The popular Asian-inspired food brand, itsu approached us to create a book to distribute to employees. Written by CEO and founder, Julian Metcalfe, Being itsu is the ultimate staff handbook, shining a light on the company’s unique magic and mission. It incorporates elements of company history and some hard-won business wisdom from Julian.  

The goal was to align staff with the company’s leadership principles and provide insights on building a business that people care to work for.

Working from original text supplied by itsu, we recommended some enhanced design treatments to give the book a truly professional finish in a hardback format. The book was given a professional copyedit and we honed the structure, adding clear chapters, headings and signposting for readers to dip in and out.

The appealing cover and interior design was created by Vaidehi Tikekar, featuring charming hand-drawn illustrations by Megan Siggers.

Being itsu is a beautifully produced staff handbook that communicates the values of itsu, adding value as a long-term employee engagement tool that encourages advocacy and loyalty.

All itsu staff received a copy as part of a wider strategy to cultivate a shared vision for the business. It will be used in a variety of ways for onboarding and training purposes.