Cross-Product Creative Challenge #7: Mystery Story Book Cover

[AlanGilbertson]

Welcome to the Cross-Product Creative Challenge. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Galactic Wildlife challenge. This one will demand a little more!

The Challenge:
Design the cover for a mystery novel, one that will stand out in a bookstore display. It can be noir, cozy, psychological, procedural, or 1930s pulp fiction. The exact genre is up to you.

Guidelines:

• A prompt is not enough. Layer your assets and refine your composition. Treat Firefly as a collaborator, not a shortcut.

• Make it real. Include a title and author name, but no taglines or blurbs.
• It’s a Cross-Product Challenge! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Substance, Express—whatever tools help you build a compelling cover.
• Process matters. Include a brief description of how you created it. What tools did you use? How did you refine your idea? What choices did you make? This is how we share ideas and techniques.

This example uses Firefly, FLUX.1 Kontext, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Stock (the thumbprint), and of course InDesign.

[Sk. Arif Hossain]

Love this, Christelle!

[Christelle RD]

Thank you so much Arif 😊

[AlanGilbertson]

That's magnificent, Christelle, beautifully crafted and thought through!

[Christelle RD]

So happy, I enjoyed that challenge a lot, thank you Alan!

[fbeaume]

Great work Christelle!

[Christelle RD]

Thanks Franck 😊

[Oh.N8]

Tentacles of Silence by Jelly Ranger

FF Jelly fish dock
Adobe Stock: Shelly (free)
Adobe Fonts: Font styles
PS colour mode blending & text
Express: QR code & Barcode
@J E L for the concept of a finished product. 

[Sk. Arif Hossain]

I guess, there is a typo: Shelly or Jelly is the writer

[Oh.N8]

Hey Arif, 
It was supposed to be a "ghost writer's name" and playing w the Jelly Fish concept as a name.

[Sk. Arif Hossain]

hmm, I see, anyways, that's a fun challenge to participate!

[J E L]

@Oh.N8 your concept is very fun, I'm scared to death of jelly creatures. I'm glad you went for a full cover file layout, too! After all, we can't judge a book by its front cover alone, can we?

[Oh.N8]

I liked your idea and decided to entangle myself in a full cover to uncover the mysteries of the sea.

[AlanGilbertson]

Jellies FTW! That's a really great concept, Nate.

[Oh.N8]

Thanks Alan. FTW? though
Glad you enjoyed the concept. Careful not to get entangled in the mess.

[AlanGilbertson]

"For The Win" -- It's one of those millenial things, I think. Or Gen X. Or Gen Z. I can't keep track anymore. 😹

[fbeaume]

Well done Nate!

[derekwatson]

Started in Firefly (tested the various models and Firefly won!) to create the creature, moved to Photoshop on the web and then Mac, added the various connectors, then the eyes and hand and used a background image to increase the mess. Stayed in Photoshop to test the updated type tools.

[AlanGilbertson]

This made me truly laugh out loud! Love the humor! Thanks for brightening my day, Derek.

[EuanWilliamson]

You must be a cable nerd 😉

https://youtube.com/shorts/6zr5r3Gk2N4?si=FOBo14vYxCv_9zCd

[fbeaume]

lol

[fbeaume]

Nicely done Derek and so funny!

[EuanWilliamson]

Stock images, Firefly gens, generative fills, new text boxes, masks and magic! 

[AlanGilbertson]

Sweet! That's such a good way to make the concept self-referential.

[fbeaume]

Neat, simple but efficient! Well done Euan!

[@mj]

Tx @AlanGilbertson for the cool challenge

Made with all-natural ingredients.

1.  1 &1/4 cup of Firefly
2. Place in a glass bowl and mix well in Express
3. Add a generous serving of blur in Ps
4. Bake in a pre-heated Id for 30 minutes at 180