The competition is a landmark event for the College and the local community, providing a professional platform for students to design original logos, book jackets, and promotional materials for Paisley Publishing, a local imprint of Abbey Books. Students had the opportunity to select from one of three challenging briefs: designing a new logo for the publishing brand, reimagining a classic Paisley-themed book cover, or creating a promotional item for a book launch.
The project was developed to not only hone students’ design and project management skills but also connect them more deeply with Paisley’s rich literary and cultural heritage. The selected titles included:
- The Paisley Thread by Matthew Blair
- The Death of Wallace and Other Poems by Hugh Kilpatrick ‘Eagle Eye’
- Paisley at the Pictures by Brian Hannan
- The Works of Robert Tannahill by Philip A Ramsay
Over the course of the project, students were mentored through the full creative process — from initial research and scheduling through to client-style presentations and final concept boards.
Brian Hannan, Manager of Abbey Books, expressed his enthusiasm:
"I was knocked out by the response from the students who were given only a very basic brief from me and came up with such splendid design ideas. I am so impressed I am arranging to devote an entire window in our shop in Wellmeadow Street to a display of the work. I am delighted to be working with West College to help promote a new generation of designers and especially in such an important area as book jackets. This is the inaugural event and I am already looking forward to doing it again next year."
The competition culminated in a special event held at Abbey Books on Thursday 12 June, where students gathered to celebrate their achievements and see their designs displayed in the shop window. Poster boards and printed mock-up book covers brought the visual energy of their work to life.
Huge congratulation to the winning students pictured above:
HNC Winner: Valentina Donos (Glasgow)
NC Winner: Jaime Ter Bek (Erskine)
Highly Commended: was awarded to:
HNC: Callum McCulloch (Paisley), Darja Vakulskaja (Glasgow), Jo-Ann Atkinson (Renfrew), Mariia Hutsal (Paisley), Cat Wilson (Paisley)
NC: Ethan Lawson (Greenock)
Valentina said “Working on a live brief for Abbey Books was both exciting and eye-opening. Knowing that my design could actually be published pushed me to take the process seriously and really consider how my choices would connect with a real audience. One of the biggest challenges was balancing the historical depth of Robert Tannahill’s work with a look that would still appeal to modern readers. I came to understand that design is not only about appearance but also about communicating meaning and making a story feel relevant and engaging. Throughout the project, feedback from tutors and classmates helped shape my ideas and encouraged me to think more critically about my work. Seeing my cover chosen has been a huge confidence boost, and it’s shown me how much can come from trusting the creative process. “
Jaime said “I feel honoured to have been picked and for my hard work to have paid off, there was a lot of great competition."
Jo-Ann said “I really enjoyed working on the Abbey Books/Paisley Publishing project, I had a lot of fun making my collages, designing the covers and attending the event at the book shop with everyone else who took part. I am proud of my work and am happy to have achieved a Highly Commended award, and I am also proud of everyone else who did, especially the winners. Congratulations everyone!”]
Darja said, "Creating a book cover with collage is a fantastic way to gain a wide range of experience, blending artistic creativity with practical design skills. It helped me to learn how to craft visual stories, using diverse elements to convey a book's themes, emotions, and genre before anyone reads a single word. This process has enhanced my ability to use symbolism, manage composition for visual harmony, and experiment with different textures and colours to create impactful design.
From a design perspective, it was a process of learning to integrate typography effectively and tailor visuals to attract the target audience as the book cover is a crucial marketing tool. The collage technique also encourages problem-solving through an iterative design process, where are a field to experiment, refine, and make countless decisions to achieve a compelling final product. It’s a hands-on journey that helps to develop skill of design and ability to communicate complex ideas visually.”
Cat said, “I'm very happy with getting highly commended and I really enjoyed doing the project"
Callum said “It was a pretty fun experience to be working for a client, and Brian who came in and saw my design was really impressed by it which makes me feel even more proud of my work. Learning more about Paisley's theatrical history was also rather interesting, such as how many theatres the town had three quarters of a century ago and how almost everybody went to the theatres at least once per week.”
Alba said, “I thoroughly enjoyed this process as it combines two of my interests- books and creativity! I learnt so much about the history behind Paisley within Film and this brief was a great opportunity for me to explore and develop my design skills. I’m very grateful to Abbey books for allowing us to play a part in their wonderful contribution to the Paisley community.”
Lecturer Debbie Dennett shared her pride in the students’ accomplishments:
"I’m so proud of the incredible work our students produced. They’ve not only developed their creative voice but also learned how to manage a complete design project — from scheduling and ideation, to researching classic book design and presenting professional-quality outcomes to a real client. This experience has been invaluable in preparing them for industry."
The Annual Book Jacket Design Competition is set to return next year, continuing to build bridges between education, creativity, and the local literary scene.