Sekolah Young Adult Book Cover Design (Evoking trauma, harapan, and marah)

Visuals: A dark, moody backdrop with a faint depiction of a worn-down, dimly lit school hallway transitioning into a shadowy living room that hints at the atmosphere of Bibi Vesper's house. A silhouetted figure of a teenage boy stands towards the left, his black, messy hair slightly ruffled, head lowered, hiding any overt expression of emotion. His glowing ash-gray eyes pierce through the dimness, surrounded by a faint aura of vulnerability. Broken shards of glass float around him, symbolic of his trauma and fractured hope, with each shard faintly reflecting echoes of significant memories (e.g., glimpses of a school locker, a hand reaching out, and torn scrap paper). The entire scene has a muted, desaturated color palette—dominated by greys, dark blues, and smoky blacks—with thin streaks of warm gold light cutting through, symbolizing slender threads of hope.

Typography: The title “Jejak Luka di Jalan Kelam” is presented in bold, distressed serif typography, mimicking cracked and worn lettering that aligns with the themes of trauma. The author’s name, "Kaezryn Benedira," is in a smaller, clean sans-serif font placed at the bottom center in a crisp, dark golden hue, giving it an understated yet prominent look while balancing the overall composition.

Layout: The cover design is centered around the shadowy figure, positioned slightly off-center to the left, with the book title framed to the right in asymmetrical alignment. The subtitle aligns closely under the title, and the author’s name appears at the central bottom. The background transitions from shadowy textures on the left (where the figure stands) to faint, blurred details of the house and school on the right.

Explanation: The visual composition captures the book's central themes of trauma, despair, and subtle hope by using a teenage figure set against a moody, transitional background evoking both school and home. The messy hair and glowing ash-gray eyes of the boy are subtle details that connect him to his identity as a reclusive, cool, and traumatized individual, while the floating glass fragments add symbolic depth, representing shattered yet lingering memories. The muted color palette conveys melancholy while the streaks of gold offer an essence of hope and resilience. The typography reflects these themes through its distressed serif title font, mirroring the book's emotional scars, while the clean and understated sans-serif font for the author’s name ensures readability and balances the visual intensity. The layout strategically highlights the figure, providing symmetry with the title and allowing visual harmony that invites readers to explore. Finally, the chosen materials, such as matte-finish paper and soft-touch laminate, create a lush, modern feel that resonates with young adult readers, while spot UV gloss accents provide a captivating visual and texture contrast, enhancing the overall professionalism and appeal of the cover.