West College Scotland partners with Abbey Books for competition

West College Scotland teams up with Abbey Books to celebrate local literature, emerging talent, and the art of book design

West College Scotland, in collaboration with independent bookseller Abbey Books, is proud to announce the success of the first-ever Annual Abbey Books & West College Scotland Book Jacket Design Competition — a creative partnership that saw students from NC and HNC Graphic Design & Animation courses showcase their skills on a live, client-led project.

The competition is a landmark event for the College and the local community, providing a professional platform for students to design original logos, book jackets, and promotional materials for Paisley Publishing, a local imprint of Abbey Books. Students had the opportunity to select from one of three challenging briefs: designing a new logo for the publishing brand, reimagining a classic Paisley-themed book cover, or creating a promotional item for a book launch — with many choosing to add innovative elements such as augmented reality and interactive textures to engage modern audiences.

Highly commended design by Cat Wilson

The project was developed to not only hone students’ design and project management skills but also connect them more deeply with Paisley’s rich literary and cultural heritage. The selected titles included:

• The Paisley Thread by Matthew Blair
• The Death of Wallace and Other Poems by Hugh Kilpatrick ‘Eagle Eye’
• Paisley at the Pictures by Brian Hannan
• The Works of Robert Tannahill by Philip A Ramsay

Over the course of the project, students were mentored through the full creative process — from initial research and scheduling through to client-style presentations and final concept boards.

Brian Hannan, Manager of Abbey Books, expressed his enthusiasm:

“I was knocked out by the response from the students who were given only a very basic brief from me and came up with such splendid design ideas. I am so impressed I am arranging to devote an entire window in our shop in Wellmeadow St to a display of the work.

“I am delighted to be working with West College to help promote a new generation of designers and especially in such an important area as book jackets. This is the inaugural event and I am already looking forward to doing it again next year.”

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The competition culminated in a special event held at Abbey Books on Thursday 12 June, where students gathered to celebrate their achievements and see their designs displayed in the shop window. Poster boards and printed mock-up book covers brought the visual energy of their work to life.

Huge congratulation to the winning students:

HNC Winner: Valentina Donos (Glasgow)

NC Winner: Jaime Ter Bek (Erskine)

Highly Commended: was awarded to:

HNC: Callum McCulloch (Paisley), Darja Vakulskaja (Glasgow), Jo-Ann Atkinson (Renfrew), Mariia Hutsal (Paisley), Cat Wilson (Paisley)

NC: Ethan Lawson (Greenock)

HNC Winner Valentina Donos said: “Working on a live brief for Abbey Books was both exciting and eye-opening. Knowing that my design could actually be published pushed me to take the process seriously and really consider how my choices would connect with a real audience.

“One of the biggest challenges was balancing the historical depth of Robert Tannahill’s work with a look that would still appeal to modern readers. I came to understand that design is not only about appearance but also about communicating meaning and making a story feel relevant and engaging.

“Throughout the project, feedback from tutors and classmates helped shape my ideas and encouraged me to think more critically about my work. Seeing my cover chosen has been a huge confidence boost, and it’s shown me how much can come from trusting the creative process.”

NC Winner Jaime Ter Bek said: “I feel honoured to have been picked and for my hard work to have paid off, there was a lot of great competition.”

Lecturer Debbie Dennett shared her pride in the students’ accomplishments: “I’m so proud of the incredible work our students produced. They’ve not only developed their creative voice but also learned how to manage a complete design project — from scheduling and ideation, to researching classic book design and presenting professional-quality outcomes to a real client. This experience has been invaluable in preparing them for industry.”

The Annual Book Jacket Design Competition is set to return next year, continuing to build bridges between education, creativity, and the local literary scene.