All We Saw

Standout Features:

• Black-and-white photography for a haunting effect
• Minimalist typography
• Emotive photography using tactile realism

Janet Hansen’s design strips away excess, leaving only the stark, hypnotic image of a hand — dipped in glitter, reaching, suspended somewhere between reality and the infinite. It’s an image that's striking as it is deeply symbolic, mirroring the book’s meditation on love, longing, and the things we grasp for but can never fully hold.

The choice of black and white photography only heightens the effect. Without color, the hand becomes timeless, almost spectral, allowing the shimmering dust to act as the only source of light; a quiet nod to how love both illuminates and obscures. This level of tactile realism grounds the image, making it immediate, raw, and undeniably human.

Typography is almost an afterthought — small, unobtrusive, tucked neatly into a white bar at the bottom, ensuring nothing detracts from the image. There’s no embellishment, no attempt to compete with the visual. It’s a book cover design that understands restraint, allowing the poetry to begin before the first page is even turned.