On the Shoulders of Giants podcast cover art

On the Shoulders of Giants is an inspirational podcast about how we were never meant to be common. There are giants among us who have figured out how to be uncommon and inspire greatness. Each episode is a narrated journey about how an individual started “incredible” out of nothing, or how they broke the status quo, or faced down adversity, or took the road less travelled. The title comes from an expression penned by Isaac Newtown in 1675 – “if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Solution

While a podcast is almost wholly an auditory experience, its cover is the first impression a listener has for the content and what the presenter is trying to say. In creating this concept art for On the Shoulders of Giants, it was important for the design to convey the essence of the content, including a title that could be read at small sizes.

The design is anchored by prominent and legible typography which is skewed in such a way that it creates fields of negative space unlike many other podcast covers. The cloud imagery represents the idea of “reaching for the sky”, in the way that the people who share their stories forged their own paths to achieve success and positively impact the lives of others. It naturally followed that I include an image of the sun, as the sun itself has strong symbolism that aligns with the podcast content. It represents positivity, growth, passion and the power to meet the challenges of everyday life.