• Since the content of a phone book is common, the cover should stand outmobile telephone image by inacio pires from Fotolia.com
  
  Telephone books are handy if you need a phone number for a particular local store or if you want to order a pizza for dinner. A standard telephone book has many uses and a wide audience. Designing the cover of a telephone book is therefore no easy task, as there are many things to take into consideration.
  
  

Finding People

• A telephone book cover should surprise and be interesting. This is because everyone knows what to expect from the book, so the cover is the only thing left to the imagination. One design idea is to have pictures of people who you normally would not consider contacting on a regular basis. For example, this could be a clown for a birthday party or a prominent businessman. These people are not as commonly contacted as a taxi service or a pizzeria.
  
  

Common Situations

• Another design idea is to have the phone book covered with pictures of people in common situations that may require a phone call. The pictures should, however, be unique and original. This could be a long-lost friend’s birthday or a broken-down car at the side of the road. These scenarios offer something new and exciting to the common phone book, as phone book covers are often covered in ads. Offering this new and fresh perspective may cause people who pick up the phone book to give it an extra glance.
  
  

Inside Out

• A fresh cover design is to show the users what is on the inside. Instead of designing a cover, use screen shots of a few pages in the phone book to create the cover design. Because people know what to expect from a phone book, putting the inside information on the outside is another way of expressing “What you see is what you get.” This is also a great way for companies to get some exposure and promotion for their businesses and services. Use the top paying clients on the front cover as part of the page design.
  
  

Local Community

• If the phone book is for a small community, it may be a good idea to put something common for the community on the front cover. Having something common and popular on the front of a phone book that suits a specific community may define the community, but also create a strong bond between citizens of the community, as they have something in common. For example, having a picture of a local statue that is well-known or famous may be a good place to start.