Taiwan-based designer Peter Chang’s book jackets are “bold, clear and a little bit elegant”

Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Peter Chang’s interest in graphic design was first piqued at 18 when he read a Japanese magazine in his local bookstore. “The layout of the magazine really interested me and the design of it left an impression on me,” explains Peter.

The designer describes his style as “bold, clear and a little bit elegant”, and numerous book design projects epitomise this aesthetic. “I am not an outgoing person and I usually express my emotions and thoughts through design,” says Peter. The result is a series of beautifully composed and precisely executed jacket designs that use various papers and finishes. “I love matching and connecting the right elements together,” explains the designer. “Presenting a book containing hundreds of pages through a cover is challenging but also fascinating for me.”

Peter’s process has become an almost ritual he performs before starting a new project: “First, I have a good sleep, then watch a few episodes of cartoons and after that the ideas will come naturally – it works every time.”

This simple approach is echoed in Peter’s final designs where simplicity is key and the finer details are given prominence with typography and graphic lines taking centre stage in many of his book jackets. From intricate fold-outs to delicate foil debossing, Peter continually follows his ethos of believing “anything can be beautiful when you put it in the right place.”