Internal Bleeding was written by two doctors, both respected and well-known medical as experts on medical mistakes. The publisher wanted to break out the authors and their writing from the confines of their field, and asked that the design of the book reflect this shift to a more mainstream readership.

In order to make a book with limited appeal more intriguing to a mainstream audience, we set out to identify a special material for the packaging. Reflecting the book’s central concern with the problems caused by multiple layers in the medical system, we designed the jacket with an X-ray concept. The title, stamped on the case as a second layer, was visible through the vellum jacket printed to resemble an X ray.

The decision to package the book using intriguing and unexpected design and materials succeeded in drawing an audience outside of the anticipated core readership. The book’s design was featured heavily on major mainstream media (Good Morning America, CNN, and so on) since it conveyed immediately the problem addressed by the book.

“This is an excellent example of how a special effect helps to convey the content of the book. Strong conceptually.” Isabel Warren-Lynch