September 9, 2025
Cover Stories: Trailblazers
Cover Stories: Trailblazers
Cover Stories takes you behind the scenes with Tyndale designers as they share the inspiration, process, and details that make each book cover unique.
On our design team, we get to rank which books we would like to design. After reading a synopsis of the manuscript and doing a little sleuth work to get to know the author, we then give our preferences to our art directors. I personally believe this process is really effective because chances are, the designer will have already hold a deep passion for the project, which then moves our heart and motivates us to make our covers the best they can possibly be for each unique book.
So, when I read Micah’s synopsis of Trailblazers, I knew right away that I wanted to pour my heart and soul into this cover design. You see, the target market for this book is my college-age adult children, who are asking questions like, “How can I make a difference in this world and what is my true purpose in life?” I was sold.
The idea of a trailblazer is someone who is doing a new thing. A revolutionary. A trend setter. A pioneer. An innovator.
The second definition of a trailblazer is a person who makes a new track through wild country.
I did several different design solutions, one of which focused more on creating a new path in nature. Since I love hiking and I am always in awe of the idea that someone had to create this trail, the mountain path would be especially substantial in my mind. Though the process is difficult, the end result (ie: the mountain top) is well worth it.
The warm sun beckons you upward and onward as you blaze your trail, and it doubles as a halo, surrounding this holy experience of progressing in your spiritual journey.
The organic color scheme is warm and inviting to the reader.
The textures are weathered and tangible, to allude to the difficult journey.
The typography is strong, simple and clean. The title breaks out of the sun to communicate the idea of going beyond what you thought you could even imagine for your life.
This book was a joy to design and Micah Davis was truly one of the most appreciative authors I have every worked with. He truly made me feel like a rock star and an important part of his book!
– Julie Chen, Senior Designer
