The Story Behind a Book Cover: How Empathy and Design Shape a Memoir with Dhee Sylvester

In this episode of the Unapologetically Whole podcast, host Lola Dada-Olley welcomes designer Dhee Sylvester to discuss the intricate process behind creating a book cover. Dhee shares his artistic journey, revealing how his background as a writer and poet informs his design philosophy. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling in design, explaining how he seeks emotional and visual cues from the text to create covers that resonate deeply with the narrative. The conversation delves into the challenges of designing for memoirs, particularly those that tackle sensitive subjects like caregiving and identity. Dhee highlights the need for empathy and understanding in his work, ensuring that the cover reflects the author's intentions and the essence of the story.

Takeaways

• Design is a visual extension of storytelling.
• Empathy must come before aesthetics in design.
• Minimalism conveys more than just simplicity; it holds deeper meanings.
• The fragmented butterfly symbolizes transformation and becoming whole.
• Designing for memoirs requires sensitivity to the author's lived experiences.

Sound Bites

"I've always been a storyteller at heart."

"Empathy has to come before aesthetics."

"I hope they see the possible."

Transcript

Lola 0:04

Welcome to Unapologetically Whole. I'm Lola Dada Olley, attorney, advocate, storyteller, and lifetime caregiver. This is a space for anyone navigating identity, caregiving, leadership, or the quiet work of becoming. Here, we tell the truth, the beautiful parts, the complicated parts, and the parts we're still learning how to name. Some episodes are intimate reflections. Others are conversations with people whose stories expand our understanding of resilience and wholeness. No matter the format, the heart of this show is the same. To remind you that your story matters, your voice matters, and you are allowed to be whole without apology. Let's begin. Dhee Sylvester, welcome, welcome, welcome to the Unapologetically Whole podcast. Thank you for being with me today.

Dhee 1:28

Thank you for asking me.

Lola 1:30

I want to talk to you about your artistic journey. For those that don't know, he is the brains and the talent behind my book cover, which, not to be biased, I love it. I think it's beautiful. I think it's unconventional. I think it's a bold use, as well as an homage of the use of a butterfly, and an homage to one's culture. And I think that just begins to scrape the surface about you, your philosophy. You are a Lagos-based creative. And I cannot take credit for finding you. My wonderful publisher Wise Ink did. But before we get into the journey of this particular book cover design, I would love to talk to you about the start of your journey. So before we get to the cover itself, let's start at the beginning. What first drew you into the world of art and design?

Dhee 2:35

For me, I've always been a storyteller at art. Before I became a designer, I was a writer. I was a poet, sure story writer. So when I made the transition into design, I already have like a framework for artistry. For me, design is just like a visual extension of what it means to be an artist, what it means to be a creative. So I think my my background as a writer helps a lot for me to put myself in the writer's mind and to visualize what authors are looking for. Um so throughout my upbring upbringing, um I've always envisioned creating I just didn't know that a time would come where I'll be creating the covers for books. I wanted to publish my own stories, publish my own works. But and I loved comic books. I've I've always loved comic books. When I was younger, I used to draw. Um I used to draw superheroes. I remember seeing this um Frank Miller at Batman comic and the way the the styles, the characters were were drawn and sketched, it gave me a whole different meaning to what imagery can accomplish. And my evolution into being a designer and learning design, I was thinking maybe I would basically bring to bear my drawings into like a digit digital sphere through design. And when I started out initially designing cover-ups for my friends, the reception was was good. And I was like, maybe there might there could be something here for me as a as a creative, and I just leaned into it, I studied more, tried more, and from there on to now, it's got me here.

Lola 4:28

So being a writer and a poet and an artist, what are some, and I know every project is different, it's customized to its own unique circumstances, but your general philosophy, what are some of your general tenets when you look and because you you'll read and at least an excerpt of the book you're about to design? So, what are the things you're looking for before you start designing that cover? So that connection between the written word and the visual representation of that word.

