To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. Edition of The Return of Sherlock Holmes in 2005, a prominent New York publishing firm has decided to publish each of the 13 stories separately and release them together in a deluxe boxed set. You have been asked to submit a set of three covers as part of your design proposal. Choose three stories from the list below and become familiar with them. Then design a set of three 24p x 42p book covers to compliment these stories. Designs should not use iconography typically associated with Sherlock Holmes; they should seek to solve the problem in an original way. Designs must function as an identifiable set. Designs may be in full-color or black-and-white. They needn’t be computer-generated. They must relate to the content of stories themselves.

Week 1: Students present several ideas to the class. Presentations will be formal, either pinned-up or presented in flats on tables. Ideas will be discussed and refined. Students should be familiar with some or all of the stories in order to best participate in the critique. A minimum of three and maximum of ten directions is expected. Students working on the computer must show versions of their work, not just a single solution.

Week 2: Reading response due for “Paperback Nabokov” due Tuesday before class. In-class discussion of the article “Paperback Nabokov.” Individual meetings. Further refinement and progress monitoring. Final direction selected.

Week 3: Final critique. Covers should be presented trimmed to size and mounted on a single piece of black foamcore pinned to the wall for critique. Students will make a 5-minute statement of introduction, followed by comments from the class.

Available Titles
The Adventure of the Empty House
The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
The Adventure of the Dancing Men
The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
The Adventure of the Priory School
The Adventure of Black Peter
The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton
The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
The Adventure of the Three Students
The Adventure of the Golden Prince-Nez
The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter
The Adventure of the Abbey Grange
The Adventure of the Second Stain

This assignment is from the class Letters, Symbols, and Composition.