Client

Manchester Urban Institute, UK / UrbanWords

Creative

Completed

September, 2017

Oxford Road ‘Corridor’; busy, bustling and ever-changing, the ‘Stories from the Road’ project explored and mapped how this part of Manchester has affected different people and their lives.

Originally commissioned to design a series of promotional print and digital collateral we were recommissioned by Manchester Urban Institute to design a lasting legacy of this collaborative project between cities@Manchester and author, Sarah Butler (UrbanWords). The ‘Stories from the Road Collection’ celebrates the stories of a cross-section of the people who live, work and travel along Oxford Road.

Building on the established visual language we designed for the earlier commissioned collateral – which featured a family of map-pointer inspired ‘pin-people’ – we developed the 120 page book design with a somewhat gritty, urban feel throughout: incorporating inner city imagery printed on uncoated tactile stock; bespoke maps of the Oxford Road Corridor; and map inspired graphics/symbols which act as reader guides to the start and end of sections.

The resulting book is a compelling compilation of the history, present and future of Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor, delivered through a series of essays, reflections and stories which span the gamut of individuals experiences of Oxford Road Corridor the place, to the Oxford Road Corridor partnership’s vision to “establish the Oxford Road Corridor as a globally recognised hub of knowledge-based economic development” (SFTR Introduction)

Credits

Editors: Sarah Butler (UrbanWords), Andrew Karvonen (The University of Manchester),
Laura Partridge (Co-ordinator cities@manchester) and Kevin Ward (Director, MUI)