Dhee 5:02

Most times I'm I'm looking for visual cues, I'm looking for something emotional that I can represent figuratively or metaphorically. Sometimes it comes either to the title or it comes either to a character or to me within the synopsis, or basically it could just be maybe a little element or narrative within the book itself. It could be random or different chapters, different ages. And that's why sometimes for me, reading not necessarily the full manuscript, but reading in enough, maybe like some let's say three to five chapters, it helps me get a feel for what the story is trying to accomplish and what the what the narrative says. And once I get some concepts, I make a list of them, I'm like, okay, let's say if if it's a is a story about a sailor, I start looking for things like like lighthouses, like like boats, like the sea, and I start making sketches of them. Like, okay, if we are going to design a cover for this, also in tandem with what the title says, in tandem with what the genre of the book is, all of those influences the final concepts that I submit. Fundamentally, think I think of my design style as a subtraction. Most times when people look at my covers, they they get this sense that I'm like a minimalist illustrator and designer. Minimalism to me is not the absence of more, it's actually the presence of mystery and being able to convey more than one meaning with an object. I always try to create shapes that represent more than just what is being seen on the surface. Like when you look at a design, you are able to think or envision it beyond the literal. And that's what I try to accomplish. Simplicity but with meaning. Simplicity but with purpose. And yes, anytime I design a cover, and let's say there's a lot of busyness, because sometimes that happens, where you're trying to incorporate a lot of elements, a lot of ideas into the cover. But my job as a designer ultimately is to streamline the goal of the author and basically represents it the best way possible.

Lola 7:20

So your artistic identity, and it comes through in my cover and other covers I've seen, is minimalism. It's interesting you mentioned with purpose. When you're designing for a memoir, so especially like one like mine that's rooted in caregiving and identity and resilience, is there anything that shifts in that creative process?

Dhee 7:44

Yeah, because you're dealing with real people with lived experiences. So in this instance, empathy has to come before aesthetics. I try my uh my best to listen, to read, to research so that when a concept is is submitted or proposed, it's in line with what um the author is is going for. It doesn't feel at odds with their intention or with their aim for the book. Fundamentally, I see I see book covers as an extension of the story. So in a way, it has to reflect and represent the narrative contained in the pages. So for memoirs, the person has to, you are you are anchoring the design on the story of an individual, a a real living individual, and there's a lot of carefulness that comes with that because you are not just trying to be clever, you are trying to be functional, but you are also trying to connect with with with your vision for the book. And in in particular, with your cover, it was a very delicate topic, a very heavy theme. Um I would say that it's my first time working on a cover or a book that deals with um topics and the subject matter that you focused on. And it was quite challenging, but I knew that I have to strip away whatever I have known, whatever I have, you know, been doing, and approach this with a clear, fresh perspective. But at the art of the design, it's being sensitive, being conscious, and being empathetic.

Lola 9:28

So I wanna I wanna pull the string a little bit on what you said about it's true, the book is definitely have some heavy topics. It talks about hope and resilience and breaking generational cycles and lifetime caregiving when you have loved ones on the autism spectrum, when you have loved ones who have intellectual disabilities, and how society reacts to them and how they react to you. So, with all that in mind, you mentioned challenging in kind of interpreting those words on the page to a visual representation. Could you talk a little bit about why it was challenging to interpret?

Dhee 10:08

It was challenging because you are not essentially dealing with something physical. A lot of these ideas are very abstract. The ways in which you convey them, you know, you almost have to be poetic. You you cannot give like a definitive literary representation of what uh let's say defiance means. With hope, there are like visual elements that you can use to convey what hope represents. In the choices for the cover, I feel like we did we did cover that aspect a lot. But fundamentally, I wanted a book that when a book of our order, that when people see it, even before they turn on the pages, it already speaks to them. It already connects with them on a deeply human level. That once they now open the book and they start reading the stories, it feels it feels like a living thing in their hands. The book feels like a living thing. And so the choice for cover motive, it's I don't want to give too much away yet, but essentially I have to find a part of me and think, okay, if I want a book like this, what would I also be looking forward to? Because I like I said earlier, I try to anchor my process on the expectation and the and the intentions of the author. If I walk into a bookstore and I'm looking for a particular book on a particular topic, what do I look forward to seeing? And I started ruminating and thinking about different concepts. Ultimately, I I came up with three concepts initially, and one of them seems to, you know, connect with humor, I think. And um, that's the one we'll be going with. So you could if you could um remember like each sample sp spoke to different things about about your your life. Um some was about the caregiving, the nurturing, one was about your heritage and identity, the other was more about transformation and becoming. And each each of those themes represents different angles of your story. And I tried to bring it all together in a visually appealing way that isn't too distracting and that doesn't take away from the book itself. Yeah.

