Does the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover' still hold true?

Every one of us has encountered the proverb 'Don't judge a book by its cover' and many would agree that this is true. In a figurative sense, we should not judge people by their appearance, but rather delve into their essence and discover their inner beauty, which is the only right thing to do. The thesis also presents the significance of graphic design in literary art, whilst the empirical section answers the posed questions and confirms or refutes the given hypotheses. The research method employed a questionnaire survey distributed to a wider group, which captured multiple characteristics and people with different reading habits.

Problem

Every one of us has encountered the proverb 'Don't judge a book by its cover' and many would agree that this is true. In a figurative sense, we should not judge people by their appearance, but rather delve into their essence and discover their inner beauty, which is the only right thing to do. But what if we do not understand the saying from a symbolic standpoint, but it actually refers to the examination and evaluation of a book?

We are all aware of the power of first impressions and how difficult it is to correct a (bad) one despite subsequent efforts. With books and printed literature, the first impression given to the prospective reader is precisely the book cover. Before we read a book and experience its story, its cover must convince us to even want to pick it up, experience its content and recognise what it offers between the covers.

Visual perception is admittedly quite subjective, yet there exist design norms and rules that give us a better idea of what should be appealing to a wider audience. Progress in the development of book covers coincided with the development of technology, with the greatest rise experienced with the invention of the printing press, which had a positive impact on literacy and reading comprehension amongst the lower classes as well. Books became accessible to almost everyone and, fortunately for future generations, the accessibility of books to the wider public has also been maintained, primarily through the establishment of libraries.

The diploma thesis presents the psychological perception of visual art, i.e. the components of visual perception and their influence, and walks through the history of book cover design.

Results

The thesis also presents the significance of graphic design in literary art, whilst the empirical section answers the posed questions and confirms or refutes the given hypotheses. The research method employed a questionnaire survey distributed to a wider group, which captured multiple characteristics and people with different reading habits. It was established that most people attach greater importance to the content of a book than to its external appearance, yet they have nonetheless already declined to read a particular book due to its unconvincing exterior.

Through the research, the author of the diploma thesis came to the realisation that the external appearance of a book has a significant influence on an individual's choice and precisely because of this it is important that, as future graphic designers, we learn how to create a quality, interesting and attractive cover for people. For this reason, she also decided on the chosen topic of the diploma thesis.