(Image source: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/)
Classics
present a quandary for every bookseller or publisher: How do you create a desirable
product when there exists the same copy by your competitors? For Barnes &
Noble, the answer can be found in the design. In its Collectible Edition of Gabriel
García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of
Solitude, Barnes & Noble has created a design that appeals to the
bibliophile. In materials alone, the book is bound in hardcover leather,
embellished with golden gilt edging and a silk ribbon bookmark; such details
make the book appear antique. But the cover is also distinct. Using mostly
shades of green, the cover is able to intricately depict leaves without seeming
too garish or overdone. This also allows for the instances of orange to pop
out, particularly the title. The cover becomes artistic and eye-catching;
combined with the materials, the book exudes elegance and recalls the older
leather-bound copies of literature with a modern flair—an aesthetic for any
book lover who wants a beautiful copy of a classic to display and cherish. That
is why this is an effective product designed for desirability.
