Our creative teams bring Penguin and the stories we publish to life, kick-starting the imagination of our many audiences. Whether illustrating the cover for a new title or art directing a new brand campaign, our design teams connect our products with readers. With a deep understanding of our audiences, they can understand and appeal to a particular genre, or push creative boundaries and challenge the status quo.
Design
The design teams within each publishing house contribute to the creative vision, and commercial success of the division by managing the design of upcoming titles from conception to finished product. These teams hold specialisms such as art direction, illustration, and studio management.
Armed with insights from editorial, marketing, and sales, our design teams develop cover jackets that appeal to the audiences we’re looking to target. Alongside key stakeholders in the division, they manage the book schedules and budgets.
Our Picture Editors, Researchers and Research Assistants work within the Publishing House Design teams to research or commission imagery for use on our covers and inside many of our illustrated books. They search high and low to find the perfect images for our covers and support the work of our designers.
They have an in-depth knowledge of image sources including agencies and libraries, museum and archive collections, and contemporary artists and photographers, and commission photo shoots and illustration.
It is a role that requires a creative response to our books, as well as a detailed knowledge of copyright law, contract negotiations, and licensing.
Picture research
Central agency
Outside of the publishing houses, you can also find designers in the brand department. They are home to the technical and creative skills that grow the reach and impact of brand activities and the campaigns of our key authors.
Both photography and design experts deliver the visual elements of brand campaigns or owned digital channel experiences. They deliver consumer-facing creative focusing on maintaining and strengthening the Penguin brand, ensuring that the strong design heritage of the company is upheld, whilst driving increased audience engagement.
Cover design award
Do you want a career in design or illustration, but are yet to land your first role? Think you could reimagine the cover of a bestselling book? Would you like to experience real book cover design briefs first-hand?
Our Cover Design Award is your opportunity to take on the role of a book cover designer and build your portfolio.
