"Crying in H Mart" Book Jacket Design (Concept)

A graphic design concept for the memoir "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner.

The novel centered around themes like Zauner's Korean identity while she was growing up, and connecting with her mother through food and cooking. The original book cover shows two pairs of chopsticks lifting up noodles - however based on my research of readers' feedback on online forums, I felt the cover should touch more on the overwhelming feeling of sadness they felt while reading, as well as relatability that many Asian Americans expressed.

Focusing on these two pillars, my version of the cover uses 3D tears as the main design element and the color blue as the main color way. Tears contain various relatable products often found in Korean grocery store H Mart (some cited my Zauner herself in interviews), including instant noodles, produce, cabbage and kimchi, and pine nuts.