This is 10 Questions, an interview series where we get to know the designers from the directory a little better. Today, meet Vanessa Mendozzi! Book cover design entered Vanessa’s life in the form of a student assignment and she has since turned it into a career built on clean design, big ideas, and a genuine love for stories. She has been freelancing full-time since 2016.
1. Visually take us through your professional journey. Create a diagram that summarizes your career to date.
2. When did you realize that you wanted to become a book cover designer?
Vanessa Mendozzi: I studied graphic design after moving to London, and for my final project, we had to design book covers for the Victoria & Albert Museum. No pressure, right? But honestly, I had so much fun with it. Somewhere between obsessing over fonts and hunting for the perfect images, I thought, “Wait… I love this.”
That was the moment it clicked. I remember thinking, Imagine if I could actually do this for a living?
3. Do you ever go through periods where you feel completely creatively tapped out? How do you refill your cup and then get back to work?
Vanessa Mendozzi: Yes, absolutely. I go through phases where I feel creatively drained, and the self-doubt creeps in. Sometimes I try to push through it too hard, thinking I just need to work more…but that usually leaves me more stuck. I’ve learned to step back and create space instead. Like Elizabeth Gilbert says in “Big Magic,” ideas sometimes come to you like little visitors, and if you’re too stressed or closed off, they move on. So I go for walks, flip through beautiful books, or do something playful with no expectations. Eventually, that spark returns and when it does, I’m ready to welcome it.
4. What’s your ideal auditory environment while working?
Vanessa Mendozzi: I basically create a mini soundproof cave with my Headphones. I play something soft and repetitive, usually meditation music, and suddenly I’m deep in design mode, blissfully unaware of everything else.
5. Will you buy a book that you’re dying to read even if you don’t fancy the cover?
Vanessa Mendozzi: Yes, because I’m a bookworm and I love reading. A bad cover won’t stop me, but it will haunt me a little. And I’ve definitely been guilty of the opposite. I’ve bought a book just because the cover was irresistible, only to find the story didn’t quite live up to it 😀
6. Some of us don’t think we have a certain design style. Some of us think we do. If you think you have a style, how would you describe yours?
Vanessa Mendozzi: I lean toward clean layouts, strong typography, and covers that feel modern while still suiting the genre. I try not to overcomplicate things and always focus on what fits the story and the target audience. Sometimes that means bold and graphic, other times soft and minimal. Overall, I’d say my style is clean and leans toward the minimalistic side.
7. Name one author you would love to design for before you retire.
Vanessa Mendozzi: Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle, or Malcolm Gladwell… the list is long. I’m a huge fan of them. And if Kristin Hannah ever called, I’d be thrilled. I’m a total sucker for historical novels.
8. Which celebrity memoir are you dying to work on?
Vanessa Mendozzi: Harry Styles! His memoir would be a dream to design. Something playful, stylish,
a little retro, and totally charming. Harry, call me… I’ve got ideas!
9. What’s one creative skill you wish you had time to pursue so that you could incorporate it into future designs?
Vanessa Mendozzi: Illustration! Good old-fashioned, hand-drawn illustration.
I’ve always admired illustrators who can bring a story to life with just a pencil or brush. I’d love to carve out time to really develop that skill and bring more of it into my cover work.
10. The INABC Exit Question. You’re at a party and you just told a stranger that you’re a book cover designer. What’s the most common response you get from people when they hear this?
Vanessa Mendozzi: They usually light up and say, ‘That’s my dream job!’ and I’m like, ‘It’s mine too!’”
