Portfolio
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/25/2559/255963/36cc2723-e7dc-4ea7-a55b-d64d0da2ef72.jpg "This design was created for a Christian romantic fiction for readers between 35-65. It is an Amish novel about innocence and unrequited love.
Since the story is set during the summer in a farm, the client requested a design in earth tones and of the fall harvest - hay piles, wheat fields or of golden corn.
As the landscape spreads to the back cover, it gives a sense of vastness, like a field that never ends, but it also helps to balance the entire book cover.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/159/15940/1594015/1b7b27d6-b2f6-4a02-9301-1a5019f759cb.jpg "This project consisted of creating a complete digital booklet (cover and inner pages) with the potential to be printed in the future. Therefore, the cover was designed taking this requirement into account, making it possible to have a paperback version when needed.
As the booklet is an addition to an existing book series, the design concept followed the same clock theme to represent “Time”. With meditation and inner reflection being the main purposes, I thought it made sense to display a clock where we could see the inner mechanism. It's like looking inside each person and seeing what they’ve improved by dedicating their time to these daily devotions.
The sun rising over the horizon represents each new day, as well as a new opportunity to deepen the knowledge of the Bible, no matter how busy life is. This is also the reason why I kept a very calm and peaceful look throughout the book. It invites to pause for a few minutes and helps to get into a meditative state of mind.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/124/12459/1245993/434f91af-541e-4a61-8763-8621d8379b96.jpg "In order to make the connection with Book 1, 100 Minutes with God, I kept the same title design. Although the covers are different, this approach helps readers to see the two books as a “collection” rather than as a “standalone”.
Regarding the concept, I followed the author’s suggestion of an hourglass to represent time. I placed it as if it were rising from the water or floating on its surface. The seascape with the sunlight gives a great depth to the book cover, but the main reason I chose it is because it conveys peace and a sense of hope. The entire image invites the reader to moments of meditation and devotion… always in a positive way.
The flight of the seagulls, which seems to create a growing line of movement extending from the back cover, represents the evolution and personal growth that these minutes of daily reflection can help to achieve.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/143/14384/1438465/966cf865-04a4-4196-b900-94deffeae159.jpg "This book explores how the healing messages of the Passover Seder, which retells the story of the Exodus, are relevant to our lives today. It is grounded on a Jewish ritual, but its messages are universal. The book, written from a feminine perspective, focuses on women's marginalization in a patriarchal society and their long journey towards liberation, to become equal participants in the Seder and Jewish life in traditional Judaism.
Work began on the book cover design, for which the author had a definite idea and aesthetic: a colorful but serene desert landscape, with a subtle image of ancient Israelites/Hebrews walking on the horizon. The main detail that should stand out was a simple branch with flowers, to represent women's inclusion, growth, and blossoming.
The second part of the project was dedicated to the interior book layout and typesetting. I followed the same original cover ideas to maintain consistency throughout the book, including the simple and peaceful style.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/26/2607/260755/d3ae1db2-4509-4df1-b192-8c3ffd5b33e5.jpg "These are the first two publications for the \"Moderný Pračlovek\" series (Modern Caveman). The main idea was to represent caveman drawings in a very simple way and products that were used at that time... but also in our days.
The first one — “Kuchyňa Pračloveka” (Caveman's Kitchen) — is an untraditional cookbook focused on the choice of ingredients and kitchen skills/practices rather than just recipes.
The second publication is an ebook — \"Desatoro Prikázaní Moderného Pračloveka\" — that basically means \"The 10 Commandments of the Modern Caveman\". Following this line of thought, the author requested something related with the religious meaning of the title. Therefore, I used the idea of the stones of the 10 Commandments described in the Bible.
It was also important for the author to keep the “caveman illustrations” separated in two zones — the day and the night. At the center, the squatting silhouette represents the meditation and balance.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/104/10471/1047102/52c2de35-a873-42c8-9c8d-5841b2257e6e.jpg "“Let’s Fly Away” is the first book of the “Adventures of Thomas Leaf Monkey” and his group of friends. In this story the group is very bored in the rainforest, when they realize that they can use their imagination to go anywhere they like.
In this book, Katrina Maxwell leads children (ages 3-8) to use their imagination and yoga moves to travel to a new place and have some fun. The author is a Speech-Language Pathologist & Children's Yoga Instructor with a passion for education and travel.
All the illustrations were created by another artist, that made a fantastic job giving life to each character. I was extremely careful to keep the book layout/typesetting and the cover design completely faithful to that initial work.
The simplicity of the book cover design was also meant to make those characters stand out, as well as to introduce the author, her brand and her work to all the potential readers.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/104/10493/1049357/7f548057-9938-4507-9976-aade63bf0916.jpg "Know Yourself is an award-winning company providing educational toys, kits, and literature for young children. The Adventure Series: 12 Systems of the Body Workbooks introduces each system of the human body and teaches children about themselves from the inside out.
