My cover designer Daz Smith

In the run up to the release of my new book TIME TO LET GO I have received a lot of compliments about my book cover, so I turn the spotlight on the talented man behind all four: Daz Smith

Tell us a little about yourself as designer and a person.

By day I am a Graphic and Web designer with my head firmly stuck in all things internet and technology. Then by night I transform into a person addicted with intuition and research into this, how we use it, how it works and generally how everything in the universe is connected. It’s strange, but to me this seems to be a perfect mix as the internet and technology try to give us this connection that the other side of my life has known about since the dawn of time, and I get to play with both the ancient and modern forms of this, and get to be creative at the same time.

When did you first take an interest in design and how did you end up designing book covers?

I have been designing now since I first left school many years ago and trained as a Design apprentice in corporate design & branding. This was in the days before computers became involved. Then in 1996 I fell upon the internet and was hooked in about a minute and have been designing, creating and sharing media online ever since. I created and published my first indie book ‘surfing the psychic internet’ in 2006, and for this created my first Book cover, then I met Christoph, who I encouraged to indie publish and who needed a book cover and its growing form there really. I’m really loving the book cover designing, it’s great to take a book theme and title and then build an image and brand for it form this, creatively its very rewarding.

What kind of books do you read yourself?

It’s a heavy mix of books about intuition, science books and experience books on all things paranormal like ESP, Remote Viewing. Although lately, inspired by the Walking Dead TV series, I can’t get enough books about the zombies apocalypse, end of the world type scenarios, the kind of thing that keeps you awake at night. But still my all time favourite is to Kill a Mocking Bird and Rumble Fish by S.E.Hinton.

What is your work routine like – your daily routine and the process?

Like many my daily routine comprising of, fist being sucked into the black hole of face book and twitter. After I finally manage to pry my fingers from the keyboard, I get down to work on whatever the project of the day may be. Sometime this is a logo, sometime a full blog or website and sometimes a book or DVD cover. My process is to always try to get inside the head of my client, to view things from their perspective and to try to give them what I feel they want and need and not what I feel is correct for them.

What is your favourite part of the process and which is the least favourite?

Ahhh this is easy, it’s the initial sitting down stage when I only have a very few scant ideas and wants from a client, this is the time when the creative ideas just pop right into my head and explode so fast that it’s sometimes hard to get them all out and down on the screen before they fade.

Do you prefer working day time or at night?

Night, there is a calmness that comes from working when most are asleep and knowing the phone or the door won’t call you away, knowing that the TV is showing its normal dribble of reality TV shows. Its just way more peaceful at night and I get double the work done.  

How long does it take you to get a cover design ready?

This is a hard one because each is different, but from start to finish its probably about two days. Once I get the initial brief and the outline of the book and ideas, I allow my mind to wander over ideas and images that bubble up, then I try to match this to a style and appropriate imagery, after this I rough-up some design ideas in Photoshop, when I’m happy with the look, I show the client, amends are then made, until we have something that works for us both.

Which is the one you are most proud of?

I would have to say ‘Time to Let Go’. A great design is like music, everything flows together in a kind of harmony, and with this cover the colours, the imagery and the title/text all flow in a kind of visual music. It just all feels right.

What other ambitions and creative outlets do you have? 

I also write and publish my own books and magazines all based around the subject of Remote Viewing and being intuitive. Then I have my websites, social media and remote viewing projects themselves which allow me to be fully creative and expressive. At the same time as helping people find missing loved ones, or scientist trying to solve ancient mysteries or the mysteries of the universe. Helping people in many small ways makes me feel good.

What are your next projects? Tell us about your other design work.

I’m just finishing-up a book which is a compilation of hints, tips and advice for remote viewers from experts trained by the CIA and U.S. military to psychic spy. This is called ‘The Remote Viewing Dialogues’. The book is near complete and I’m just at the design the cover stage right now. Due to the participants being Cold War Psychic spies, paid for and used by the U.S government, its deciding where to go cover wise, dark and cold warish, or newageish and colourful.

What is your life like? What do you do for pleasure?

My main pleasure is photography. My flikr images are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dazsmithpicsI love black and white images and I love to capture street people doing day-to-day things. The world is a beautiful place and I just like to capture it in whatever creative way I can be it a blog post, a book cover design or even a photograph.

What would your friends tell us if we asked for your best and your oddest qualities?

I would hope truth & honour for my best quality and my oddest, well, this has to be my interest in ESP and in being intuitive.

What would you say are you best and oddest qualities?

Great question – and it’s probably a mix of my intuitive skills and creative design that allows me to get into the head of my clients to give them what they need. Like a psychic/zen/ninja designer.

Cat or dog?

Definitely Dog, I currently have a Chihuahua cross called Max, I’ve always had dogs, they are so loyal and friendly. Now I’ve had a small dog I can’t get enough of them, and would have  a pack of teacup Chihuahuas if my wife would allow it.  

Hot or cold? 

Definately Hot – the winter months and trying to type and use a mouse kills my cold fingers more and more as I age.

What (not who!)  would you take to a remote island?

Well, it would have to be the internet in some form. I’d be lost without all that instant information. And of course a kindle stuffed full of zombie apocalypse books.

Who would you like to invited for dinner and why?

Ghandi, for some advice, Kevin Spacey for his southern tones, Angelina Jolie for the eye candy and her passion, Geronimo because he was the original rebel and he didn’t give up and last probably Anthony Hopkins, because it would be fun hearing him do Hannibal Lector just before the first course. For details of my book cover services, prices and any other design needs people can get information here:

http://www.nethed.com/book-covers/

Contact details: email: darryl@nethed.com website: www.nethed.com phone: 07766655631 twitter: @remoteviewed facebook: www.facebook.com/eightmartinis Flikr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dazsmithpics/