Cover It - Some Basics for Cover Design

Hey, That's Mine!

All right so it would seem very logical that when you make graphics you should make your own graphics and not steal things from other people, right? 

Apparently that is not the case. I (and other designers) have come across profiles of "designers" who post these beautiful, awesome, awe inspiring graphics and we find out later they didn't make them. One girl swiped a bunch of picpsmas (moodboards whatever everyone is calling them these days) off of Pinterest and claimed she made them and was using them as her examples when she joined groups. 

Someone I know recently came across a "designer" who found the cover of a published book, removed the author's name and slapped the words "a cover shop" across the bottom and used it for her shop cover. She didn't make the design, she stole something that was already put together by a professional designer for a published book and ruined it by attempting to remove the author's name. Doing that screwed up the background and it's quite obvious they messed with the image. They put zero work into the design and to claim you're a designer when that is how you 'design', well that makes you nothing but a liar. 

There is a difference between stealing something and calling it your own and being inspired to create a design that is similar to something you saw and fell in love with. And as long as you credit the original designer or the original work you're cool. 

If you want to be a designer then put in the work. If all you want is praise then you're doing it for the wrong reason. Find something you enjoy and do that instead. This is not an opportunity for you to grab attention and have everyone ooooh and ahhh over your work (or in this case, your fake work). The praise you're getting is not yours. You did zero work on that design. You have nothing to feel good about. If that's how you do your so-called work and you feel proud of that I feel sorry for you.

And this does not apply to making a simple cover using a picture you've found. I'm talking about taking something another designer spent a lot of time and effort on to make a beautiful final design and then claiming you made it. I've spent hours making a manipulated cover, it's a lot of work and it's my work, I don't want some lazy person coming along, seeing it, and having their first thought be ... "Dude, that's cool. I'm gonna change the title and say I made it."   

I know, probably not how they think about it, but that is what you are doing when you claim the work as your own when you didn't make it. Think before you act and consider whether or not you'd appreciate what you're about to do to that graphic if the design was yours. 

This goes for writing as well. Taking work that isn't yours and claiming it as your own is low. 

Okay, I'm done now, let me put my soapbox away. 

**I use 'you' in the general sense, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone**