Ellie, Designer
Tell us a bit about you and how you came to work at Priddy Books.
Before coming to Priddy, I did an MA in book design and worked as a designer for a couple of publishers. My dream was always to work with children’s books, and having recently had a baby I now have a ready audience for testing new ideas!
What does a normal day look like for you?
Each day is different as we work on several books at the same time. As a designer, I’m responsible for how the book looks. If the book needs photographs I choose the right ones, and if it’s illustrated I find an illustrator that captures the style we’re looking for and work with them to create the perfect pictures for the book. Our books all have a fun novelty element, and I also work on those – whether that’s making a jigsaw, deciding between adding a mirror or a flap, or finding just the right fur to match a puppy.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favourite part of the job is coming up with new ideas! It’s great seeing an idea that was in your head come to life, and end up being loved by a child.
What bit of your job do you think people would be most surprised to learn you do?
A lot of people think I illustrate the books! Although I usually sketch out initial ideas and layouts to guide the illustrator, I very rarely illustrate the book myself.
Which book have you worked on that you feel most proud of?
I feel most proud of See Touch Feel, which is a first sensory book for babies. It’s since been translated into 21 languages and has led to at least ten spin-off books!
