Blindness, violence, and semiotics converge in designer Michel Vrana’s approach to Laurence Miall’s novel Blind Spot (NeWest Press)

In Blind Spot, the protagonist’s parents are killed when their car is hit by a train during a whiteout. To me, the title serves triple duty, referring to the accident, the protagonist’s ignorance of certain events in his parents’ lives, and to an overall sense of denial that taints his life.

1. I wanted to find a visual way of conveying a literal “blind spot.” I found this excellent image of a man’s face obscured by blurred lighting. The fact that the photo was in black and white gave it a certain quiet seriousness, and I had in the back of my mind that the final cover could be printed in black and silver to give it some extra depth.