Lola 12:36

By the time this episode will air, I would have revealed the book cover. So I think we can reveal it now. So I went with the butterfly silhouette as the symbol. And you the fact it's a fragmented butterfly, and that the body of the butterfly has Nigerian Yoruba designs on it, I think, really connected the themes of identity with transformation and becoming in multiple ways. But to you, the artist, I am just the beneficiary of your concept. But what does the butterfly represent to you in the context of this memoir based on the excerpt you've read?

Dhee 13:28

To be to be very honest, I when we initially spoke, um, I hadn't read the excerpt. I'll put my hands up and say, you you basically gave me the assist for the design. Yeah, there's a term in in football called an assist. So you gave me the true pass for the goal. And but when I was reading the excerpt, I I got to chapter four and I saw a name that that in in Nigerian writing circles, she's she's seen as as a twistess almost, Maya Angelo. And you quoted a a phrase she used as she used in relation to butterflies. And I was like, okay, this is it. This is it. I remember punching the screen like this is it, this is it, this is what we are going with. Um for me, butterflies, butterflies represent um transformation, becoming, but I didn't want a pretty butterfly, I didn't want something that looks beautiful because people are used to that. I wanted um I wanted a fragmented butterfly, geometric butterfly, but in a way that it's becoming whole. The fragmentation is not static, it's it's emotion, and when you look at it, you can see that you can see the shape basically take form. And that's what I was going for, like something coming, something undone, but coming together. That was the message with with with the butterfly team. And I've seen a lot of book covers that have like butterfly elements on them, but they are very direct, very in your face. I wanted this to have a different layer to it. I just didn't want it to just be something people look at and say, oh, that's cute, that's pretty. No. I wanted it to have its own meaning, its own message in a way that aligns with what the book um is reaching for, and you know, basically complements the title. So that's essentially why I opted um for that for that concept.

Lola 15:40

So it sounds like you started the design, and then when you started reading it, it really cemented the direction you were going.

Dhee 15:48

Absolutely, absolutely.

Lola 15:50

You mentioned, so for those that don't know in the writing process, before we were paired together by my wonderful publisher, I was asked to draft a design concept of what I was generally looking for. So I included these themes of hope and resilience, and what becoming whole could potentially look like and how it's a process. So for you to pick that up from me saying it's a process for you coming up with the idea of this fragmented butterfly, I think it's very telling because becoming whole is a continuous process. Constant. We all are. We all are, we truly all are. So, what made you design the body of the butterfly in the way that you did?

Dhee 16:41

So, like I said earlier, um, I wanted it to stand out essentially. And I know one of the ways in which it will stand out is is if there's something different about the butterfly. There's something unconventional about the look of it, about the feel of it, about what it represents. And one of the ways in which I felt like I could do that was by fragmenting it. Because by fragmenting it, I am essentially doing something to it. The butterfly itself, it's not it's not the um it's not the big story. What's happening to it and what it's doing is actually the story, yeah. And when people look at that, I want them to envision what it is like for them personally as well, to be a butterfly, a fragmented butterfly coming together, each piece representing a part of themselves, and each of those pieces finding its own purpose, its own meaning, and submitting itself to this harmonious conclusion. And the harmonious conclusion is the final form in that the butterfly takes. We know that the life cycle of the butterfly is in phases, and so even the the nature of the design represents something moving, something growing, something becoming. Well stated based on your on your preferred palette, and I try to work that along with the yoga uh geometry, which which is a representation of your heritage. I try to work that into the butterfly. So altogether, those concepts ended up making the butterfly very unique. It's not a normal butterfly, it's not the kind of generic concept of a butterfly that you see mostly online or you know in most circles. So it's something that stands out in its own way, that has its own story. But like I said, its story doesn't um it's not it's not doesn't counter your story or what the book is saying. It just kind of like complements it and acts like a like a guide and an anchor for it.

