Outlining the aims of the cover design

From the research conducted in developing visual ideas for Stephen Hawking's book cover, these are the aims of the cover's design:

Timelessness
- the circle as a visual motif as it is a geometric shape that has remained constant in nature since the dawn of time, the circle "since ancient times, represented eternity, since it has no beginning and no end" (Munari, 2015, p.99).
- the golden ratio as it produces aesthetically 'perfect' compositions that look 'timeless'. For example the Parthenon and the Mona Lisa. 
- The aim of Bauhaus typography and its geometric design, in keeping with the overall theme

Abstraction
- A simple cover design that lowers the perceived complexity when the layman thinks about the science of the universe
- to open the covers meaning to interpretation which relates to how frequent the circle is seen through the universe. this will allow the cover to remain relatively ambiguous, prolonging its lifespan on the shelves as a relevant book cover design.

Munari, B. (2015). Bruno Munari : Square Circle Triangle. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.