I’m Simon Daley, and I set up Giraffe Books in 2001. I offer a range of services to publishers, including jacket and page design, art direction, styling, illustration and photography. You’ll find examples of my work in the relevant galleries here.
About me
Before I turned freelance I worked in-house for several UK publishers and as art director of the Sunday supplement of Hong Kong’s leading English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post. Food is an area of special interest, both professionally and personally: I wrote, art directed, styled and designed the award-winning cookbook Cooking with my Indian Mother-in-law.
As a designer, my emphasis is on clear, functional layout and strong typography. I enjoy being involved in the shaping of a book’s concept in its early stages, as well as looking for creative ways to give existing material a new lease of life.
With extensive experience in food and lifestyle photography, I’m often called on to art direct at photo-shoots. This may involve creating shooting scripts, selecting the teams of photographers and stylists who work with me, casting models, and working as a stylist myself, sourcing props and scouting locations.
I’m frequently commissioned to produce artworks alongside a book’s layout design. My illustrations, maps and diagrams are created using traditional hand drawing, painting, collage, digital rendering, photo manipulation and montage, or any combination of these techniques.
project management and Packaging
I’ve project-managed many of the books I’ve worked on, co-ordinating the editorial process, liaising with authors, overseeing budgets and keeping everyone on schedule. Any of Giraffe Books’ services can be combined and supplemented with those of a team of editorial contacts to offer a full packaging service, tailor-made to suit a client’s specific needs.
To contact me, email simon@giraffebooks.com or call 07714 098779