Unit Editions is a renowned brand in the publishing industry; in recent years, people who seek design books frequently come across this name. Its founders, Adrian Shaughnessy and Tony Brook, set up their enterprise on Stannary Street in Kennington, London. Shaughnessy is mostly in charge of the editorial work and Brook deals with design and visual affairs. Nevertheless, both of them are experts in both fields and have provided fertile ground for design and writing. Both are in search of new subjects and maintain a balanced interaction between the two fields. In addition, Trish Finegan is another partner who deals with the legal and financial affairs.
What distinguishes Unit from its rivals is that these two designers publish books for graphic designers. This is reflected in their slogan: “Books about graphic designers by graphic designers.”
Moreover, flexible interaction with the audience is against the norms of the market and other publishers, while it is considered as Unit’s main working principle. Their specific use of the Internet as a channel for sales is another distinction of Unit Editions. Londoners also have the opportunity to participate in Unit Live events which encompass unveilings and gatherings about the published books. Sometimes the number of people wishing to participate in such events is much greater than the capacity of their hall, which can only serve 50 people.
One of the most interesting series published by Unit includes the engaging books about the works of 20th century designers, published in the form of monographs. FHK Henrion and Herb Lubalin are among the best books of this series, in addition to a book about Total Design and its work from 1963 to 1973.
According to Shaughnessy, several principles guide their process of selecting the designers for the series: “The first is that we both have to feel excited about a subject and want to undertake the huge amount of work that goes into publishing even a small book. The second consideration is that we have to feel that, in the case of historical books, our subjects are relevant to a contemporary audience. And I’d add to that the desire to produce books on people who we feel have become unfairly neglected or undervalued. Our book on Henrion (FHK Henrion: The Complete Designer) is a good example of this philosophy: contemporary designers can learn a great deal from studying Henrion’s life, plus he has become a neglected figure within graphic design, yet he is in my view the most important British graphic designer of all time (although he was German!). Finally there is the question of availability – unless we can ensure permission to publish work we can’t progress. When all these conditions are met we take the decision to publish – and then the really hard work begins.”
After the publication of their first book called Studio Culture, which was sold on Amazon, Shaughnessy and Brook made a bold decision and started to sell and distribute their books independently. Online sales on Amazon were expensive and lacked required flexibility. On the other hand, a small organization with a limited budget practically could not compete in the universal network of book sales and distribution. Hence, they realized their decision through the Internet. “Amazon demands huge discounts and does not like publishers to undercut them,” says Shaughnessy, “so we took the decision not to supply them. It’s really about autonomy and not getting locked into other people’s systems. We value our freedom! Our internet-only model is our main point of difference.”
Tony Brook is in charge of designing the books in his small studio, Spin, where seven people work, including five designers and a full-time designer who is employed by the publication. Unit Editions provides them with facilities to engage in the design of different subjects related to publishing. As Tony comments: “I’d like to think that the education that we receive working on Unit books influences our work and pushes us to produce better responses.”
Tony is regularly in contact with art schools and is engaged in teaching, although his professional life is divided between the studio and the publishing venture and allows him no time for other work. The studio is mainly focused on designing visual identities, which is very distant from book design. “I see myself as a designer and if I’m not actively working and making things then I’m not happy!” explains Tony.
The main virtue in the studio and the publishing house is innovation, which is based on the qualitative values and the intelligence of the members.
Shaughnessy describes himself as a self-taught designer who has run his personal studio from 1989 to 2003. He calls himself a product of the 90s –when everything passed so quickly– and like many of those belonging to the same generation he has reached design through music. Shaughnessy designed record covers in the golden era of 33rmp gramophone records, in England, where the music industry has always been extraordinarily important. The decline of such products meant the loss of his major clients. However, he believes that all he has gained is the outcome of that golden era. He knew that everything had to change and did not want to spend the rest of his professional life simply as an independent designer serving ordinary clients. Meanwhile, Shaughnessy is interested in teaching and writing and has lectured at the Royal College of Art (RCA), London since 2009, invited by Neville Brody. “… And this has led to an interest in education – especially the notion of independent learning, and how individuals can acquire the skills to function autonomously. In many ways, however, publishing encompasses all my interests,” says Shaughnessy.
Shaughnessy notes that the idea of publishing a monograph series was inspired by an abstract phrase by Benedetto Croce, Italian philosopher. According to Croce, “All history is contemporary.” He adds: “It goes back to what I said earlier about Henrion – and I’d include Herb Lubalin, Total Design and Ken Garland here too. These people offer the contemporary designer so much in terms of creative output but also in how to live as designers. Reading about them and studying their work is a contemporary act – it is not the passive contemplation of the past. They offer us models of practice and conduct. It’s really a case of seeing history as a continuum. As designers working today we are linked to these figures in ways we don’t always appreciate. Henrion for example pretty much invented the model of the professional graphic designer in the UK. Herb Lubalin showed how type could be used expressively in ways that we now take for granted. Total Design was prototyping multidisciplinary design long before it became the contemporary norm. Ken Garland pioneered the notion of the ethical designer. All super relevant to the current scene.”
Shaughnessy considers social media as an essential, critical tool for everyone who wants to continue working and living. As a result, he is so active, particularly on Twitter –his favorite social media channel. In addition to notifying his audience about visual culture news, he is also kept informed of their feedback and comments. Perhaps common people see these media as a type of amusement and a way to fill the routine, but for Shaughnessy they are tools for obtaining a deeper understanding of design, its past, and its present use. “And it’s this newfound curiosity that has contributed to the success of Unit Editions,” he believes. “Ten years ago, designers were, for the most part, only interested in what was new and trendy. Today there is a much greater interest in design culture and history than at any time in my lifetime. This is at least partly down to the availability of images online. We have students buying our books on Total Design and Henrion.”
At Unit Editions, common printed books are still preferred over digital versions. There is still no convincing reason to dissuade them from publishing real books with leaves of paper, appealing covers, and thick spines. Shaughnessy believes that people try using iPads and other digital gadgets to read books or texts, but it is necessary to have the printed version when it comes to subjects such as art and design. “It's a paradox that although we produce only printed books we only survive because of the Internet,” he explains.
Unit Editions is an exceptional example of an effective cooperation, which has risen to fame in the design world in a short time, thanks to the two partners who have instilled a unique spirit of coherence in both its content and design. Currently, we are waiting for another exciting series centered on the international postage stamp designs.
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