Designing personality into a pocket-sized series

Hardie Grant Books commissioned us to design a selection of titles in the Pocket Wisdom series — compact books packed with sharp insights and witty words on figures from Audrey Hepburn to the Kardashians. Aimed squarely at the gift market, the series needed to be fun, colourful, and instantly appealing.

We led art direction and design across multiple titles, giving each book its own distinctive personality while keeping them united as a cohesive collection. Every detail — from typefaces to finishes — was chosen to echo the spirit of the subject.

Audrey Hepburn’s effortless elegance is expressed through refined typography and layouts, while the Kardashians’ title embraces brashness and glamour. For books featuring multiple voices, bold type and graphic covers create instant standout both on-shelf and in thumbnail form.

For the politics titles, we created in-house illustrations inspired by the stars and palette of the American flag, while picking out signature fashion details from AOC’s cape blazer to the pearls of first ladies. Playful finishes completed the series: metallic embossing for queer wisdom, glitter for RuPaul, and glossy pink foils for the Kardashians — transforming compact formats into striking, gift-worthy objects.

Each title carries its own personality but is instantly recognised as part of the wider Pocket Wisdom series, ensuring strong standout in the gift market.