Unit Editions

Last updated
Unit Editions
Founded2009;17 years ago (2009)
Founder Adrian Shaughnessy, Tony Brook, Patricia Finegan
Country of origin United Kingdom
Headquarters location London
Publication types Books
Nonfiction topics Design
Official website https://uniteditions.com

Unit Editions is an independent [1] British book publishing company founded in 2009 [2] by Adrian Shaughnessy and Tony Brook and Patricia Finegan of the design studio Spin. [3]

Contents

Based in London, [4] the company is known for its elaborately produced publications that focus on niche topics in graphic design and visual culture. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Its stated mission is to publish books on “subjects that are either neglected or ignored by mainstream publishers” [10] and its founding was "prompted by frustration at the quality of design books available and a faith that quality in both design and writing would find a market". [11]

Unit Editions was notable for establishing its reputation online and via social media [12] and for producing a range of illustrated research papers (the first of which was on Ronald Clyne's work for the Folkways record label) as well as books.

The company distributes books directly to customers, [13] selling about 85% of them through its website, [14] [15] and occasionally employing crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Volume. [16] Most of its books are produced in relatively small print runs of 1000–3000 copies, [14] and some titles sell out quickly. [17] [18] [19] The majority of its first 50 titles were designed by Spin. [20] [21]

In 2023, British publishing house Thames & Hudson acquired the rights to Unit Editions’ past publications and future titles. [22] Since the acquisition, new books have been published on the work of designers MuirMcNeil, Chris Ashworth, [9] North and Fred Troller [23] with a second edition of its 2012 monograph on the late Ken Garland appearing in 2025.

Awards and recognition

Eating with the eyes, a collection of photographs by designer and Pentagram partner Harry Pearce, designed by Pentagram and published by Unit Editions in 2016, won a 2016 D&AD Award. [24] Unit Editions was nominated in the graphic design section of the 'Beazley Designs of the Year' exhibition at London's Design Museum in 2017 [25] [26] and included in Creative Review ’s Creative Leaders list in 2018. [27]

Published titles

Selection of titles published by Unit Editions Books published by Unit Editions.jpg
Selection of titles published by Unit Editions

As of 2025, Unit Editions’ imprint includes more than 50 published titles, including monographs on celebrated graphic designers like FHK Henrion, [28] Lance Wyman, [29] [30] Pentagram, [31] [32] Ken Garland, [33] Herb Lubalin, [34] [35] and Paula Scher. [36] [37] Each title published by Unit Editions is identified with a sequential number, usually placed on the book’s copyright page or covers.

