D.L. Grace
book series cover art
The brief began with two book covers. The better long-term decision was to create a visual identity that could hold an entire series together.
As D.L. Grace, Dominic writes military-intelligence thrillers shaped by lived experience, detailed knowledge and a clear understanding of pressure, conflict and consequence. Our long friendship and shared familiarity with military life gave the creative process a useful shorthand around tone, atmosphere and credibility.
The covers for No Safe Ground and The Ghost of Grozny needed to feel cinematic and commercially strong without slipping into familiar genre shorthand. Detailed character studies and a consistent visual system were developed to work across covers, social content, PR and wider promotional material.
Each book has its own atmosphere, but the typography, composition and character treatment create a recognisable language across The Operator Series. With future titles already in development, the result is a distinctive identity designed to grow with the work rather than being reinvented for every release.
I came to Ryan at Studio Aitch with a brief for two book covers and an author website. I left with a series identity. The second cover became the defining driver for the whole brand. It gives the series an atmosphere and a visual language that ties the series together.
What sets Ryan apart is the combination of listening and pushing. He takes the brief seriously, then suggests directions I had not considered and would not have arrived at alone. Every round of iteration moved the work forward and upward. Professional, friendly, quick to respond, willing to challenge the norm and push boundaries when it serves the brief.
If you want a designer that goes further, Ryan at Studio Aitch is the only choice. I will now only use studio aitch and Ryan for future projects, a brand I can trust.
Dominic Grace, Author
