I loved this video. As a book cover designer, I get the biggest kick out of hearing other designers discuss their work, inspiration, creative blocks, whatever. I had to laugh when John Gall said that he always starts by reading the book. That's great, unless you are a medical book cover designer. I've designed more than 500 book covers and I can honestly say I've never read one. However, I have learned a thing or two about what can and cannot work in medical publishing. It's always best to have smiling sick people on the cover, ones who are preferably racially diverse and not too old (unless it's a geriatrics book!) Never look for art from a book about tumors or surgery right after lunch. And never, ever, show people getting stuck with needles, trust me, no one wants to see that, not even doctors! While all of John's musings rang true (inspiration: staring out the window drinking coffee with the deadline looming) the one that made me practically choke on my coffee was when he quoted "green books don't sell" in the rules are made to be broken section. I was told the exact same thing and I think I've designed in green, just out of spite.
