One Block North

Stories from the Saddle Book Design for a GTA Cycling Culture Project

Project Snapshot

Client
: Christine Bruce
Industry
: Museums, Heritage & Storytelling
Services
: Book Design · Art Direction · Image Editing · Layout Design
Challenge
: Transform a collection of everyday cycling stories, interviews and mismatched images into a cohesive book that celebrated the culture and characters of cycling in the Greater Toronto Area.
Outcome
: A beautifully designed book that organized 60 rider stories into a cohesive visual narrative celebrating everyday cycling in the Greater Toronto Area.

Avid cyclist Christine Bruce had the notion of writing a book on cycling and cyclists. While researching her project, she left hundreds of “invitation to chat” cards tucked onto bikes of every description. Thanks to an enthusiastic response, she interviewed nearly 150 bicycle riders, among them couriers, activists, mechanics, politicians, bike builders and more. After much editing and soul searching, she winnowed the manuscript down to a collection of 60 of these stories. Through a similar act of serendipity, she connected with an equally avid cyclist and principal at Overdrive Design, James Wilson. Overdrive took Bruce’s manuscript and a mismatched collection of images and designed a beautiful book that celebrates everyday cycling in the Greater Toronto area.