PRIMO LEVI — THE PERIODIC TABLE
OVERVIEW
For the Penguin Essentials edition of Primo Levi’s The Periodic Table, we were tasked with designing a cover that captured the scientific, historical, and personal narrative of the book. The brief focused on reflecting Levi’s chemistry background and the wartime context in which the story is set.
STRATEGY
The concept aimed to fuse precision, experimentation, and historical resonance. By using a handcrafted approach, each element could reflect Levi’s meticulous attention to detail and the scientific rigor of chemistry, while nodding to the wartime period that shaped the narrative. Soviet-era air maps inspired the stencil design, connecting the visual language to Levi’s personal and historical context.
OUTPUT
I led the design and production of the cover, creating a custom metal stencil to hand-draw each element. These were scanned and digitised to combine human craft with modern production techniques. Careful attention to alignment, scale, and typography ensured readability while maintaining conceptual integrity.
IMPACT
The resulting cover marries science, history, and storytelling, standing out within Penguin’s design heritage. It delivers a tactile, thoughtful interpretation of Levi’s work, highlighting the fusion of handcrafted technique and wartime visual references, and reinforcing the book’s intellectual and emotional resonance.
