Do you judge a book by its cover?
A conversation with Dishebh Raj Shrestha about designing book covers
The afternoon of August 30 was more than just another conversation, it was a milestone. With Outside Studio as our venue collaborator, we hosted our first-ever live conversation, and it turned into a celebration of books, stories, and the ways we perceive them before even turning the first page. Designer and educator Dishebh Raj Shrestha was in conversation with Alfa M. Shakya about the creative process behind how book covers are designed. Dishebh has designed many book covers for SAFU publication including Budhani, Chiniyamha Kisicha, An Archive, Night, Ghachar Ghochar among others.
With his creative insights and warm presence, he guided the room to think deeply about how much weight we place on appearances in books and what really goes into designing a cover. Some of the takeaways from the talk were:
Designers and illustrators play very different roles: one focuses on the structure, layout, and clarity (also works on the printing, publishing sides often) while the other brings in visual artistry and expression.
It’s a collaborative process, involving back-and-forth between authors, publishers, and artists to balance creativity with practicality.
A single cover design can sometimes take months or even years before it moves into publication. That first impression on a bookstore shelf is rarely accidental, it’s painstakingly curated.
To add a little twist and fun to the conversation, our host Alfa, challenged Dishebh to design a book cover on the spot giving him a story that she herself has written as the prompt. The exercise sparked a fascinating conversation: he emphasized that while covers must remain relevant to the story, they must never give away too much. A cover should tease, not tell. He also walked us through some of his own work showing us iterations of book covers before the final one made it to print.
The audience also played a huge role in the event. We had asked participants to bring a book whose cover they loved. And they brought in a range of books. From timeless classics like “Pinocchio,” “Crime and Punishment” and “The Lord of the Rings” to bold, modern designs, even books designed by attendees themselves, these covers became conversation starters.
For us as a team, the magic lay in bringing out these raw, authentic moments live: the laughter, the curiosity, the questions aimed at our guest speaker, and the energy of a room full of curious minds leaning into the conversation together. And perhaps the most rewarding part? Our seats were fully booked days in advance. It showed us there’s a real hunger for spaces where people can engage meaningfully around art and design. We leave this event with gratitude, but more importantly, with a reminder: books aren’t just read, they’re experienced. And often, that experience begins with nothing more than a single glance at the cover.
A special thank you to Outside Studio for giving us the space to host this event and to Yogina Shakya and Rosema Shakya from the Outside team for their support and warmth.
Sampada Regmi is a soon-to-be Finance graduate at KUSOM who loves meeting new people and having new experiences. When she’s not working, you might find her exploring new cafés, diving into a good book, or going for a run. Sampada volunteers as the Social Media Manager at How’d You Create That?
Photos by Sampada Regmi and Iru Niroula.
 |
|
When's the next event?