Short List 5

Simon Beattie

A catalogue turns into an exhibition for antiquarian book-dealer Simon Beattie

Short List 5 is the fifth catalogue from antiquarian bookseller Simon Beattie. The design was required to be both a celebration of books and an immersive sales catalogue.

Beattie has attracted lots of interest from Ivy League schools who exhibit and research his books. The design played to this by creating an exhibition space for the books with an academic sensibility. The catalogue became an exhibition in its own right; books are celebrated for their tactility and cross-referenced with their descriptions with the aid of bespoke exhibition captions.

  • communication: Printed literature / Books / Exhibition Design / Applied Graphics
A 'research index' was added at the front of the document to introduce the academic approach
Design details
The bespoke acid-etched exhibition captions were designed to be re-purposed for Simon to use at book fairs

Designed in collaboration with Paul Felton.

Short List 5 was awarded a 'Premier Award' in the 2014 ISTD Awards (International Society of Typographic Design).

Short List 5 was also awarded a 'Wooden Pencil' in the 2013 D&AD Awards.