INDEX

Books by me

1. THE AXE HANDBOOK

2. SPECK

3. THE WILCO BOOK

4. THE GANZFELD

Best Made Co.

1. PRODUCT

2. CATALOG

3. SPACES

4. BRAND DESIGN

Design Work

1. ALI BY MAGNUM

2. BEYOND

3. BERN PORTER

4. BUSH OF GHOSTS

5. RAYMOND CARVER

6. ELEMENTS OF STYLE

7. PHILIP GLASS

8. MIZRAHI

9. NEW YORK TIMES

10. PAPER MAGAZINE

11. VINTAGE BOOKS

12. WILCO

“Blake taught us if the doors of perception were cleansed, we might see the world as it is: Infinite. Peter Buchanan-Smith and his cohorts have been propounding something perhaps even more marvelous: The infinite potential in every single bit, and the infinite variety, in the human capacity for marvel and astonishment.”

— Lawrence Weschler

I am a designer, and an author. My career spans the founding of an omni-channel retail brand (Best Made Co.) to working in close partnership with brands and artists to craft products and experiences that are simple, elegant, meaningful and lasting. I thrive at the intersection of contradictions: where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, utility meets style, and timeless meets new.

I was born in Canada. I attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City and received a master's degree in 2001. I developed my M.F.A. thesis into a book titled Speck: A Curious Collection of Uncommon Things. After graduation I worked at The New York Times, where I was art director of the Op-Ed page during September 11, and then I went to Paper magazine where I was the design director. I have also been the design director for Isaac Mizrahi and have worked in close partnership with Maira Kalman, the rock band Wilco, and musicians Brian Eno, David Byrne, and Philip Glass. In 2005, I won a Grammy for the design of Wilco’s best-selling album A Ghost is Born.

In 2009 I founded Best Made Company. My first product was a widely celebrated line of colorfully adorned axes, and the company soon grew to an internationally celebrated omni-channel retail brand, with a vibrant product assortment, a coveted catalog, and stores in New York City and Los Angeles. Best Made products have been exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in London, and the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in New York City.

In 2019 I left Best Made Co. to start new projects and write a book. In 2023 I bought Best Made back and plan relaunch it in 2024.

NOTE: This site serves as an archive for my past work. If you’re interested in what I’m up to now then please visit bestmadeco.com.