Lola 19:01

I remember very early sketches of the butterfly, and you did a very good job of balancing my vision with your own creative instincts and bringing them to the table. Is that something that you learned over time to do, or is it something you've always kind of had as an artist?

Dhee 19:24

As an artist, you have to be able to take on both the author's vision. Some people used to say one of the biggest differences between design and art is that design is about communication. There has to be a message to it, while art is about expression. When when you are designing a book cover, you are you basically have to merge both words, the the artistry and the design. So while I was going for something that looked pretty, I also wanted something that had a message to it that conveyed a profundity to it. And so I didn't just want to go off designing what I think and what I consider best. I had to pair that with okay, what's what basically, what symbol, what what element represents a Lola story the best. And based on what you wanted and what I considered most ideal, the butterfly was a very fitting, should I say, compromise in that regard because you know it it ticked most boxes, it didn't lean into one side. It's it's almost a universal uh language in itself. When people see butterflies, they attach different ideas and different meanings to them, and different cultures have different notions of what a butterfly means. One thing is for certain though, most people think butterflies are pretty, butterflies are they bring goodwill. There's this Frederick Nietzsche quote about how everybody likes a butterfly and nobody likes the the moot. So so basically, the butterfly is a goodwill uh emblem in a way. So setting on it for this design was, I mean, aligning with your intentions. Um, it was very easy for me, and I'm kind of glad that I didn't just go with what you want based on me wanting to impress you. I went with what you want in a way that made sense and that even elevated and transcended your own concepts and and expectations.

Lola 21:25

Absolutely. I think when I saw the fragmented butterfly, I thought to myself, this is it, because society focuses so much on the finish line. We celebrate that finish line, we don't seem to celebrate all that it took to cross the finish line. Yeah, all of the preparation, yeah, the journey. So the butterfly is complete. So it shows some level of healing, but it's but it's fragmented. The journey, a little bit of the where and

Dhee 22:00

tear that it took to get to that to that phase of some finality right so it's it really is a wonderfulness and transition yes it's wholeness and transition so before so on top of uh reading the excerpt and reading the design concept you did some research on me and thank you for that because it really does show what about my story or mission resonated with you personally to be honest but when I got the brief I felt like this is a kind of this is a kind of project that was that was made for me what you represent as a voice for the unseen and as a voice for people with disability it resonated with me a lot because I am someone who lives with a disability essentially when I got the chance to work on this on this project I was like okay this this this might be providence at work because what are the odds of a designer with a disability working on a book cover about a memoir that focuses on caregiving and disability and so that basically made me want um to give my best for this project for this design of the book cover I try to ensure that the typefaces are legible um that the spaces between the text is generous and it's not too dense because when text is um computed together it can be very difficult for people to read I also ensure that the text is at a good size height so that um when reading it um readers are not training to read it the color palette stands out because of how it's it is um it adheres to contrast black is a heavily contrasted color and then you've got yellow you've got white all three colors complement each other in terms of contrast even the way we've lay out the title you know the subtitle we ensure that they are clear to understand and the and the central symbol of the butterfly it is it is big it is bold it it's unmistakable so those are the choices I've made that in in my own way to ensure that the design is fully accessible in terms of color it's not shouty um it's not dark or too dim that people can't see it so the color is vibrant but not in a loud way text is readable and legible and this is this are very important every arrangement and layout from front to back of the cover it is made with intention and it is made for it to be to be easy to to engage with and access I wanted it to be a work that I would also on a personal level be proud of and that on a personal level I would say it speaks to me as well because I as a person of disability majority of the time when people write books on disability they write it from a point of struggle from the from the challenge of living with limitations. But this this book was different right because this book was about moving away from that and becoming something more you know and I've always aspired to have the kind of life where I am not limited my reality and your story and your reality gave me a sense of hope it gives me gave me a sense of defiance and courage even in my own personal life and I wanted to bring all that to bear in in the in the creative process because um I want other people beyond just caregivers I want you know even people with disability to see this book as a formal as a like a like a memento of sorts like a like a manifesto that okay there there's more to our lives and there's more to what we can do. So it's a it's a story your story is one where you are not burdened by the by the by your reality or weakened by it. In fact you derive strength from it and you've taken so much courage from it and inspiration from it and I'm just trying to borrow a little from that into my own life.

