When a child opens a book, even the slightest details matter. Whether it’s the size of the text, the font type, or the space around the illustration, kids see everything and respond to it. Even the artwork, the colour you choose, and other design elements present in the book are noticed by the young audience. That’s where a children’s book designer comes into the picture!
A designer will look after all these elements and ensure they work together without any clashes. But we all know they do more than just the artwork. They are responsible for bigger outcomes and work tirelessly to achieve those goals and milestones.
This blog is dedicated to the role of a typical children’s book designer and what they do in their day-to-day routine. But before jumping straight into their life, let’s talk more about who they actually are and what their contributions are.
Who Is a Children’s Book Designer?
You already know what they actually do, but let’s peel off a few more layers to find out more about them. When you hire a kids’ book cover designer, you don’t just get a face for your story, but you’re investing in building an experience for your audience. That’s exactly what they do!
They create a visual structure of a kids’ book and decide the fundamentals like text, illustrations, fonts, colours, etc. Another key part of their job is to combine them in a way that complements, never clashes.
Know that they are not illustrators who create the artwork and call it a day. Instead, they organise the artwork in a way that makes your book captivating enough to get higher grades.
Ten Key Responsibilities of a Professional Book Designer
Having a great designer solves all your problems and turns any ordinary story into a reader-friendly book. Their responsibilities span various elements and focus on the planning, structure, and presentation of your book.
Rather than working on just one element, they oversee everything. By taking on multiple aspects, you ensure your kids have a consistent, aesthetically pleasing reading experience. Have a look at some of the key responsibilities of a professional book designer and what they do throughout their day:
1. Designing the Book Layout
A designer decides how each page of your book looks. They gather your preferences and book details, such as story, genre, theme, and more, and give you a suitable option. Basically, they will adjust the margins, spacing, and how the page flows. The idea is to make the story easy to understand by making it visually attractive.
2. Choosing Child-Friendly Fonts
Since they are designing a book for a younger audience, they keep the fonts readable to them. It’s their responsibility to ensure the fonts are clear and suitable for that age group. They will select the appropriate typefaces that go perfectly with the story and don’t look weird to the readers.
3. Balancing Text and Illustrations
You know kids’ books are visually rich, and that’s the next aspect they focus on. They look for artwork ideas and have the appropriate illustrations created. Besides taking care of the artwork, they handle the balance of text and illustrations. The aim is to prevent overcrowding and clutter inside the book.
4. Setting Colour Schemes
Colours play a big role in captivating the young minds. Therefore, they dedicate a significant time to choosing the right colour palette. They decide the hues based on your story’s mood, theme, target age group, and genre. Typically, they go for a colourful approach to persuade children.
5. Creating a Consistent Visual Style
A smooth reading experience is very important for keeping readers engaged until the last page of the story. Designers give their 100% in maintaining consistency throughout the book. From the unified fonts, spacing, and other visual elements, everything is carefully selected to maintain consistency.
6. Preparing Print-Ready Files
Another responsibility is to bring the files to the right format. Before printing, the designer formats files correctly. This includes margins, bleed, and the right image quality so your prints are high-resolution. They also ensure that the book prints are error-free, so they carefully review every design aspect.
7. Designing for Digital Formats
One important role they play is to adjust the ebooks to the different layouts and screen sizes. Since kids can read the book on a smartphone, tablet, or even a laptop, the varying sizes can affect the reading experience. They ensure the readability and layout don’t change across different devices.
8. Partnering with Illustrators and Authors
Apart from managing the book, they also have to build relationships with relevant people, such as authors and illustrators. They communicate with authors to gather their preferences and ideas, and share them directly with the artist without compromising the crux. If you hire a children’s book publishers, they handle every sort of communication on your behalf.
9. Designing the Book Cover
The cover is often the first thing readers notice. That’s why they pay close attention to making the cover compelling. The idea is to keep the design joyful, eye-catching, and age-appropriate for both kids and their parents. How the title blends with the graphics flawlessly without creating clutter is part of their role.
10. Designing for the Right Age Group
Design choices vary by age. Therefore, a designer will identify the targeted age group to decide the art factor of the book. Board books, picture books, and early readers have different requirements, which is why designers choose layouts, font sizes, and visual styles based on their age.
Main Areas a Book Designer Oversees
| Design Area | What the Book Designer Focuses On |
| Layout & Structure | Page flow, spacing, and alignment |
| Typography | Readable, child-friendly fonts |
| Visual Balance | Text and illustration placement |
| Colour Use | Mood, age appeal, consistency |
| File Preparation | Print and digital readiness |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do authors need a children’s book designer?
Yes, especially if you’re going for self-publishing. A professional designer will ensure that your book looks polished and refined and meets the industry standards.
Is a book designer the same as an illustrator?
Not at all! Illustrators are responsible for the artwork only, while the designer organises the artwork within the book. They are responsible for the presentation of the book.
Can one designer work on both print and digital books?
Of course! Many designers are skilled enough in formatting books of both kinds. Hence, you can hire them for both print and digital platforms.
Final Thoughts
After having a closer look at the role of a children’s book designer, we can say that they play an important part in creating an exciting reading experience. They work on layout, colours, fonts, and cover design to make your story more readable and engaging for young kids.
