We thought we’d take this opportunity to show some spreads from the 2010 Royal Mail Yearbook — ‘The Big Picture’ — which came out back in November last year. First published in 1984, the Yearbook tells the back stories of the year’s pictorial stamps, and is always impeccably printed and produced. This edition is a beautifully considered piece of editorial design by hat-trick, which uses extreme close-up photography to reveal the unexpected about subject in hand. John Ross took the striking shots which open each section.









































I wrote two essays for each chapter — one an introductory overview, to provide context and colour, the other a more focused, detailed piece which expands on illuminating particulars. So for the Classic Album Covers, there was a longer piece on Peter Saville and Factory Records; for Endangered Mammals chapter, a piece on Hedgehogs; for the House of Stuart chapter, a piece on the Restoration, and so on.














The way hat-trick handled the relationship between the slip case and the front cover was particularly interesting: the slipcase cover shows a close up of an elaborate R on a painted red post box, then when you pull out the book, there’s the same R sandblasted back to the metal. It’s a subtle visual metaphor to show the reader that all will be revealed inside. The endpapers print all the words in the book in miniature, playing on the juxtaposition of scale that continues throughout the pages. You can order your very own copy — which includes all the stamps issued in 2010 — here.



Super direct mail follow-up to White Stuffs super-hero themed catalogue (see below). Cut to the shape of a pair of crime-bustin’, worn-over-the-tights Y-fronts, they’re promoting a forthcoming 20% off day. And if you can’t make it into your local store, you can claim your discount by entering ‘flash’ at the checkout — nice touch.

Have you noticed how the latest posts on this blog are all about old-skool pants and super-powers? Read into that what you will.

It’s certainly not the most complex project we’ve been involved in. Even so, there’s a beautiful simplicity about the new Viaduct website. Which is fitting, as Viaduct supplies elegant, often minimalist, European furniture to a discerning clientele of architects, interior designers and design-savvy punters.

Owner and main man James Mair was adamant that people don’t want to trawl through a lot of copy, before getting to grips with the product. Nevertheless, he wanted the words to set the scene and subtly convey the Viaduct personality.

As usual, James and his colleagues were a pleasure to work with... we’d previously provided the text for a Made Thought-designed brochure, which Viaduct is still using after ten years. A timeless classic, you might say — like a piece of furniture you might find in the Viaduct showroom.

www.viaduct.co.uk