Polytechnic’s whimsical designs for Anywhere Book Club reshape the reading experience

The London-based graphic design studio Polytechnic was approached by the founders of Anywhere Book Club (ABC) Natasha Morgan and Saskia Sims to create their visual identity. ABC create companion guides for use alongside books to facilitate and enhance the reading experience for children, jointly prioritising understanding and fun. The mission was simple and inclusive; supporting children’s reading and creating “positive experience for all ages”, as Polytechnic co-director Arthur Carey lays out.

ABC’s hero is its mascot, the tamandua, a relative of the anteater. To create the character that interacts with ABC’s design system, Arthur went to illustrator and teacher Marcus Oakley to propose a collaboration. Polytechnic’s creative strategy director Georgia Cherry introduced the idea of the tamandua in early discussions with Marcus; it was chosen for its inclusive identity, presented genderless to maintain a broad appeal as well as its endearing unconventionality. Marcus went on to illustrate the tamandua’s character as defined by silliness, loyalty, curiosity, and relaxation. It evokes a “waggish joy and naive style”, as Arthur says, attracting audiences of both young, and the young at heart. The hard and soft graphics Marcus deploys demonstrate the intersection of strength and gentleness within his creations.

Common ground and balance were core tenets in shaping Anywhere Book Club’s branding, so as to “entertain and inspire both children and their carers – enabling them not to speak on different levels but find common ground, a genuinely mutual appreciation”, Arthur says. Marcus’ illustrations show the tamandua mascot in various lovable scenarios in ABC’s companion guides.

Companionship is another theme of note. Marcus’ heavy and graphic linework balances well with Anywhere Book Club’s main typeface – Malamocco, from French type foundry Formagari – which is similarly “unkempt and powerful”, Arthur says. It’s paired with Feliciano Type’s Sebenta, providing contrast and support from the companion guide to the website.

Small enough to carry on your person, Arthur says the guides have “a nostalgic quality which taps into the adult’s psyche”, as well as providing a supportive role to the book it accompanies. The boldness of these guides, from type to illustration, evoke memories of absent-minded drawings made during class – times where focus is disciplined and art can be discouraged. Creating positive associations between learning and illustrations like these, the ink-bleeding illustrations of younger years are renewed and repackaged as a tool of curiosity rather than distraction.

The cherry on top of Polytechnic’s design system for ABC is its rounded logo. It shines in the digital space, interacting with the user’s site experience via rotations with every scroll. Its position is randomised with every site refresh, appearing ‘anywhere’ on every visit. Wonderfully whimsical, Polytechnic’s work with Anywhere Book Club is a show of ideation and execution authentic to the organisation’s core values; “sparking joy in both the child and adult mind”.