Across America, homeowners are swinging mallets and wielding hammers in the name of open concept design. Walls are coming down, light pouring in, and space expanding in rooms that were once admired for their coziness and intimacy.

When we were asked to “renovate” the cover of the Barr Group’s signature book on embedded systems coding, open concept home design provided our creative blueprint.

Down Came the Walls

Our first step was to remove walls. The original book cover sported a wide border. Borders confine a cover, much like a frame confines a painting—or walls confine a room. Remove the border, and the effect can be similar to what happens when you remove walls between rooms: a sense of spaciousness and a release from limits.

Bright and Light

Next, we addressed color, moving from the earthy green of the original cover to a cool, electric blue. Think of the blue of electrical arcs or the bluish glow of monitors. It’s the color that comes closest to saying “cutting edge technology.”

Color comes alive under the right lights and achieves depth. In home design, lighting also defines a room’s focus. Lighting serves the same purposes on this book cover, giving depth to the otherwise one-dimensional image and inviting the eye to focus on the book’s title.

Crossing Over

Design crosses borders. In this case, home design principles crossed over to influence book cover design. You can see the results below. What design challenge are you facing? Try crossing borders for your creative spark.