The media are not toys… they can be entrusted only to new artists, because they are art forms.
(McLuhan, 1954)
Letters to a Young Poet
135×203 mm; printed cover mockup using a repurposed text block, authored by Rainer Maria Rilke.
Redesigned as a self-initiated project.
Penguin Classics Edition, published in 2023 as a hardcover, 127×178 mm
Intention and Process
Aimed to express solitude and quiet reflection through minimal, symbolic imagery. Instead of recreating a literal scene, the design focused on evoking the feeling of a candlelit letter on a winter night—lonely, contemplative, and quietly illuminated.
1. Idea
A house at night without lights—only a candle on the desk beside a letter. This was the first image that came to mind when thinking of the book.
A house at night without lights—only a candle on the desk beside a letter. This was the first image that came to mind when thinking of the book.
2. Research
Searched for images that matched the feeling, not the exact scene. Focused on snow, solitude, and night—knowing from experience that imagined scenes rarely exist as-is.
Searched for images that matched the feeling, not the exact scene. Focused on snow, solitude, and night—knowing from experience that imagined scenes rarely exist as-is.
3. Develop
Created an illustration based on photo references. Chose a simple snowy hill with footprints, planning to add a starry sky later to match the atmosphere of the original idea.
Created an illustration based on photo references. Chose a simple snowy hill with footprints, planning to add a starry sky later to match the atmosphere of the original idea.
4. Refine
Replaced the sky with a real star photo, placed the author’s name among the stars, and set each letter of the title in the footprints—tracing a path to follow.
The stars suggest the poet as a guiding presence, while the footprints symbolize the journey of becoming.