This series of books in an ongoing series for higher grade levels. This was one of the series where I designed all the covers but not all the interiors. When approaching the design for covers, I like to read the script and do as much research as I can on the subject. This helps spark ideas for the concept and design. These subjects were really tough to come up with original ideas.
When thinking of the design for the Hypothesis, Theory, and Law cover, the first thing that came to mind was from watching the tv show The Big Bang Theory. I thought of how Sheldon uses his white board to work out the equations for whatever project he is working on. Then of course I thought of Newton's Law and about the story of how the apple fell on his head.
On some covers it takes a little longer for inspiration to hit. Sometimes I get inspired by a photo while doing photo research for the book. On this Erosion book, this photo showed so many different types of erosion and it was so pretty that I thought this was the best representation for the subject.
The interiors for these books require a lot of illustrations, charts, and photos. As I read the scripts and do the photo research, I try to find what is best to represent the text. In doing this I have to do additional research on the subject to find what I would need to help support the text and add further information to help the child understand the material.
I learned so much when designing these books. I have always found science fascinating!