Meet Aarushi Menon | Book Cover & Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aarushi Menon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aarushi, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do would be to take stacks of printer paper from my parents’ study and fold and staple them into makeshift “books.” I’d doodle on the covers and then promptly abandon the otherwise blank sheets in some shadowy drawer for my parents to later fish out and try to salvage (sorry Mom and Dad!). There was never really any doubt for me or my family that I would choose to pursue a creative career, so I didn’t perceive my initial foray into the arts as a risk. I had my parents’ full support.

When I finally went to art school, I quickly declared my major in graphic design. One of the required courses in this program was a print production class, where I learned to design printed materials like magazines, books, packaging, and more. I enjoyed this class SO immensely, falling in love with the tactile nature of both the process and the final products I created. This led me to explore careers related to print production, and that’s when I discovered book cover design. Realizing that my childhood pastime was an actual niche in the design world was life-changing, and I knew immediately that I wanted to pursue cover design as a job.

When I think of “risk” as it relates to my career, this decision stands out to me as the most daring; I knew that the book design industry was relatively small with only a few job openings each year. Still, I committed myself wholeheartedly to this passion; I reached out to designers in the industry for informational interviews, attended workshops and panel discussions, and strengthened my portfolio, focusing mostly on creating book design projects. Now, I’m working at Penguin Random House in my dream job as a book cover designer.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In my personal art practice, I love intricate detail, gritty textures, and acid-bright colors. I truly consider my design aesthetic to be an evolution and side-effect of growing up around my mom’s colorful and brightly patterned style (both in wardrobe and home decor!). For my cover and poster designs, I use lots of illustrated and graphic elements to build my compositions. When working with typography, I enjoy finding creative ways to integrate the copy with the image, either visually or thematically.

I’m excited and proud that I will soon start seeing some of my book covers on the shelf alongside covers done by my design heroes. My current job is my first job, and I think I got to where I am through a kind of single-mindedness. When I initially made the decision to pursue book cover design, I focused all of my energy on creating hypothetical book covers for my portfolio. I also challenged myself to complete the 365-day poster design challenge (as the name suggests, this is a challenge to design a poster a day for a year), thinking that it would help me improve my iterative design skills and creativity. 

In my pursuit of this career, I learned a crucial lesson, which is that it is so important to be open about your dreams. To me, it initially felt trapping or daunting to reveal that I strongly wanted to pursue cover design, especially because I wasn’t sure that it was an attainable goal. But if I hadn’t reached out to all those book designers in the industry to ask for their advice, if people in my life had not known that I was actively seeking roles in the publishing industry, I don’t think I would have made the various serendipitous connections that led to my current job.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m definitely a dessert person, so I think I would impose my love of sweets onto them and take them to some of my favorite bakeries and ice cream shops in Manhattan. We could visit Caffè Panna, Supermoon Bakehouse, Bibble & Sip, and Levain Bakery. Across the Hudson in Edgewater, there’s this great restaurant called Madison Cafe & Grill which serves the most interesting and delicious Lebanese American cuisine. We would have to order the pistachio baklava and ice cream, an unassuming name for what is actually a complete spectacle of a dessert. 

Then we would head to Broadway to catch a show. I’ve seen Hadestown a million times and I would see it again. 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents played a huge role in nurturing my passion for art. When I was young, they enrolled me in drawing classes and bought high-quality art supplies for me to use for my various projects and explorations. In my early teenage years, when digital art was taking off, my parents were the ones who convinced me that I should learn how to use Photoshop and digital drawing software and bought me my first Wacom tablet. They actively encouraged me in my pursuit of art as a career, even in the moments when I wavered in my conviction. The simple power they gave me of being able to visualize a future where I could thrive as an artist allowed me to take the necessary intermediary steps to achieve my goals. 

I’d also like to shout out my fantastic art colleagues at Random House— Cassie, Paolo, Regina, Donna (and so, so many more)—who recognized my passion for book design, mentored me, and advocated for me. There were also so many other book designers I reached out to during my job search, who readily gave me advice on my portfolio and industry trends, connected me with various opportunities, and provided me with support and encouragement. I would not be where I am today without them.

Website: https://aarushimenon.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarushimenon.dsgn/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarushigmenon/

Image Credits
Blood Over Bright Haven jacket illustration: Elwira Pawlikowska
A Sea of Unspoken Things jacket painting: Kim Kee Tae