Famous Couples/
Book Cover
For this Penguin Books project, I designed a cover for the Famous Couples series, representing the complex friendship between Dr. Gregory House and Dr. James Wilson from the TV series House M.D. Instead of using portraits, I created a visual metaphor — a bonsai tree growing from a cracked pot — to symbolize their toxic yet beautiful bond. The bonsai represents growth, care, and resilience, while the cracks reflect the tension and emotional strain within their relationship. Through this design, I aimed to capture how friendship can be both fragile and enduring at the same time
01
Sketching Process
I began by brainstorming ideas that could represent the complex friendship between Dr. Gregory House and Dr. James Wilson. I explored visual metaphors that reflected both their bond and their tension. After several rough sketches, I decided on a bonsai tree as the main symbol. I drew multiple versions to experiment with the shape, cracks, and placement of the pot, focusing on how the cracks could visually express the strain and toxicity within their relationship while maintaining a sense of beauty and growth.
02
Visual Development
As I refined the sketches, I emphasized contrast — the delicate, carefully pruned bonsai tree emerging from a damaged pot. The cracks became central to showing the imperfect yet enduring nature of their connection. I used shading and line variation to give emotional depth and to balance the tension between fragility and resilience.
03
Final Design
In the final composition, the cracked bonsai pot symbolizes the broken moments and pain within their friendship, while the thriving tree represents loyalty and mutual care that persist despite conflict. Through this design, I aimed to capture how House and Wilson’s relationship is both destructive and deeply meaningful — a friendship that endures through healing and hurt alike
04
Reflection
The final design features a bonsai tree thriving in a cracked pot, symbolizing how beauty and damage can coexist in meaningful relationships. The composition balances tension and harmony — the cracks draw attention to imperfection, while the healthy branches express care and endurance. This design successfully meets my original goals by using a single, powerful visual metaphor to tell a layered story about friendship, loyalty, and emotional complexity. It captures both the fragility and resilience of House and Wilson’s connection, staying true to the theme of Famous Couples.
