Although traditionally centered around 100% Design, the current rendition of the London Design Festival has offered up a spate of attractions and events for designers of all stripes. Among the highlights was the official launch of Studio Culture: The Secret Life of the Graphic Design Studio (below), an inside look at 28 graphic design studios around the world. It’s the first title to come out under the Unit Editions imprint.

Unit Editions is an unconventional new publishing house started in 2008 by Tony Brook, co-founder of Spin Design, and Adrian Shaughnessy, designer, writer and principal of ShaughnessyWorks. The pair set up the venture in response to frustration with the traditional design press, where they say decisions are often dictated by sales representatives who don’t understand either the subject matter or the target audience.

Its nimble approach combines insider knowledge of the graphic design industry with an openness to sharing information and engaging its audience through social media. The look of Studio Culture itself – a lightweight, hand-sized volume with an itty bitty title on the spine – also breaks all the rules of traditional book design, opting instead for a much more graphically driven cover. Whereas many graphic design tomes never leave the coffee table or the reference library, Studio Culture encourages you to stick it in your bag and take it along.

Interview with Print Magazine

Some of the interviews taken form the book Studio Culture can be read at the website of the Alliance Graphique Internationale: