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Remus — illustrated monkey composition for the British Museum

Remus — helping young minds explore big stories.

Client

The British Museum

Sector

Arts & culture

Services

  • Editorial Design
  • Illustration

Remus is the British Museum's digital magazine for Young Friends aged 5 to 15, opening up history, art and culture through articles, activities and stories drawn from the collection. I designed issues 80 to 82 — layouts, image selection and illustrations — working within Remus's established identity. The readership grew from 20,000 to around 30,000 in that time.

Idea

This one really mattered to me. A big institution can easily feel stuffy, and for young visitors that feeling can set in early. Good design can undo that. Every spread was built to invite a young reader in, treating the collection as something to discover rather than admire from a polite distance.

  • Remus issue 81 'In this issue' contents spread, with snow monkeys bathing in a hot spring under a starry night sky and age-banded circles listing the articles.
  • Remus issue 81 spread titled 'Make your own matcha ice cream!', with an illustrated cat peering over a pink table beside a matcha sundae.
  • Remus issue 81 'Dressed to kill' opener, with a bold red and black samurai helmet illustration opposite an introduction to samurai armour.
  • Remus issue 81 spread comparing samurai armour types, with photographed cuirasses rated for protection, movement, style, weight and quick change.
  • Remus issue 81 spread on Nanban and Nimaido armour alongside a black 'To top it off' page about samurai helmets and their ornaments.
  • Remus issue 81 'Gallery trail' spread, with museum objects above an orange band of numbered trail prompts for Room 92.
  • Remus issue 81 gallery trail continuation for Room 93, with porcelain and clock objects above orange trail text and picture credits.

Scroll gently

Making

Within Remus's visual identity, I built flexible layout so that templates that could hold whatever an issue needed, from a feature to an activity to a museum trail. It kept the look consistent and made each issue quicker to build, so a busy team could keep the quality high without starting from scratch. Where a photograph couldn't reach, I drew: original illustrations and graphics that added warmth throughout.

  • Remus magazine contents spread on a pink ground, with age-banded circles listing articles, activities and quizzes in each issue.
  • Remus magazine spread showing the 'Walk and draw!' trail, with illustrated pencil and compass artwork opposite a numbered museum route.
  • Remus magazine spread titled 'Home is where the spirit is', with a green page carrying a line-drawn Thai spirit house opposite text about spirit houses and soul houses, illustrated with a monkey.
  • Remus magazine spread on soul houses of ancient Egypt, with Book of the Dead papyrus imagery above text and a fired clay soul house.

More work

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