by Jessica Starks
Melissa Chan is a designer and the founder of Literary Book Gifts. She creates unique designs on tees and totes for book lovers, teachers, and librarians.
B4R: Tell us about Literary Book Gifts
Melissa Chan: Literary Book Gifts is a small online company that specializes in bringing literature off of the page and onto high quality gifts. With everything in the collection from Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe, there is something for every reader or writer to choose from.
B4R: What is one of your favorite designs?
MC: One of favorite designs is Frankenstein I really love the color composition and how it looks on a navy background. I think the dead tree and gravestones really bring out the spooky feeling of the novel by Mary Shelley.
B4R: When did you know design was your passion/gift/calling?
MC: From a very young age I have always been not only a reader but interested in graphic design. I love conveying ideas through artwork and the appreciation of art has been a large part of my life for many years.
B4R: What’s your design process?
MC: Typically I think about title, author, or very old book cover for a while. I try to figure out what it’s place might be in the collection and how I should remaster it to make it really fit well with the ideas that are conveyed in the novel. After choosing all the design elements I do some graphical editing to make sure it shows up great on the tee or tote.
B4R: What do you do when you get stuck on a design?
MC: Sometimes the designs are easy and the final product is something I am pleased with. In other cases I can try a few times and not really get anywhere with the design. In this case I take a step back, relax, and try to see if there is another design I can try out in the mean time.
B4R: Who are some of your favorite authors?
MC: I am a huge fan of J.K. Rowling, J.D. Salinger, Walker Percy, and more recently Flannery O’Connor.
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