Portfolio
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/26/2607/260755/d3ae1db2-4509-4df1-b192-8c3ffd5b33e5.jpg "These are the first two publications for the \"Moderný Pračlovek\" series (Modern Caveman). The main idea was to represent caveman drawings in a very simple way and products that were used at that time... but also in our days.
The first one — “Kuchyňa Pračloveka” (Caveman's Kitchen) — is an untraditional cookbook focused on the choice of ingredients and kitchen skills/practices rather than just recipes.
The second publication is an ebook — \"Desatoro Prikázaní Moderného Pračloveka\" — that basically means \"The 10 Commandments of the Modern Caveman\". Following this line of thought, the author requested something related with the religious meaning of the title. Therefore, I used the idea of the stones of the 10 Commandments described in the Bible.
It was also important for the author to keep the “caveman illustrations” separated in two zones — the day and the night. At the center, the squatting silhouette represents the meditation and balance.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/104/10471/1047102/52c2de35-a873-42c8-9c8d-5841b2257e6e.jpg "“Let’s Fly Away” is the first book of the “Adventures of Thomas Leaf Monkey” and his group of friends. In this story the group is very bored in the rainforest, when they realize that they can use their imagination to go anywhere they like.
In this book, Katrina Maxwell leads children (ages 3-8) to use their imagination and yoga moves to travel to a new place and have some fun. The author is a Speech-Language Pathologist & Children's Yoga Instructor with a passion for education and travel.
All the illustrations were created by another artist, that made a fantastic job giving life to each character. I was extremely careful to keep the book layout/typesetting and the cover design completely faithful to that initial work.
The simplicity of the book cover design was also meant to make those characters stand out, as well as to introduce the author, her brand and her work to all the potential readers.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/104/10493/1049357/7f548057-9938-4507-9976-aade63bf0916.jpg "Know Yourself is an award-winning company providing educational toys, kits, and literature for young children. The Adventure Series: 12 Systems of the Body Workbooks introduces each system of the human body and teaches children about themselves from the inside out.
Each Workbook includes learning pages, activities, games, recipes and also a comic book, whose story is set in a different country and at a different time, with the same group of characters. This Adventure 4 is set in Ancient Assyria and is about the Renal System.
The main work of this project was the interior layout and typesetting, following a consistent graphic line that I had initially designed for the entire series.
As some parts were based on a previous workbook, there were already some illustrations. However, I had to create all the others in order to refresh the design and to include the new activities in this book.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/170/17054/1705465/7fa8762c-9f29-41cd-b29a-0356b650325b.jpg "This annual coffee mug is given to Pros There employees, as a way of thanking them for their dedication to the company.
After deciding on Green as the base color, the “environmental theme” immediately came to my mind. Thus, the motto of the 2024 design is: “By helping nature, nature will help people too.”
When Pros There employees follow sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices in their job, the company becomes a good place to work and with a better chance of a bright future.
With this idea in mind, and before starting the illustration, I did some research on a few of the emblematic wild animals in the State of Ohio, US (where the company is based). So, I included the white-tailed deer (State animal) and the cardinal (State bird), as well as the beaver to complete the composition.
As with the previous mugs, the illustration is repeated on both sides. This way people can have the same visualization by holding it with their right or left hand.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/135/13558/1355806/dc05b83f-f736-421f-bae4-d22a6c617bb9.jpg "This book, “On Your Mark, Get Set, INVEST! A Kid’s Guide to Saving Money, Spending Wisely, and Investing in the Stock Market” is targeted towards kids (ages 8-12) and their parents. It can be classified as a sort of mix between a nonfiction self-help and an educational book for children.
The challenge was to illustrate financial concepts, designing a fun interior layout to keep kids engaged and focused on the subjects presented.
In addition to various financial themes and advices, the book incorporates worksheets, chapter summaries and the story of the “Thrifty Tortoise vs Ritzy Rabbit” race. These two funny characters and scenes were created by the talented Adrian Doan Kim, who also designed the book cover. I did all the other illustrations while creating the internal layout, to better balance all the elements and achieve a consistent look throughout the book.
The entire project was very engaging and fun to work with, helped by the excellent communication with the author.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/154/15497/1549705/154e5930-5b5e-4be9-adea-2d16f1580543.jpg "The project included working on all the book’s graphic elements: cover design, book layout/typesetting and all illustrations.
This children's story takes place on a day in the life of Moby, whose character was based on the author's Mastiff dog. As this breed is so much larger than other dogs, kids who struggle with feeling different can relate to the story.
The first part of the project was to develop the main characters, based on photos of real dogs provided by the client. To attract the attention of young readers, the request was to create vibrant illustrations with a fun and whimsical vibe, with bright colors in the background to highlight the characters.
The project followed a traditional workflow, from initial sketches on paper, to the refinement of the lines in Adobe Illustrator. The next step was entirely done in Photoshop, adding colors, background scenes and all light/shadow effects. Typesetting and book cover design were the last phases of this exciting work.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/119/11995/1199598/96c5f3e5-1c39-43a2-bf70-68a038900e73.jpg "This project was made to create all the elements of the first title in the “Is it true?” book series: cover design, layout/typesetting and all illustrations.
The series is designed to help children going through hard life experiences, by teaching them how to take ownership over their thoughts and feelings.