Books published by Unit Editions
UnitTitleSubjectYearISBN
1Studio Culture: The Secret Life of the Graphic Design StudioInterviews with graphic design studio owners [38] 2009 ISBN   978-0-9562071-0-4
2Supergraphics Supergraphics [39] 2010
3TD 63-73: Total Design and its Pioneering Role in Graphic DesignWork by Total Design [40] 2011
4Wim Crouwel: a graphic odyssey catalogueCatalogue to accompany Wim Crouwel exhibit at Design Museum 2011 ISBN   978-0-9562071-3-5
5Projekt: The Polish Journal of Visual Art and DesignProjekt magazine [41] [42] 2011 ISBN   978-0-9562071-4-2
6Kwadraat-Bladen – A Series of Graphic Experiments 1955-1974Work by Pieter Brattinga 2012 ISBN   978-09562071-5-9
7Herb Lubalin American Graphic Designer 1918–81Work by Herb Lubalin [43] [44] [45] 2012 ISBN   978-0-9562071-6-6
9Ken Garland: Structure and SubstanceWork by Ken Garland [46] 2012 ISBN   978-0-9562071-9-7
10Jurriaan Schrofer (1926-90): Restless TypographerWork by Jurriaan Schrofer [47] 2012 ISBN   978-0-9562071-8-0
11Scratching The Surface: Essays 1995-2013Essays by Adrian Shaughnessy 2013 ISBN   978-0-9575114-0-8
12Type OnlyContemporary typography [48] 2013 ISBN   978-0-9575114-1-5
13FHK Henrion: The Complete DesignerWork by FHK Henrion [49] [50] 2013 ISBN   978-0-9575114-2-2
14Herb Lubalin: American Graphic Designer 1918–81 (compact edition), re-issuedWork by Herb Lubalin [51] 2014 ISBN   978-0-9575114-3-9
15Manuals 1: Design and Identity GuidelinesHistoric corporate design manuals [1] [52] 2014 ISBN   978-0-9575114-4-6
16Supernew Supergraphics Supergraphics [53] 2014 ISBN   978-0-9575114-5-3
17Type PlusContemporary typography 2014 ISBN   978-0-9575114-6-0
18Manuals 2: Design and Identity GuidelinesHistoric corporate design manuals [54] 2014
19SPIN: 360ºWork by design studio Spin [55] 2015 ISBN   978-0-9575114-8-4
20Lance Wyman: The MonographWork by Lance Wyman [56] [57] 2015 ISBN   978-0-9575114-9-1
22TD 63-73: Total Design and its Pioneering Role in Graphic Design, expandedWork by Total Design [58] [19] 2016 ISBN   978-0-9932316-0-5
23Eating with the eyesPhotographs by Harry Pearce2016 ISBN   978-0-9932316-3-6
24Graphic Stamps: The Miniature Beauty Of Postage Stamps Postage stamps [59] [60] 2016 ISBN   978-0-9932316-4-3
25Herb Lubalin: TypographerTypography by Herb Lubalin 2016 ISBN   978-0-9932316-5-0
26Action Time Vision – Punk & Post-Punk 7" Record Sleeves Punk and post-punk record covers [61] [62] 2016 ISBN   978-0-9932316-6-7
27Impact 1.0: Design Magazines, Journals and Periodicals (1922-1973) Magazine covers, 1922–19732016 ISBN   978-0-9932316-8-1
28Impact 2.0: Design Magazines, Journals and Periodicals (1974-2016)Magazine covers, 1974–20162016 ISBN   978-0-9932316-9-8
30Paula Scher: WorksWork by Paula Scher 2016 ISBN   978-0-9956664-1-2
31Spin/Adventures in TypographyExperimental work by design studio Spin [63] [64] 2017
32andreas uebele material monograph volume 3, 2003–2016Work by Andreas Uebele2016 ISBN   978-0-9956664-2-9
33National Theatre Posters: A Design HistoryPosters for National Theatre [65] [66] 2017 ISBN   978-0-9956664-3-6
34Letraset: The DIY Typography RevolutionTypefaces and history of Letraset [67] [68] 2017 ISBN   978-0-9956664-4-3
35Octavo Redux 1:1 — a record of Octavo, journal of typography 1986–1992Work by design studio 8vo [69] 2017 ISBN   978-0-9956664-5-0
36Spin/Adventures in Typography IIExperimental work by design studio Spin2017 ISBN   978-0-9956664-6-7
37Paula Scher: Works (concise edition), re-issuedWork by Paula Scher 2018 ISBN   978-0-9956664-7-4
38Vaughan Oliver: Archive Materials & FragmentsWork by Vaughan Oliver 2018
40VNIITE: Discovering Utopia – Lost Archives of Soviet DesignWork by VNIITE [70] 2018 ISBN   978-1-9164573-0-0
41Lance Wyman: Process. A proposal for the 1976 USA Bicentennial identityBrand identity for the United States Bicentennial [29] [30] 2018 ISBN   978-1-9164573-1-7
42Karlssonwilker On AmericaVisual essay on America by design studio Karlssonwilker [71] [72] 2018 ISBN   978-1-9164573-2-4
43What is Universal Everything?Work by Universal Everything [73] 2019 ISBN   978-1-9164573-3-1
44AZTDR™ – A—Z of The Designers Republic™Work by The Designers Republic [74] [75] [76] 2019 ISBN   978-1-9164573-4-8
45Studio Culture Now: Advice and guidance for designers in a changing worldInterviews with graphic design studio owners2020 ISBN   978-1-9164573-6-2
46Ed Fella: A Life in ImagesWork by Ed Fella [77] [78] [79] 2022 ISBN   978-1-9164573-7-9
50Pentagram: Living by DesignWork by Pentagram [31] 2022 ISBN   978-1-9164573-8-6
52North: Extracts from visual identitiesWork by design studio North [80] 2023 ISBN   978-0-5008802-2-7
531,000 Marks Logotypes by Pentagram [32] 2024
54Disorder: Swiss Grit Volume IIWork by Chris Ashworth [9] [81] 2025
55Fred Troller DesignWork by Fred Troller 2024 ISBN   978-0-500-88039-5
56Ken Garland: Structure and Substance, re-issuedWork by Ken Garland 2025


