London design studio S-T creates identity for 2016 HarperCollins Big Book Bonanza

London design studio S-T has designed the identity for this year’s HarperCollins Big Book Bonanza, basing the concept on a fantastical garden where books are the flora and fauna. The studio worked with illustrator Jamie Jones and animation studio One Darnley Road to bring the intricate garden to life, where plants and trees are topped by books instead of flowers and leaves, and book-butterflies are flitting around being chased by readers with butterfly nets.

The concept is based on the idea that, with each new book release, HarperCollins helps stories to “grow and flourish” says S-T. “We decided a garden was the perfect metaphor to visualise this.” The Big Book Bonanza is the publisher’s annual touring event showcasing the year’s new books.

The garden theme is carried through all communication, from the invitation which has a papercut, fold-out gate, to large display boards, tote bags, all printed marketing material, and animated videos that introduce sections of the video showcase at the event.

A closer look at Jamie Jones’ illustrations reveals stranger details extracted from stories, hidden in the garden. A sword, an old streetlight, a fountain, a typewriter, a bloodied knife, a whisk and a war plane can be found alongside the natural wildlife he has illustrated in his flat, sharply drawn and colourful style.

The animations by One Darnley Road follows one of the book butterflies through the vividly coloured garden, discovering readers and other surreal creatures amid the plant life.