

What does a book designer actually do?
I have designed hundreds of books, and am passionate about the power of elegant design and a clear visual hierarchy to transform the reading experience. Years of my life have been spent arranging Word documents and digital images into lovely tactile objects we can hold in our hands, that are sent across the world to find their readers. It exciting, for me, but I often get a blank face and a puzzled look if I tell someone I design books, and they say, 'But what do you actually

Briony Hartley
Apr 16, 20234 min read


Book design: Speak Your Truth
Fearne Cotton's, Speak Your Truth , is published today, and I was thrilled to do the book design for this during lockdown last summer. An...

Briony Hartley
Jan 6, 20213 min read


Designs on COVID for the NHS
As inevitable as taxes, and as unwelcome, the pandemic has pushed death uncomfortably into the public arena. It's beyond distressing, but...

Briony Hartley
Sep 18, 20203 min read


Book Design for Yellow Kite Books: Bread Therapy
Publisher Yellow Kite strive to ‘help people lead happier, healthier, more connected lives’ and want their books to inspire positive...

Briony Hartley
Sep 17, 20202 min read
