Turning an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan

How thoughtful editorial design and consistent layout transformed 350 pages of tennis history into a publication worthy of its subject.

When author David Orchard described the work I did for his book as

"turning my ugly duckling into a beautiful swan,"

it was one of the best compliments I've received in over 35 years as a designer.

The comment wasn't simply about how the book looked. It reflected the transformation of what began as a large collection of text, tables, results and photographs into a professionally designed publication that feels consistent, coherent and easy to read from the first page to the last. That's what good design should achieve. It shouldn't distract from the content; it should allow the reader to enjoy it without ever thinking about the design itself.

A fascinating project with a unique challenge

Following a recommendation from Richard Jones at The Tennis Gallery Wimbledon, I was commissioned by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to design and produce a 350 page publication documenting the history of the Summer County Cup. Spanning more than 130 years of inter-county tennis, from 1895 to 2025, the publication brings together historical research, match results, county records, fixtures, statistics and photography into what has become an important reference book for one of the UK's longest-running team competitions.

While the subject matter was fascinating, the challenge was never simply producing a large document. The real task was creating a publication that looked and felt as though it had been designed as a single piece from the outset, despite the enormous amount of information it contained.

Although the finished book runs to more than 350 pages, the project wasn't simply about laying out text. It involved developing a clear design system, refining typography, organising complex statistical tables, managing hundreds of photographs, and ensuring that every element remained consistent as the publication evolved through multiple rounds of amendments.

The objective wasn't simply to produce a book. It was to create a publication that looked as though it had always been designed that way. Over the course of the project, hundreds of individual pages, tables and images were refined, reviewed and adjusted to ensure the finished publication maintained a consistent visual language from cover to cover.

The 'ugly duckling' – the original manuscript supplied before layout, typography and editorial design transformed it into the finished book.

Good design starts long before the first page is finished

Many people assume that graphic design is largely about choosing colours, fonts and arranging elements on a page. In reality, those decisions form only a small part of a project like this.

Before a single page could be designed, it was essential to build a structure that would hold the entire publication together. Every heading, paragraph, table, caption, photograph and page number needed clear rules that could be repeated consistently throughout hundreds of pages. Without those foundations, even the smallest amendment can create inconsistencies that multiply throughout a document.

This is where Paragraph styles, Character styles, Table styles, Master pages and carefully thought-out page layouts become invaluable. They don't just make production more efficient, they ensure that every page belongs to the same publication, giving readers confidence that they're holding a professionally produced book.

Consistency is something readers rarely notice ...until it's missing

One of the most interesting aspects of design is that its success often goes unnoticed. Readers rarely notice consistent spacing, perfectly aligned headings or carefully structured tables. What they do notice is when something doesn't feel quite right. Perhaps a heading changes style, a table is formatted differently or the spacing between sections becomes inconsistent. Individually these may seem like minor details, but together they affect how polished and trustworthy a publication feels.

Maintaining consistency across more than 350 pages required continual attention to detail. Every new chapter, results table and historical record had to fit seamlessly into the design system that had been established from the beginning.

A project that continued to evolve

As with many large publishing projects, the content continued to evolve throughout production. Additional photographs became available, historical information was refined, and both David Orchard and the LTA reviewed successive versions of the publication, resulting in further amendments before the book was approved for print. Even the cover design had to be completely redesigned during production before the final concept was approved.

Rather than viewing these developments as obstacles, they became part of the design process. The challenge was ensuring that every amendment could be incorporated without compromising the consistency of the finished publication. By establishing a strong framework early in the project, those changes could be introduced while maintaining a cohesive and professional appearance throughout the book.

Preserving an important piece of sporting history

Projects like this carry a responsibility that goes beyond simply producing an attractive publication. This book documents more than a century of sporting history and will become a valuable reference for players, officials, historians and tennis enthusiasts for years to come.

Knowing that the finished publication will continue to be used long into the future made attention to detail even more important. Every page needed to feel as carefully considered as the one before it, allowing readers to focus entirely on the remarkable history contained within its pages.

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Design should never compete with the content

The best design is often the design that people barely notice. Instead of drawing attention to itself, it provides structure, clarity and consistency that allows the content to shine.

Whether I'm producing a company brochure, a website, a set of brand guidelines or a 350-page history book, the objective is always the same. I want readers to spend their time engaging with the information rather than being distracted by the way it's presented.

This was a unique project and I'm incredibly proud of the finished result. Receiving David Orchard's generous comment that I had "turned my ugly duckling into a beautiful swan" made the many months of careful design and attention to detail all the more rewarding.

I'd like to thank Richard Jones at The Tennis Gallery Wimbledon for recommending me for the project and for his support throughout its production. My thanks also go to David Orchard for entrusting me with the design of his remarkable work, and to the Lawn Tennis Association for giving me permission to share the project. It has been a privilege to contribute to a publication that preserves such an important part of British tennis history.

Every project presents different challenges, but the principles remain the same. Whether I'm designing a brochure, a website, brand guidelines or a 350 page publication, my role is to organise complex information and present it in a way that feels clear, consistent and effortless for the reader.