References

  1. 1 2 Heller, Steven (2014-04-17). "The Lost, Surprisingly Soulful Art of Corporate Identity". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  2. ↑ "They said books were dead, they were wrong: Adrian Shaughnessy on a decade of Unit Editions". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  3. ↑ "Unit Editions". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  4. ↑ "Unit Editions Makes Books for Designers – Glyphic". 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  5. ↑ Petit, Zachary (2020-11-16). "Studio Culture Now: A Guide to Surviving—and Maybe Even Thriving—in an Era of Striving". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  6. ↑ "Unit Editions". Designers & Books. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  7. ↑ Leslie, Jeremy (2016-07-29). "Tony Brook, Spin & Unit Editions". magCulture. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  8. ↑ Muraben, Billie (2016-11-01). "Unit Editions Pushes + Preserves Graphic Design by Publishing Books That Go Against the Mainstream". AIGA Eye On Design. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  9. 1 2 3 Heller, Steven (2025-03-26). "The Daily Heller: Chris Ashworth Takes a Stand Against Digital Hygiene". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  10. ↑ "About". Unit Editions. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  11. ↑ "Unit Editions". Creative Review. 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  12. ↑ "Eye Magazine | Feature | To have and to hold". Eye Magazine. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  13. ↑ Kroeter, Steve (2013-08-15). "Talking Eds: A Conversation with Tony Brook and Adrian Shaughnessy of Unit Editions". Designers & Books. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  14. 1 2 Bøg, Sanne (2023-01-14). "Unit Editions". boeg.studio. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  15. ↑ Q42, Fabrique &. "Unit Editions". Design Museum. Retrieved 2025-05-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ "Unit Editions crowd-funds new book, System Process Form, from MuirMcNeil studio". Creative Boom. 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  17. ↑ "Vaughan Oliver: Archive – a limited reprint by Unit Editions in memory of the legendary designer". Creative Boom. 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  18. ↑ "How Adrian Shaughnessy and Unit Editions Wrote and Published Pentagram: Living By Design | Scratching the Surface". scratchingthesurface.fm. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  19. 1 2 Sinclair, Mark (2016-01-21). "Unit's TD 63-73 – what goes into a new edition?". Creative Review. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  20. ↑ "TONY BROOK". Curator. 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  21. ↑ "New Unit Editions offering explores combined power of text and imagery". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  22. ↑ "Unit Editions and Read-Only Memory join Thames & Hudson". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  23. ↑ Williams, Megan (2025-03-10). "A new book charts Fred Troller's design legacy". Creative Review. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  24. ↑ "Eating with the eyes | Pentagram Design Ltd | Unit Editions | D&AD Awards 2016 Pencil Winner | Specialist & Limited Edition Books | D&AD". www.dandad.org. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  25. ↑ Q42, Fabrique &. "Unit Editions". Design Museum. Retrieved 2023-04-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ↑ Dawood, Sarah (2017-10-17). "Review: Beazley Designs of the Year 2017 at the Design Museum". Design Week. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  27. ↑ "Unit Editions". Creative Review. 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  28. ↑ "FHK Henrion - The Complete Designer". Design Week. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  29. 1 2 "Kickstarter Campaign Hopes to Publish Lance Wyman's Fantastic Diaries". Metropolis. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  30. 1 2 "Tony Brook on publishing the visual diaries of Lance Wyman". Design Week. 2016-09-19. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  31. 1 2 TypeRoom. "Pentagram at 50: Living by design is a two volume compendium to inspire - TypeRoom". www.typeroom.eu. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  32. 1 2 "New Pentagram book features 1,000 logos its partners designed". Design Week. 2025-03-05. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  33. ↑ "Ken Garland: Structure and Substance". Design Week. 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  34. ↑ "Unit Editions' superb volume of Herb Lubalin's typography". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  35. ↑ "Unit Editions' Herb Lubalin monograph". Design Week. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  36. ↑ "The exact moment to end a client meeting, whether your client is Bob Dylan or Citibank". Quartz. 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  37. ↑ "Paula Scher: Works – Unit Editions' new book on the designer's phenomenal career so far". Creative Boom. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  38. ↑ "Studio Culture: The secret life of the graphic design studio, Unit Editions, 2009 - Design Reviewed". designreviewed.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  39. ↑ Pallister, James (2010-12-09). "Supergraphics: the book". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  40. ↑ "TD 63–73: Total Design, Unit Editions, 2011 - Design Reviewed". designreviewed.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  41. ↑ PrintMag (2012-02-07). "Polish Projekt, Good Stuff". