Matt Dorfman on designing book covers for The New York Times Book Review
For more than ten years, Matt Dorfman has served as the art director for The New York Times Book Review, where he shares his philosophy on book cover design. He believes that a well-crafted cover should capture the unique obsessions of the author, which is why he reads every manuscript he works on. Dorfman often employs collage techniques to merge contrasting themes, refreshing familiar concepts. He values the process of generating numerous unsuccessful ideas to uncover a gem, often inspired by a small detail from an initial concept. Operating his own design consultancy, he selects projects that resonate with him. Despite facing resistance when innovating cover designs, he adheres to his guiding principle: "you can do anything except what's right in front of you."
Key facts
- Matt Dorfman has been art director at The New York Times Book Review for over a decade.
- He reads every book he designs a cover for.
- He believes a good book cover is more interested in its subject than its audience.
- Collage is a recurring medium in his work, used to pair themes not readily represented in nature or culture.
- He generates many bad ideas to find a shred of an idea worth expanding upon.
- He runs his own design and art consultancy alongside his role at The Times.
- His wife and daughter are supportive of his late-night work.
- He faces pushback when trying to push cover design into novel directions.
Entities
Artists
- Matt Dorfman
- Matt Willey
Institutions
- The New York Times Book Review
- It's Nice That
Locations
- New York
- United States
- West Midlands
- England