Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret
Mock Project
Illustration + Design by: Gabriella Shery
For this personal project, I reimagined the cover of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., exploring how a beloved classic could be translated for today’s readers. The composition combines found imagery with my own illustrations, merging old and new to create a familiar yet refreshed visual language.
The challenge was to honor Judy Blume’s legacy while making the design feel immediate and relevant—a bridge between generations of readers. I focused on warmth and introspection, drawing on the color and texture of 1970s paperbacks without veering into imitation.
The result is a quietly expressive cover where restrained typography and soft tone allow the story’s enduring honesty to take center stage.
Soundtrack
Penguin, Crown Books for Young Readers
Art Direction + Design by: Gabriella Shery
Illustration by: Julian Adon Alexander
Penguin Random House, Publishing Spring 2026
As Art Director and Designer at Penguin Random House Audio, I developed the visual identity for the Soundtrack audiobook original—a narrative-driven production blending storytelling, music, and performance.
After the project’s success, my visual system was translated into a full trade and hardcover release, translating an auditory experience into a cohesive, tactile design.
I wanted the cover to sound the way the audiobook feels—rhythmic, warm, and layered.
We Are Here
Art Direction + Design by: Gabriella Shery
I created multiple mock cover directions for We Are Here by Nina LaCour, investigating how visual metaphor, hierarchy, and color could translate the novel’s emotional core into a contemporary YA cover system optimized for both print and digital discovery.
Lady X
Mock Project
Illustration + Design by: Gabriella Shery
Lady X follows a woman trying to hold her life together as old secrets begin to surface. I wanted the cover to feel quiet but tense, using a simple silhouette and small fractures to suggest the pieces she’s struggling to keep in place. The design stays minimal and elegant, letting that unease sit just under the surface.
Mock Project
Design by: Gabriella Shery
Illustration by: Steffi Walthall
A full-wrap cover design built around a completed illustration by Steffi Walthall. I handled the typography, layout, and color work, adjusting the artwork to emphasize the book’s spooky, magical mood. The final jacket blends character-driven art with atmospheric type to reflect the story’s blend of mystery and warmth.
A Touch of Magic
Original Artwork Coloring
While the original illustration was completed by Steffi Walthall, I handled the artworking phase for the jacket—adjusting color, contrast, and lighting to amplify the story’s eerie, magical tone and ensure cohesion across the full wrap design.
Wolfwood
Mock Project
Illustration + Design by: Gabriella Shery
For this personal project, I reimagined the cover of Wolfwood, blending hand lettering with original illustrations to capture the story’s haunting balance of beauty and danger.
A young adult fantasy centered on power, transformation, and myth, Wolfwood inspired a visual language rooted in duality—where strength meets vulnerability, and nature mirrors the human spirit.
I built the composition around reflection and rhythm, using layered imagery and a muted, earthen palette to evoke metamorphosis. The illuminated typography brings a touch of the otherworldly, adding a pulse of tension that underscores the novel’s dark, lyrical tone.