Each Workbook includes learning pages, activities, games, recipes and also a comic book, whose story is set in a different country and at a different time, with the same group of characters. This Adventure 4 is set in Ancient Assyria and is about the Renal System.
The main work of this project was the interior layout and typesetting, following a consistent graphic line that I had initially designed for the entire series.
As some parts were based on a previous workbook, there were already some illustrations. However, I had to create all the others in order to refresh the design and to include the new activities in this book.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/170/17054/1705465/7fa8762c-9f29-41cd-b29a-0356b650325b.jpg "This annual coffee mug is given to Pros There employees, as a way of thanking them for their dedication to the company.
After deciding on Green as the base color, the “environmental theme” immediately came to my mind. Thus, the motto of the 2024 design is: “By helping nature, nature will help people too.”
When Pros There employees follow sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices in their job, the company becomes a good place to work and with a better chance of a bright future.
With this idea in mind, and before starting the illustration, I did some research on a few of the emblematic wild animals in the State of Ohio, US (where the company is based). So, I included the white-tailed deer (State animal) and the cardinal (State bird), as well as the beaver to complete the composition.
As with the previous mugs, the illustration is repeated on both sides. This way people can have the same visualization by holding it with their right or left hand.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/47/4747/474796/649a567e-893d-44f8-8f92-5a4a726f2d09.jpg "Book 4 of the \"Melanie Hogan Mysteries Series\", which stories always take place within the environment of an hair salon.
This particular book is about a murder and the struggle of the main suspect to solve the mystery, to avoid being arrested.
Apart from some hairdresser instruments that are always placed on the back cover of all the books in this series, one of the requests of the author was to incorporate a large flower garden where some of the action takes place. The flowers also helped to represent and reinforce the title, changing some of them to a blood color.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/135/13558/1355806/dc05b83f-f736-421f-bae4-d22a6c617bb9.jpg "This book, “On Your Mark, Get Set, INVEST! A Kid’s Guide to Saving Money, Spending Wisely, and Investing in the Stock Market” is targeted towards kids (ages 8-12) and their parents. It can be classified as a sort of mix between a nonfiction self-help and an educational book for children.
The challenge was to illustrate financial concepts, designing a fun interior layout to keep kids engaged and focused on the subjects presented.
In addition to various financial themes and advices, the book incorporates worksheets, chapter summaries and the story of the “Thrifty Tortoise vs Ritzy Rabbit” race. These two funny characters and scenes were created by the talented Adrian Doan Kim, who also designed the book cover. I did all the other illustrations while creating the internal layout, to better balance all the elements and achieve a consistent look throughout the book.
The entire project was very engaging and fun to work with, helped by the excellent communication with the author.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/154/15497/1549705/154e5930-5b5e-4be9-adea-2d16f1580543.jpg "The project included working on all the book’s graphic elements: cover design, book layout/typesetting and all illustrations.
This children's story takes place on a day in the life of Moby, whose character was based on the author's Mastiff dog. As this breed is so much larger than other dogs, kids who struggle with feeling different can relate to the story.
The first part of the project was to develop the main characters, based on photos of real dogs provided by the client. To attract the attention of young readers, the request was to create vibrant illustrations with a fun and whimsical vibe, with bright colors in the background to highlight the characters.
The project followed a traditional workflow, from initial sketches on paper, to the refinement of the lines in Adobe Illustrator. The next step was entirely done in Photoshop, adding colors, background scenes and all light/shadow effects. Typesetting and book cover design were the last phases of this exciting work.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/107/107145/attachment_107145375 "This design was a layout proposal and was never published. It was created for a fictionalized biography, aimed for 8-12 age children (mostly girls).
In this novel Ave shares the letters of her best friend Katie and recounts her memories from the time they escaped a convent as young adults (where they were nuns), until Katie’s death at the age of 53.
The story is set in Western Germany from 1523 to 1552, in the time of the Protestant Reformation. Therefore, my main attention was to have all the clothing and other details representative of this specific period in time.
As the letters sent between the two friends are the main focus of the entire story, I’ve decided to use a font in the title (and in the header of the back cover text) that could represent the handwriting of one of the women.")
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
"Reliable, fast, and efficient. Thanks once more Isa!"
mustachianpost
reviewed 18 days ago
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"Working with Isa has been an absolute game changer for me and the team. She completely nailed the brand guide, lead magnet, and all the social media assets, everything looks sharp, aligned, and on-brand. It’s honestly saved me so much time and decision ..."
rezaa.khoshkaj
reviewed 28 days ago
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