3727-97bb-4495-9321-7e09fd999230.jpg "This is a fantasy story about a 12-year-old boy with unique abilities. He is invited to join a training program, set in a specialized summer camp called Campus Gaea, where he will be able to improve his skills and grow into a powerful member of the Band of Fire.
The request of the author was to represent James in the environment of Campus Gaea (a scouting style camp), following some characteristics of the tents (colors, shape, placement) in order to match the descriptions on the book.
The wolf (a character that guards the camp) and the Phoenix (a beautiful, flame red colored, large bird that is James companion) were also some of the requested details.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/110/110914/attachment_110914866 "This design was a layout proposal and was never published.
It was created for a cautionary tale about what America is becoming. This science fiction book is a sort of metaphor for what is happening in our society, bringing the excitement and intrigue of paranormal and spiritual discovery, together with a supernatural battle between spiritual forces in an age of advanced technology and cultural shifting.
As it is set in San Francisco, the client required a clear skyline of the buildings of the city, from which a giant violet construction stands out, not only by its size but also by the different appearance and materials.
The major challenge was precisely to represent that giant building in a way that could show its different nature, following the descriptions on the book — “some kind of magnetic force field, not glass or steel”.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/49/4980/498095/b99d89e4-2986-497b-b1b2-4699cfc8ea90.jpg "The book’s main character is a vigilante-for-hire who runs a high end mercenary organization, headquartered in Boston.
As this is the first book of a set of several new series, the author requested a slight different approach, in relation to what had already been done on the previous books, as long as it would fit her already very well known brand.
When I made the research of the publishing design trends within this genre I noticed that, whenever there's a cover with an image in a big scale, it stands out from the others in an incredible way, specially when they have a face looking at the viewer.
I immediately remembered how the eyes of the models (and a particular gaze) is one of the details that identify so many of this author’s books — the direct look at the reader, that catches the attention and also seduces, is almost her trademark.")
About
Hi! My name is Isabel Robalo.
I'm an experienced Designer working mainly in the Publishing Industry:
• Book and eBook Cover Design
• Interior Book Layout/Typesetting
ISA DESIGN® is a registered brand that represents the services I provide.
Enjoy my portfolio and come back whenever you need a Design project. I will be happy to help you.
Country:
Portugal.
Member since:
November 02, 2013
Reviews
"Isabel is incredibly professional, creative, and easy to work with. She understood my vision, communicated clearly, and delivered high-quality work on time. I highly recommend her!"
jerusleeC
reviewed 5 days ago
"Very well done. You can't go wrong using IsaDesignNet for any and all design projects!"
Anonymous client
reviewed 6 days ago
"Working with Isa has been one of the absolute highlights of my publishing journey so far. I brought her in to design the interior of my puzzle book, and she completely exceeded my expectations—not just in terms of creativity and polish, but also in how ..."
rezaa.khoshkaj
reviewed 7 days ago
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"As reliable as when we started our collaboration years ago. On time, on budget, efficient and friendly communication. Thank you Isa!"
Anonymous client
reviewed about 1 month ago