Will 2021 See the End of the "Colorful Splotches" Trend?
No cover design is 100% new. Even the most seasoned designers will echo, mimic, and borrow from popular design trends when they stumble across something that works. And who can blame them? Designing book covers is so notoriously difficult that we have an entire idiom warning us not to dismiss a book just because it’s wearing an ugly jacket.
The trends that designers pull from constantly shift, evolve, and re-emerge after long periods of hibernation. But each year, certain styles, formats, and elements have their moment in the sun. In 2020 — perhaps to combat one of the most decidedly damned years in recent history — covers were adorned with what I like to call “colorful splotches”.
The splotches are eye-catching — a profusion of candy-bright hues that would arguably look more appropriate on a phone case or a fun pair of socks. And honestly, you’re not always sure what they’re meant to be. Is that a leg, or just an amorphous patch of poppy red? It doesn’t matter either way, because though the covers tell you almost nothing about the contents of the book, they’re strangely alluring.
Not only do these covers make your fingers twitch with desire to pick up and buy the book (a sure sign of a winning cover design), but the splotches also seem to say: this is an important literary work. While the exuberant colors scream: and it’s so of-the-moment.
On one hand, it’s exciting to see that the books being given this treatment are mainly by women and authors of color, since it seems to signal confidence in their literary merit. On the other hand, what often happens with a visual trend — especially one that gravitates towards abstraction — is that quite a few books appear more similar than they really are. Colorful splotches on covers have come to mean representation somewhere in our collective subconscious. We see them and think: ah, diversity. Ah, the female experience.
This amalgamation of books is why I’m always excited to see new design ideas emerge — and the covers of 2021 have so far been uplifting, energizing, and surprising. A lot of the popular trends play with image distortion: collage, surrealism, the illusion of depth, etc. But before we get into what’s new, we need to tackle the question: are the colorful splotches here to stay?
It seems as though on some level they might be. The blend of colors and “splotches” has stuck around on a number of covers, including Eman Quotah’s Bride of the Sea and Popisho by Leone Ross. Like the colorful splotches of yesteryear, the abstract art on these covers sort-of tries to resemble something, arguably failing more than it succeeds. What it doesn’t fail to do, however, is give me the feels: there’s somehow something just so real, something messy and (perhaps ironically) human, about multi-colored, suggestively shaped blobs.
If you’re wondering where the fuchsia pinks and royal blues are at, don’t panic: bookstores will never be overwhelmed with tender pastel tones because gorgeous, vivid colors will always be in vogue. Though they’re not as prominent now as they were a few years ago (I’m thinking of 2018, when Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion and R.O. Kwon’s The Incendiaries kept making me double-take), there’s been no shortage of vibrant colors in today’s titles:
When it comes to color, designers have an unprecedented amount of choice, and it’s both a blessing and a curse. Recently, cover designers who can’t make up their minds have opted for bright rainbow stripes: the sister trend of colorful splotches. The psychedelic cover of Verge was one of my favorite covers of 2020, and it seems the trend hasn’t died — Brandon Taylor’s latest book (a masterclass in writing short stories) is also sporting some expertly clashing colors. And thus the colorful splotches trend lives on, albeit in new incarnations.
Loud, eye-catching colors are honestly being used in countless intriguing ways this year. The cover of Open Water, for example, uses a modern color story that’s the opposite of the retro rainbow stripes. Salmon pink sits on top of mustard yellow — the book split in half in a way that really heightens the emotion of the photographs. Similarly, Pete Adlington’s design for Klara and the Sun uses few colors in a very effective way. Like Ishiguro’s unique writing style, this cover is both bold and warm, simple yet arresting.
Minimalistic covers like this one for Klara and the Sun have a tendency to draw the eye. Perhaps because of the contrast with the colorful splotches? Or perhaps because it’s easier for our minds to focus on a less “dense” design — one that uses clean fonts, simple graphics, and plenty of space? Whatever the reason, if you like book covers that provide a calm resting spot on a visually busy shelf, then 2021 is treating you well (or just tempting you to buy lots of books).
If, however, it’s breaking your heart to think of all the colorful splotches being replaced by clean-cut, minimalistic cover designs, there’s no need to despair. As a parting gift, I’d like to introduce you to one last 2021 design trend. It has nothing to do with colorful splotches, but I think it may be my new favorite thing to see on covers — and all the cool, most creatively written books are wearing it.
On a flat surface like a book, you’ve got to be pretty innovative to create the illusion of texture or depth. In 2021, designers have been getting our attention with these sorts of optical illusion-y designs that punch holes through or leap off of pages — or imply textures, as we can see on the cover of O. My favorite so far has to be The Atmospherians. This cover would be great fun if it were just an Instagram dupe, but the water droplets add another brilliant layer. I want to pick it up even though I have no idea what it’s about, simply because it reminds me of rain running down a window — and that, again, gives me the feels.
So there certainly are some cool new trends having their fifteen minutes of fame this year… but that doesn’t mean the colorful splotches trend has died out. If you’re a chromophile who’s been delighting in the clashing colors and swirly, vaguely human shapes, you should still be able to find joy in a bookshop. And if that’s not your thing, don’t worry: though they’re far from extinct just yet, I think we can safely say that 2020 was the heyday for colorful splotches.
Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world's best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading literary fiction, writing short stories, and browsing the bookstore for interesting covers. She's no artist herself, but she remains deeply fascinated by contemporary design!