Form – 21 (limited-edition book)

This limited-edition, five-color, individually numbered 52-page book marks the 21st anniversary of Form, the design agency founded by Paul West and Paula Benson. Conceived as a portrait of the studio’s evolution, it presents 21 objects that each unlock a story, pulling readers behind the work to reveal the collaborations, partnerships, and creative risks that shaped two decades of practice.

As West and Benson explain, the project grew from a desire to honor the people they worked with: “We’ve always thrived on collaboration, so we sat down with journalist Jim Davies and spent a full day talking through our shortlist of 21 objects — each tied to a partnership that has defined Form’s journey, from Cocteau Twins to Elbow, from Damien Hirst to Rankin, and everyone in between.”

Across its pages, the book captures 21 years of cultural and technological change: shifts in music, art, and design; the rise of Britpop and Brit Art; the analogue-to-digital transition from Syquests to emerging technologies; international lectures and unexpected encounters, from representing British design in Japan to a misunderstanding with Joe Strummer. There are glimpses of the surreal and the mundane — trace overlays, shoe-gazing, even a ten-day sex shoot — each folded into a vivid account of life inside one of the UK’s most influential design studios.

A concise, characterful document, it stands as both an anniversary celebration and a testament to Form’s restless creative spirit.