<p>Heléna’s winning submission was a cover design for ‘Noughts &amp; Crosses’, the young-adult novel by Malorie Blackman. Winners of the <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/company/work-with-us/student-design-award/2018-winners.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2018 Student Design Award</a> were revealed when Heléna attended a prize-giving ceremony at Penguin Random House’s office on the Strand, central London, earlier this year.</p> <p>The winners were selected from a shortlist of 30 designs (10 in each category) by three judging panels; consisting of Art Directors from across Penguin Random House UK as well as guest judges from the design and publishing industry, including Malorie Blackman, Anthony Burrill, Grace Winteringham, Orlando Weeks, Indi Davies and Tom Sanderson.</p>

<p>The award, now in its twelfth year, aims to find the next generation of book cover designers by giving students the opportunity to experience real cover design briefs first-hand.</p> <p>Penguin Random House UK Children’s Art Director, Anna Billson, said Heléna’s designs were “Deceptively simple, cleverly connecting the multiple elements of the story”.<br /></p>

<p>Speaking of her experience, Heléna said: “I enjoy the challenge of creating a cover for a book. Summing up a whole story in just one image provides opportunities for subtle symbols and hidden messages, which enrich the design. It also forces you to think about the relationship between text and image, which doesn't always come up in the same way in other design briefs.”</p> <p>“I chose to study illustration at Plymouth College of Art because the lecturers really encourage everyone’s own individual styles. I was drawn to the friendly and relaxed atmosphere, which really stood out from the other universities that I visited. This is a great environment to work surrounded by like-minded creatives from other disciplines.<br /></p>

<p>One of the judges, renowned book designer Tom Sanderson, who recently worked on the cover for Philip Pullman’s The Book of Dust volume one: La Belle Sauvage, said that Heléna’s Noughts &amp; Crosses cover was “beautifully executed”, with “lovely hand-lettering”.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-illustration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Study BA (Hons) Illustration with us</a></li><li><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/company/work-with-us/student-design-award/children-s-cover-award.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Find out more about the 2019 Student Design Award</a></li></ul>