Filbert Press commissioned Botanical Brain Balms by Nicolette Perry and Elaine Perry, a book exploring how plants can improve memory, mood, and mind. The ambition was to design a book that communicated scientific insight with warmth and accessibility, appealing to both the health and gardening markets.
Our role
We led art direction, design, and illustration commissioning, creating a visual language that balanced authority with charm. Type, space, and illustration worked together to give the book clarity, personality, and presence.
Communicating clarity and calm
Typography was central. We selected two complementary typefaces that together offered balance and quiet authority. Combined with pared-back layouts and carefully placed full-bleed imagery, the design conveyed a sense of clarity and calm — perfectly aligned with the subject matter.
Handcrafted botanical illustration
To bring depth and warmth, we commissioned illustrator Clover Robin, whose collages mix cut paper, painting, printing, and drawing. Her hand-made illustrations appear on the cover, chapter openers, and pull-out activities, infusing the book with individuality and reflecting the creativity at the heart of botanical science.
Impact
The book brings together clarity and craft in a way that makes specialist knowledge approachable, while creating a distinctive, giftable object in the health and gardening market.
“Studio Noel are thoughtful designers who bring ideas to life and give even half-formed thoughts presence and identity. The results are a delight to behold and sparkle with individuality.”
Filbert Press
“... This up-to-date, beautifully illustrated book furthers our understanding of how plants could be contributing more to our health.”
Professor Monique S.J. Simmonds OBE, Deputy Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
