Hanna
Särekanno
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
The Wizarding Gazette: How did the work with the publisher go? How were you chosen and what were their guidelines?
Hanna Särekanno: Varrak publishing house launched a competition to choose the new cover design for the series. I came across the competition on an Estonian news website in August 2020. I was curious and bookmarked the article but didn’t submit anything until the deadline in November. Applicants were asked to submit a proposal for the new cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , and to explain their plans for the following books. Varrak was looking for a cover style specific to Estonia, which would appeal to both children and adults. There were no other guidelines or restrictions.
In December I found out that I was among the final three, and in January Varrak and The Blair Partnership [ editor’s note: the creative agency that handles JK Rowling’s works ] selected me as the winner of the competition. After that, some changes had to be made, such as putting JK Rowling’s name more prominently, redesigning Hogwarts, refining the colours and a few other details, before publication.
Have you looked at other Harry Potter covers internationally? If so, were there any covers in particular that inspired you? What did you like and what did you wish you had done differently?
I have indeed looked at some covers created in other countries. Two of them particularly caught my attention. I find the illustrations of the new Indonesian covers by Nicholas Filbert Chandrawienata absolutely stunning. Having each book focus on a special creature, while giving very detailed illustrations of the characters, is a great idea.
But my favorite covers are the ones by Olly Moss, which were originally designed for Pottermore. He is an incredible illustrator, every time I look at his creations I am overwhelmed. They are quite simple and have few elements. Yet there are multiple ways to look at them and they convey a lot. This makes them very effective in my opinion.
Can you tell us what your relationship was like with The Blair Partnership? Did they have a lot of demands or were you quite free?
I was never in direct contact with them, Varrak was all about communication. One of the things The Blair Partnership does is make sure there is no potential copyright infringement. For example, in the original version of the cover I sent to Varrak for the competition, I had drawn Hogwarts based on the images from the film. However, Warner Bros owns the rights to this representation of Hogwarts, so I had to rework a significantly different design to avoid any copyright issues.
Did you feel any pressure in approaching the covers with such a graphic and minimalist design, when most of the illustrations in the Wizarding World are “narrative” drawings, representing scenes or characters?
I think if I had been asked to simply design a cover for the books, the pressure would have been there. But since I was basically able to design the cover the way I wanted it to be, without worrying about what anyone else would think, I didn’t feel any pressure. It was up to Varrak (and The Blair Partnership) to decide whether a minimalist design like mine was right for the series, which has traditionally used more detailed scenes.
I do get a little anxious about what people think of the final covers, but not so much about their minimalism. I think anyone who designs something worries about what their audience will think of their work. The Harry Potter community is a huge community of enthusiasts, so it can be a little intimidating! I know, having grown up with the series and being a huge fan, which honestly only makes it that much more incredible for me!
Why choose to use flat colors [ editor’s note: in illustration these are plain, simple, graphic patterns, without gradients ] and subtle contrasts? You talk on your site about a “ Nordic “ style to, you say, suit your audience?
Yes, exactly – I think Estonians appreciate the simplicity of minimalism in visual arts, which is why I wanted it to be at the heart of my approach. I wanted the eye to focus on the part with Harry’s glasses, which directly illustrate the title of the book. That’s why the smaller elements blend more into the background. I chose to make them flat illustrations [ editor’s note: a trend in illustration that consists of using 2 or 3 dominant colours and a design without details, in two dimensions ] for several reasons. First, to create a wallpaper-like surface where a car can be as big as a cat without it seeming abnormal. And also to make the reader try to recognise the elements of the cover. So their gaze will stay longer and it becomes a little adventure.
How did you choose the objects and characters that you placed symmetrically at the bottom of the cover? Did you have to choose between elements that you liked and more popular elements of the saga?
I chose objects or characters that play a role in the story, or are constantly present. Some elements like the broom, the owl or the wand appear on each cover because they play an important role in the whole saga. Overall, my goal was to give readers a glimpse of what is in the story. So far, I have been able to put almost all the elements I planned. Except when there is not enough space, then I choose which elements are less important. Or when the flat and single-color style of the illustration made an element impossible to recognize. Fortunately, this has not been a major problem!
Any ideas on what objects or characters you’ll choose for future books?
Yes most of them, but you’ll see for yourself once I’m done!
Recent graduate Hanna Sarekanno ’21 made history when Estonian publishing house Varrak chose her design for the cover of the newly-reprinted translation of the Harry Potter book, The Sorcerer‘s Stone.
Until now, the Harry Potter books in Estonia had the American covers with the English words translated into Estonian. Deciding to reprint the entire series with a uniquely Estonian look, Varrak launched a national competition in August 2020 to find the best designs.
A huge Harry Potter fan, the self-designed major in graphic design couldn’t miss the opportunity to enter the contest. As luck would have it, her Advanced Graphic Design course in fall 2020 included an assignment on redesigning book covers. Sarekanno submitted those designs for consideration in the Varrak competition.
“In December I learned that I was among the final three designers of the 50 that applied,” she said. “After Varrak consulted with J.K. Rowling’s agency, I was declared the winner.”
Five months later, the new Estonian version of The Sorcerer’s Stone hit bookstores wrapped in the red book jacket Sarekanno created. Her design features the iconic Harry Potter symbols—his round glasses and lightning bolt scar—on the top half of the book cover. The images within the spectacles, the overall color, and the symbolic patterns at the bottom half of the cover change with each book in the series.
Sarekanno believes any book’s cover “should tell you what book you’re dealing with without having to read the title,” she said. On the Harry Potter books, “I also went for a more minimal approach that fits better with the Nordic visual practices than the original covers and most other international designs.”
Sarekanno says Lake Forest College had a major impact on her success.
“Lake Forest College gave me a lot of skills and opportunities to succeed in life. Like many other students, I was able to form close relationships with a number of my professors whose support and insights have honestly been invaluable. When it comes to this specific success, I cannot not mention Professor Margaret Coleman, whose guidance has been crucial in my whole college career in everything to do with graphic design (and more). Her eye for detail, encouragement to push myself, and knowledge of best practices will guide me for a long time,“ Sarekanno said.
Following graduation in May, Sarekanno is relocating to the UK and redesigning the rest of the covers in the Harry Potter series. Learn more about this Forester’s graphic design work on her website.