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  42. ↑ "Eye Magazine | Review | Shadows over Poland". Eye Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  43. ↑ PrintMag (2012-06-15). "Lubalin Is Coming, Lubalin Is Coming". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  44. ↑ Currey, Mason (2012-06-25). "Designer for the age of austerity". Salon. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  45. ↑ "New Unit Editions monograph to celebrate the late, great graphic designer Herb Lubalin". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  46. ↑ "Ken Garland: Structure and Substance, Unit Editions, 2012 - Design Reviewed". designreviewed.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  47. ↑ PrintMag (2013-04-17). "Do You Know The Name Jurriaan Schrofer?". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  48. ↑ "Graphic Design: New Unit Editions book celebrates type as graphic solution". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  49. ↑ "Publication: Next Unit Editions book celebrates unique brilliance of FHK Henrion". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  50. ↑ Heller, Steven (2013-12-09). "FHK Henrion Remembered, Revisited, Regaled". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  51. ↑ "Herb Lubalin: American Graphic Designer 1918–1981 (compact edition), Unit Editions, 2013 - Design Reviewed". designreviewed.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  52. ↑ Silverberg, Michael (2014-04-29). "How New York's Subway Signs Came to Be". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  53. ↑ "Supernew Supergraphics". Design Week. 2014-05-23. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  54. ↑ "Unit Editions talks us through Manuals 2's superb identity design guidelines". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  55. ↑ "Tony Brook tells us about creating the huge new Spin studio monograph". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  56. ↑ Bell, Jonathan (2015-09-16). "Game(s) on: Unit Editions reveals definitive Lance Wyman monograph". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  57. ↑ designboom, andy butler I. (2015-09-10). "lance wyman the monograph by unit editions". designboom | architecture & design magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  58. ↑ "Unit Editions' re-released sublime Total Design behemoth is gorgeous". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  59. ↑ "Graphic Stamps: The Miniature Beauty Of Postage Stamps by Spin". Creative Boom. 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  60. ↑ Voon, Claire (2016-07-12). "A Graphic History of Postal Stamp Design". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  61. ↑ "Unit Editions' Action Time Vision – an alternative look at the aesthetics of punk". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  62. ↑ Farris, Jessica (2016-12-20). "25 of the Best Recently Released Design Books". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  63. ↑ root (2017-03-25). "For the Love of Magazines: Jeremy Leslie reviews SPIN/Adventures in Typography". Friends of Friends / Freunde von Freunden (FvF). Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  64. ↑ "Adventures in Typography: Spin's new book about its creative process". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  65. ↑ TypeRoom. "Design is the real star in National Theatre Posters typographic legacy - TypeRoom". www.typeroom.eu. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  66. ↑ "Exploring 50 years of National Theatre poster design". Design Week. 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  67. ↑ "Eye Magazine | Review | Relics of a vanished world". Eye Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  68. ↑ "Unit Editions' study of Letraset takes on a new form in this Sheffield exhibition". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  69. ↑ "Unit Editions resurrects popular 80s and 90s typography journal, Octavo, in new book". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  70. ↑ Byrnes, Mark (2018-11-29). "When Soviet Industrial Designers Imagined a Better World". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  71. ↑ "Karlssonwilker on graphic design in America". Creative Review. 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  72. ↑ Leslie, Jeremy (2018-11-14). "karlssonwilker ON America". magCulture. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  73. ↑ Tucker, Emma (2019-07-19). "Unit Editions celebrates digital pioneers Universal Everything". Creative Review. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  74. ↑ "Everything you need to know (for now) about the Designers' Republic". Design Week. 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  75. ↑ "The Designers Republic: "Provoke response, create dialogue"". www.domusweb.it. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  76. ↑ Carter, Dom (2018-11-14). "The story of The Designers Republic finally reaches print". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  77. ↑ Gosling, Emily (2022-03-22). "Ed Fella wrestles with the difference between artist and designer". Creative Review. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  78. ↑ "Unit Editions' new book captures the enduring legacy of designer and rulebreaker Ed Fella". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  79. ↑ "Unit Editions Chronicles the Career of Ed Fella". Hypebeast. 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  80. ↑ "Eye Magazine | Review | Digging deep into the plan chest". Eye Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  81. ↑ "Disorder: Swiss Grit Volume II, Unit Editions, 2025 - Design Reviewed". designreviewed.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
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