Richard Ljoenes

Richard Ljoenes – Designer

Richard is an award–winning book cover and interior designer with over 100 New York Times Bestselling cover designs to his name.

Overview

Richard is the former Creative Director of Regan Arts (A Phaidon Global Company) and former Vice President Sr. Art Director at HarperCollins.

His design and art direction has been awarded and recognized with over 90 awards and merits by The One Show, Art Directors Club, The Cannes Lions Awards, Communication Arts, AIGA, Print Magazine, Type Directors Club, Graphis, How Magazine International Design Awards, Time Magazine, The New York Book Show, and Graphic Design USA who named him a designer to watch in 2018.

Richard is a Designer and Art Director primarily focused on print-based design—book covers and illustrated book interiors being the main bread and butter, but his background also includes advertising and corporate identity. Clients include HarperCollins, Ecco, Morrow, Simon & Schuster, W. W. Norton, Hachette, Penguin Random House, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Restless Books, Regan Arts, and Bloomsbury.


BIO

Richard started his career as a traditional advertising sketch-artist with D’Arcy (formerly DMB&B/Clarion) in his native Oslo, Norway. Eventually markers were replaced with a Mac and over the next few years he developed into a driven designer working on many of Norway’s biggest brands. Although thriving at the firm his status as the sole soccer-hating male on the European continent eventually forced his emigration stateside.

After attending San Francisco’s Academy of Art he moved to New York, and following a brief period at Sullivan & Co Design, got his first start in publishing with HarperCollins Publishers. During his eleven years there he held numerous roles at several imprints, including Senior Art Director at Regan Books (w/stints in NYC and LA offices), V.P. Senior Art Director at both the Collins imprint, and more recent, the Harper Division.

In June 2014 he left HarperCollins for the opportunity of starting on the ground floor of Regan Arts (teaming up once more with his former boss), a newly established Phaidon Global Company, where he served as Creative Director and oversaw all cover and interior design for a range of fiction, non-fiction, and illustrated books.

Spring 2017 Richard started his own studio. He now operates out of Boulder, Colorado, where he lives with a four-year-old whom he continues to amaze daily, and his wife, who is less impressed by the minute.


“The production of Humble Masterpieces was one of the best—and smoothest—publishing experiences of my career. I rely on designers and trust their vision but of course, as a design curator, I engage in a dynamic relationship with them. Richard’s idea for the book was incisive and made it a resounding success. The square format, the bright, compelling, and yet abstract cover, the slipcase that made it all a surprise . . . It was not a book, it was a design object.”

—Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Architecture & Design
MoMA | The Museum of Modern Art


“People to watch 2018.” —Graphic Design USA
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs History Music True Crime
Fiction
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Poetry Psychological Thriller
Languages
English
Awards
  • Richard Ljoenes’s design and art direction has been awarded and recognized with over 90 awards and merits by The One Show, Type Directors Club, Communication Arts Design and Typography Annuals, The Cannes Lions Awards, Art Directors Club, AIGA’s 50 Books | 50 Covers, Graphis, Print Magazine, How Magazine International Design Awards, Time Magazine, The New York Book Show, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and Graphic Design USA who named him a designer to watch in 2018.
Certifications
  • BFA Graphic Design, Academy of Art University, San Francisco

Work experience

Self-employed

Apr, 2017 — Present
Book cover and interior design: fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks and illustrated books. Some identity and packaging design. Clients include HarperCollins (Harper, Ecco, Morrow), Simon & Schuster, W. W. Norton, Hachette Books, Little Brown, Penguin RandomHouse, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Restless Books, Sourcebooks, and Bloomsbury.

Regan Arts, New York (A Phaidon Global Company)

Jun, 2014 — Mar, 2017 (over 2 years)
Responsibilities include design and art-direction of all covers and interiors for a for a range of fiction, nonfiction, and illustrated books. Management of inhouse design staff and all freelancers. Some editorial acquisition.

HarperCollins Publishers

Jun, 2003 — Jan, 2014 (over 10 years)
Design and art direction of book jackets/covers and illustrated interiors; manage and art direct designers on staff, freelance designers, photographers, and illustrators for the following imprints: Harper (02/2009 - 01/2014), Collins (07/2007 - 01/2009), and Regan Books (06/2003 - 06/2007).

Sullivan & Company, New York (www.sullivannyc.com)

Mar, 2003 — Jun, 2003 (3 months)
Print design. Clients Include Pfizer and American Express.

D’Arcy Advertising (former DMB&B Clarion), Oslo, Norway

Jun, 1996 — Dec, 1999 (over 3 years)
Responsibilities include corporate identity, print design, retail advertising, and some web-design. Clients include Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Pepsi.

Portfolio

All That I Am

Funder, Anna

The Kept: A Novel

Scott, James

God is Round

Villoro, Juan

Lolito

Brooks, Ben

The Invaders

Waclawiak, Karolina

Where the Bird Sings Best

Jodorowsky, Alejandro

PLANTLAB

Kenney, Matthew

KooKooLand

Norris, Gloria

The Godfather Notebook

Coppola, Francis Ford

Richard has 44 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Michael H.

Michael H.

Apr, 2025

Richard designed the cover for my novel. I couldn't be happier with his work. He brought great creativity and imagination to his designs. His knowledge of the book market was invaluable. He met his deadlines and communicated well. I will definitely use him again.
Michael S.

Michael S.

Apr, 2025

Having viewed the work of a few illustrators, Richard's work stood out for being innovative, creative and immediate. I liked the uncomplicated simplicity of his images, some of which were effective metaphors of the book's themes and were instantly engaging. Our collaboration was enjoyable and...
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Mark S.

Mark S.

Apr, 2025

I had a rough idea of what I wanted my cover to look like, and then Richard took that idea and turned it into a reality that was way better than anything I could've imagined. It's a genuine work of art. I'm absolutely thrilled with my cover and would highly recommend Richard to anyone.
tony G.

tony G.

Mar, 2025

Gets your overall idea very fast and plays along with it, delivering high-quality job. During the process he listens to suggestions very openly, never defensive. In other words, Richard was a wise choice to make, He has elevated my book to the most professional standards
Jennabeth F.

Jennabeth F.

Feb, 2025

It was such a pleasure to work with Richard! This was my first time finding a cover artist through Reedsy, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but Richard exceeded my expectations. His services did cost a bit more than some of the other graphic designers on here, but in the end it was worth every pe...
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