Lola 26:32

It's we are very much in tune and again I'm so glad my publisher found you because the chance but I also agree that it's providence. I really believe this is more than just a coincidence because for a Nigerian American woman with disability in her life for the publisher to find a Lagos based disabled amazing designer I just don't think it's a coincidence. So I feel the same way and I want to add I know this might be a little too much but you mentioned specifically the word manifesto and there was a season where I considered the title the caregiver's manifesto.

Dhee 27:17

So it's actually interesting that you used the term manifesto in the way that you said it when we initially started and we're we started with a different working title and then um it changed into this I I felt that the current title is more is more declarative. Former title was more like explanatory this was more declarative and I could really see that manifesto-esque leaning in in in the choice.

Lola 27:45

Ultimately there's so many things in this life that we cannot control life happens all have different life circumstances but how do we do the best with the life we're given yes so how do we as my aunt once said once upon a time how can you act like you went to the store and you bought this life so when you take ownership of it you're gonna treat it differently as though something was foisted upon you.

Dhee 28:13

Most times I think people do not really understand the full meaning of what life is for me I see life as a chance to make an impact to make another person's experience of living better and that's what I basically look uh look for to do um even with my with my relationships and my friendships that I am here for a purpose and my purpose is not to be self-serving it's not to treat this experience as just my own. I have to bring others along I have to touch them positively I have to give them some light in my own little way and either through my work or through the way I communicate or through what I represent as a person with disability I just try to bring that that feeling and that that empathy to bear.

Lola 29:13

It shows in the cover and the thoughtfulness and the dialogue back and forth in putting all of this together so thank you thank you also thank you for the brief it's one of the most comprehensive and detailed briefs I've ever had to work on.

Speaker 29:31

While I was reading it I was like she really cares about the designer doesn't she because most times some authors you know they'll just like do what you think. And when you go off to do what you think it doesn't align with what they want. But with you communicated what you wanted what you were looking for it was very clear it was very detailed and reading the brief I I felt like it was it made the job easier for me was I knew what you wanted I knew what you were looking for and I just had to do my job to meet your expectation I didn't go into it being confused like okay so what direction what would she like it was it made it made my job a lot easier and I really appreciate that.

Lola 30:21

Thank you thank you that means a lot that means a lot because I was trying to write the design brief in such a way that was that was clear and but not controlling.

Speaker 30:32

I still wanted room for whoever the artist would end up being to have their own yeah so thank you thank you so you're clearly very close to this as the book cover designer but for both of us attempting to take ourselves out of how close we were are to this you mentioned going back to the bookstore what do you to bring at home again if someone were to see the cover alone whether it be online or in a bookstore what do you hope they see I hope they see the possible how they see their story their journey regardless of where they might be at with it it's still a process in becoming um I want I want them to s to see a reason to believe a reason to be to be resilient in their personal life I want them to look upon the butterfly the fragmented butterfly like in the biblical times when um I think the children of Israel they looked upon the serpent in a way I want them to look upon the biblical the fragmented butterfly and find healing through it. I want them to read the book and achieve some level of wholeness in their in their personal life. The color of the book inspires yellow speaks of hope it's loud but it's also very subtle in a way I want them I want the butterfly the title everything about the book to be something that they can hold close to their heart hold close to their chest and symbolize a a process and a journey that they are proud to undertake that they are proud to be a part of and to learn how to navigate as well so that's what I'm basically looking for. I want this book to stand out I want the design to basically call forth to the reader to the audience and when they pick up the book the expectation of what of what they intend to see is met thank you thank you thank you for joining me on unapologetically whole my hope is that something you heard today offered you some space to breathe reflect and feel seen if this episode resonated with you please take a moment to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen it helps this community grow.

Lola 33:19

And if you want to stay connected visit loladadaolley.com l-o- l- a -d- a-d-a- o-l-l- e -y dot com to sign up for my monthly newsletter purchase my upcoming book Unapologetically whole or learn how to bring me to your next event as a speaker until next time I'm Lola Dada Olley and this is Unapologetically Whole.