[Interview] A Creative Mind

For book lovers there are few experiences as thrilling as walking into a book shop; the feeling of being surrounded by so many different reading possibilities can be intoxicating.  Eventually, however, reality sets in and choices have to be made over which ones will be coming home with you.  In that moment the decision is often swayed by one crucial factor: looks.

It is in that moment of truth that Pierre Portelli wants to prevail. 

As a book designer he has to handle various aspects of a book’s production.  “Together with the publishing team at Merlin, I am involved in most of the book production process,” he tells me “which includes the fonts used, paragraph spacing and overall layout.”  All of which is important but nowhere close to the value of getting the book cover right.  “Research shows that you don’t have minutes to convince a book buyer; people make their mind up within seconds of picking up a book.  So we have to make something that stands out and convinces people.”

The full interview with Pierre Portelli can be found on Snapshots of Malta.