Behind the scenes of 20 iconic corporate identity design manuals

Following the sell-out success of Manuals 1: Design and Identity Guidelines, independent publisher Unit Editions has crafted a second compendium of rare and iconic graphic standards and corporate identity manuals, titled Manuals 2: Design and Identity Guidelines – and it's available for pre-order now.

The stunning 432-page hardback features a mix of 20 outstanding American and European design style guides, created by some of the leading lights of 20th century identity design: Lester Beall, Paul Rand, Allan Fleming, Total Design, Alan Fletcher, Otl Aicher, Studio Dumbar and North.

Iconic brands

Edited by Tony Brook and Adrian Shaughnessy, and designed by Brook's London-based studio Spin, the new book features design manuals for IBM, Westinghouse, Canadian Rail, Bell, Knoll, PTT, Montreal Olympics and Dutch Police, as well as contemporary businesses like RAC and First Direct.

Manuals 2 also features an in-depth essay by design historian Roger Remington (Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design) and a text from Martha Fleming (daughter of Allan Fleming, designer of the Canadian Railways logo), plus interviews with Michael Burke, Sean Wolcott, regular Computer Arts contributor Liza Enebeis and John Bateson.

It's priced at £75 and all pre-ordered copies will arrive with a B1 double-sided poster. Head over to the Unit Editions website for more information.