New Unit Editions offering explores combined power of text and imagery

One day news might reach us of a Unit Editions publication that doesn’t knock our socks off but to paraphrase Gladiator “not yet…not yet.” Type Plus is the latest title from Adrian Shaughnessy and Tony Brook’s imprint and it sets out “to investigate the practice of combining typography with images to increase effectiveness, potency and visual impact.”

The editors believe this practice of partnering type and graphic elements – which is particularly prevalent in the contemporary design climate – can “turbo-charge meaning and impact…The era of type as a passive, semi-invisible holder of meaning is long gone.”

As ever Unit’s team draws on its unparalleled breadth of reference to support the book’s thesis, and there’s work to enjoy from the likes of Kevin Chao and Paula Scher plus studios like Hoax and Ilg/Trüb Grafik. There’s also interviews with Non-Format, TwoPoints.Net and Erik Brandt as well as an introductory essay from leading design critic Yves Peters.

While we’re here it would be remiss not to mention that Spin – Tony Brook’s studio and designers of all the Unit Editions oeuvre – have just unveiled a tremendous new website, a sleek black affair which showcases their work brilliantly.