Brian Lemus
Pronouns: he / him / his
Where are you from? Queens, NY
Race/Ethnicity: Colombian
Languages: English and Spanish
Where do you currently work at? Penguin Random House / Portfolio, Sentinel, and Optimism Books
How did you get into design? I got into design after immersing myself into the sneaker culture in the early 2000s as a teenager and watching the film Beautiful Losers after I dropped out of college. I didn't know it at the time, but the culture introduced me to color theory, product/packaging design, and typography. The film gave me the idea to pursue a career in design.
One favorite book you've designed and why? A favorite cover I worked on was The Love Gap by Jenna Birch. I really didn't think I was the best fit to design the cover, but I ended up with dozens of designs for the cover and jacket. I was always interested in packaging and the final design is definitely one that's better appreciated when looking at the full jacket. Another bonus that came out of this project was commissioning my friend and favorite tattoo artist, Ron Mor, to draw some awesome cupids and arrows for the jacket.
What do you like about being a book designer in publishing? I enjoy print and packaging design, and as a book designer in publishing, I get to play in both those worlds... it's pretty damn cool
Favorite book or current read and why? Current read is What to Expect: The First Year... I'm going to be a first time dad in March, so I'm just getting ready for that. Any other time, I usually keep a collection of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges close by.
Tell us a surprising fact about you? I have a collection of 400+ plants in my home.
What did you learn about publishing that you wish you knew before? I quickly learned how unpredictable and fickle the cover approval process can be.
What's one goal you have for yourself in this industry? One goal I have is to do this work until I'm OLD. Designing covers is a great exercise in creativity, visual communication, patience, and restraint just to name a few. If I keep doing this into old age, I'm hoping it'll keep my mind sharp... although it'll probably ruin my back =)
How do you over come a creative block? My creative blocks usually happen when I get stuck overthinking, researching, and/or sketching. I found the best way to break out of that block is to just start designing. If that doesn't work, a second look at my deadline usually gets me going.