Book covers don’t usually trend on Twitter or make it to quite so many people’s Insta stories – but Intermezzo, Sally Rooney’s fourth novel due to drop in September, isn’t a usual book. Her last novel, Beautiful World Where Are You? sold more than 40,000 copies in its first five days and topped UK book charts, collectable copies of Normal People are displayed on some of the country’s coolest coffee tables, well-designed quotes from her work have made it onto everything from totes to T-shirts. In short: when a Sally Rooney release is on the horizon, book lovers (and design enthusiasts) are on tenterhooks.

The narrative, set to feature two brothers navigating relationships in the wake of their father’s death, is (of course) guaranteed to grip us. But, when the cover of Intermezzo landed on social media last week, it wasn’t just the prospect of another breathtaking Rooney story that captivated book lovers – it was design itself.

The cover (graphic and bold, with interesting typefaces and splashes of bright blue) is the brainchild of Kishan Rajani, Faber & Faber’s senior designer. Also responsible for buzzy cover designs such as Big Swiss by Jen Beagin (bold text and a canine illustration) and Warsan Shire’s Bless The Daughter (a cool, graphic illustration of a woman’s face), Rajani is no stranger to creating covers that make an impact. But he admits that being tasked with designing what is set to be the biggest book of the year was somewhat daunting, even after 10 years in the industry.

The designer behind Sally Rooney’s latest book cover shares all the secrets you'll want to know about the Intermezzo visuals