After some sketches and ideas about each character’s appearance, their personality was found. I gave them a cute and friendly look, but without the lines of a very childish drawing, mainly due to the large age range of the readers.
Although all illustrations were created digitally, I used textures that relate them to the “traditional drawings” made on paper. Some simulate watercolors, others look more like colored pencils. This lends a certain innocence to the images, which help to lighten the story’s theme: Divorce.
I avoided dark tones for the same reason. Keeping the colors vibrant, but not too strong, also made the text stand out to better convey such important messages.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/54/5478/547814/a74b00b9-fb39-4bd8-b853-8105f10b6c2a.jpg "“Help! Ik Verveel Me” (translated from Dutch \"Help! I’m bored\") is the story about Sarah, an 11 years old girl, and a crazy idea of her parents: a week without a phone.
Without it, Sarah doesn't know what to do. But because she is bored, she dreams about so many things and she finds out that a little boredom is not so bad. It makes her creative.
The design was made using some of the illustrations of Charmaine Lam, that also appear in the interior of the book. As these illustrations represent drawings as being made by a child, I kept the same style in order to respect the initial vision of the illustrator and the author.
I had to dedicate a special attention to all the new elements that were added to the book cover. For that, I followed the same kind of trace and textures of the existing images. However, the colors were slightly intensified to catch the attention of the viewers. The choice of fonts also helped to give a certain “childish style” to the entire design.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/143/14384/1438465/966cf865-04a4-4196-b900-94deffeae159.jpg "This book explores how the healing messages of the Passover Seder, which retells the story of the Exodus, are relevant to our lives today. It is grounded on a Jewish ritual, but its messages are universal. The book, written from a feminine perspective, focuses on women's marginalization in a patriarchal society and their long journey towards liberation, to become equal participants in the Seder and Jewish life in traditional Judaism.
Work began on the book cover design, for which the author had a definite idea and aesthetic: a colorful but serene desert landscape, with a subtle image of ancient Israelites/Hebrews walking on the horizon. The main detail that should stand out was a simple branch with flowers, to represent women's inclusion, growth, and blossoming.
The second part of the project was dedicated to the interior book layout and typesetting. I followed the same original cover ideas to maintain consistency throughout the book, including the simple and peaceful style.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/96/9683/968399/3af89309-8dca-4772-90fc-a319439bf6cd.jpg "Know Yourself is an award-winning company providing educational toys, kits, and literature for young children. The Adventure Series: 12 Systems of the Body Workbooks introduces each system of the human body and teaches children about themselves from the inside out.
Each Workbook includes learning pages, activities, games, recipes and also a comic book, whose story is set in a different country and at a different time, with the same group of characters. This Adventure 1 is set in Ancient Greece and is about the Five Senses.
The main work of this project was the interior layout and typesetting, following a consistent graphic line that I had initially designed for the entire series.
As some parts were based on a previous workbook, there were already some illustrations. However, I had to create all the others in order to refresh the design and to include the new activities in this book.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/104/10471/1047102/f5f8087e-723e-442e-94a6-f49f439756c7.jpg "“Stoked and Fullhearted” is the second book in the series. In this new story, Thomas is being silly doing yoga moves as he surfs and his friends watch.
Katrina Maxwell wrote this book for younger children (ages 0-5) but always keeping the same yoga theme. The author is a Speech-Language Pathologist & Children's Yoga Instructor with a passion for education and travel.
The illustrations, created by another artist, also had this specific audience in mind. Therefore, the original characters have a more youthful appearance in this book.
In the typesetting project, I specifically chose different placements for the texts in order to keep the children’s attention, as well as to make the book more fun to read.
On the book cover I extended the wave to the back, to give it a leading role throughout the design. It also helped to distribute all the information that needed to be displayed, as well as to keep the entire exterior of the book completely balanced.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/25/2559/255963/36cc2723-e7dc-4ea7-a55b-d64d0da2ef72.jpg "This design was created for a Christian romantic fiction for readers between 35-65. It is an Amish novel about innocence and unrequited love.
Since the story is set during the summer in a farm, the client requested a design in earth tones and of the fall harvest - hay piles, wheat fields or of golden corn.
As the landscape spreads to the back cover, it gives a sense of vastness, like a field that never ends, but it also helps to balance the entire book cover.")
About
Hi! My name is Isabel Robalo.
I'm an experienced Designer working mainly in the Publishing Industry:
• Book and eBook Cover Design
• Interior Book Layout/Typesetting
ISA DESIGN® is a registered brand that represents the services I provide.
Enjoy my portfolio and come back whenever you need a Design project. I will be happy to help you.
Country:
Portugal.
Member since:
November 02, 2013
Reviews
"As reliable as when we started our collaboration years ago. On time, on budget, efficient and friendly communication. Thank you Isa!"
Anonymous client
reviewed 15 days ago
"Exceptional creativity and professionalism—highly recommend for any design project!"
Anonymous client
reviewed 4 months ago
"Isa is a pro at work. She is a master designer who takes her time to deliver high-quality work with a personal touch. Her communication is stellar, and she keeps you in the loop at every step of the journey. I highly recommend Isa for guaranteed high-qu..."
lekasong
reviewed 4 months ago
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"Isabel made incredible designs, we are always amazed by her creativity and her attention to details. She is so professional and works fast. We can only recommend her !"
Anonymous client
reviewed 4 months ago