Alas! Smith & Milton:
How not to run a design company
Published in 2006, this is the story of one design company's 25-year struggle to make sense of a notoriously fickle industry. It draws on interviews with friends, associates and employees of the company from over the years, including such well-known names as Michael Johnson, Mary Lewis, Michael Peters and Richard Seymour.

To download a pdf of some sample spreads, click here (910 KB)

“That almost impossible product, a design book which is a darn good read... expresses what we all enjoy and think about but have never quite managed to articulate.”
David Stuart, The Partners

“A brutally honest tale of success, failure and the huge pressures involved in working in the design industry... There's a happy ending but any aspiring designer will learn some valuable lessons along the way.” Creative Review

“It's rare to find such honesty in a fickle industry but Alas! Smith & Milton is an exception. Aspiring designers could certainly learn a lesson or two from this book.” D&AD Ampersand Magazine

Order your copy here.