PM—Hey Tony, how are you doing? How’s life in London? 

TB—Life is good! We are keeping busy, it is always exciting at the start of a new year — we have some nice projects and are feeling quietly optimistic for 2023. 

PM—I’ve been a massive fan of Spin since I was a junior designer. How did it all begin? 

TB—We started out in the depression of 1992 — so even though everything seemed to be going down the pan in the world, it felt like the time was right for me. It’s hard to describe really. Trish (my partner) and I had long and deep conversations, and we came the conclusion that we needed to give it a go. 

PM—Yeah the early ’90s would have been a brutal era. How many in your team, and who does what? 

TB—We are seven at the moment. Trish looks after the project management and business side of things, Milo is a writer and very much part of the creative team. We have an offsite accountant, Anna, and then it is the designers: myself, Eve, Ewan and Vincent. 

PM—Describe Spin’s purpose in one line. 

TB—To dig deeper and go further. 

PM—Nice! How do you define good studio culture? 

TB—One that results in excellence and innovation — so for me, that means experimental, inclusive, relentless and fun. 

PM—What’s one lesson you’ve learnt running the studio all these years? 

TB—There is no downtime. That isn’t a complaint, just an observation. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

PM—How do you find new talent?  

TB—We are very fortunate in that talent tends to find us. 

PM—What’s your design process for a new identity?

TB—To answer this would require a book (something I’ve thought about more than once). Topline: Conversation. Research. Investigation. Rigour. Criticism. 

PM—We’re all human, so what’s your biggest design f**k up? 

TB—There isn’t one that stands out to be honest. I’m one of those annoying people who don’t tend to dwell on the downside. 

PM—What was it like to spend time with the late Wim Crouwel going through his archive? 

TB—It was the most wonderful experience. Wim was so kind and considerate, nothing was too much trouble for him. He was on a whole different level as a human being. It could have been difficult, me trawling through his back pages, the relentless questions… he might have been protective or controlling, but not a bit of it. It was better than I could ever have expected. 

PM—That’s so nice to hear. Are you still a massive poster collector? You had over 50 Wim Crouwel posters from memory? Were they originals? I am so jealous.

TB—They are all originals. I was lucky in that I started collecting early enough that I could still afford them. I have quite a broad collection of posters — I can’t deny that they are fantastic to live with. 

PM—I love what you have done with Unit Editions. How did this idea come about? 

TB—From my part, I had been incredibly frustrated working with a conventional publisher. They just didn’t understand what was important to creative people. The idea evolved over time; we published a number of papers under SPIN, and they were very well received, so it seemed the natural next step. I met up with Adrian Shaughnessy and floated the idea. I had a list of books that I thought should exist and he agreed. The balance between design and content, and the understanding that both were equally important, is fundamental to our success. 

PM—I was so inspired when I read ‘Studio Culture’ back in the day (2009) and more recently ‘Studio Culture Now’ (2020). How do you manage to run it while keeping the Studio busy?

TB—That’s great to hear! It runs along every day — sometimes in the foreground and sometimes in the background. It works somehow. We have just completed a major monograph on Pentagram, which took some doing. It sold out in a matter of days which was a surprise and a relief. 

PM—What are some lessons you’ve learnt running Spin and Unit Editions? 

TB—One lesson that applies to both is that there are no shortcuts. Ever. 

PM—What’s one of your favourite projects you and your team have designed recently?

TB—Plural was incredibly satisfying — an organic identity that has experimentation built into the system. We’ve been working on some cool projects for MUBI, such as a campaign for Crimes of the Future by David Cronenberg, our ongoing relationship with Aircord in Tokyo is exciting, and our Waste Age exhibition identity for the Design Museum in London was a real highlight of last year.

PM—You only get to use one typeface for the rest of your design career; which one do you choose: Helvetica or Times?  

TB—F**k that! I would rather retire. 

PM—As designers, we always look at what everyone else is doing.
Shout out one of your favourite design studios at the moment.

TB—I don’t do this as much as I used to — I find it counterproductive to a degree. I try really hard to listen to the voices in my head nowadays. That said, there are some fabulous design studios working around the world, ones that I respect and am super excited by, too many to mention here, and the thought of leaving someone out means I have to fudge my answer. I can say that I love the inventive use of typography, the advances in animation, the blurring of the lines between art and design. These are interesting times creatively. 

PM—What tunes are you bumping in the studio? 

TB—We play music all day, every day, so… ‘Didn’t I’ by Darondo, ‘Someday Baby’ by R.L. Burnside, ‘Whale’ by Duval Timothy and ‘Jamaican Proverb’ by Dub Syndicate would be high on my list. 

PM—What’s the best advice you’ve ever received in the industry? 

TB—Try earn some money every day — from my last boss before I left to set up SPIN. Sounds basic, but it is inarguable. 

PM—Haha, yeah for sure. Plug 3 of your favourite IG accounts? 

TB—@archeo.photo @tokyodoorways @Catvibesonline 

PM—What is the future for graphic design?

TB—Ramping up the creative is the answer. 

PM—It’s been great catching up mate. Any cool projects or collaborations coming up?

TB—Likewise! There are a bunch of things we can’t really talk about… but one that should see the light of day soonish is a collaboration with a new company called UMEU in California. Watch this space...