Prepare to be mesmerized by DixonBaxi's REMIX, a 500-page masterpiece that's a true labor of love for creators everywhere! But here's where it gets controversial... it's not just a book, it's an immersive experience that challenges traditional design norms.
Imagine a vibrant green UFO landing on your coffee table, demanding attention. That's the first impression of REMIX, a unique design monograph that's as captivating as it is unconventional. Co-founders Aporva Baxi and Simon Dixon wanted to create something that couldn't be ignored, and they certainly achieved that!
"It's not just about the size, it's about the impact," Simon explains. The book's dimensions, 305 x 305 mm, are no coincidence. They mirror the footprint of a 12-inch record sleeve, giving it a distinctive shape and an imposing presence. This isn't just a book, it's an experience that envelops you, a cinematic journey through the studio's creative process.
Aporva adds, "The size allows us to capture the essence of our work, making it feel alive and immersive." And they're right! The layered images and unique layout draw you in, making you an active participant in their creative world.
But REMIX isn't just about looks. It's an interactive journey that demands your full attention. You'll find yourself maneuvering pages, turning the book this way and that, holding pages open with your arm as you decipher Slack messages or decipher a scribbled note. It's a physical experience, adding an extra layer of engagement and delight.
"It's heavy, but that's the point," Simon laughs. At 4.33 kg, it's a weighty tome, but one that encourages you to linger. "We wanted it to be something you'd want to revisit, not just a coffee table decoration."
REMIX is a unique blend of retrospective, manifesto, and studio diary. It covers 18 months of DixonBaxi's output, including live projects, reimagined works, experiments, notes, chats, receipts, travel photos, and inside jokes. It's a raw, unfiltered glimpse into their creative world.
"The design book market is full of perfect case studies and functional 'how-to' guides," Simon says. "But we wanted to remind creators that sometimes, you just need to create. You don't need a brief or permission to make something."
And that's the tension you'll find throughout REMIX. DixonBaxi, known for their elite work for global brands, could have easily produced a glossy monograph. Instead, they chose to showcase the messy, chaotic middle ground, the process before perfection.
"It's not about the studio, it's about the work," Simon explains. "Work is everywhere in our studio - on walls, screens, and tables. When you see it all spread out, you get a contextual understanding, you see the accidents and the process."
That's why the book has an overlapping, chaotic style. You'll find health-tech explorations next to sports identities, notes from Mexico under LA screenshots, and mundane Slack messages amidst bold typographic experiments. "That's our daily life," Aporva says. "It's the fabric of creativity."
The studio's Superfutures practice, where everyone reimagines past projects without briefs, is also showcased. "We make things spontaneously, without client pressure," Simon says. "And it's not just designers, it's everyone. When we do Superfutures, everybody creates."
At one point, British Land gave them a floor in London to display over a thousand Superfutures spreads. "It was liberating and heartening to see everyone participate," Aporva says. The final book is "a collective, collaborative remix of all that."
But REMIX isn't all serious. It has a lightheartedness to it, a joy that comes through in its creation. "There's a joy to making things, a flow state," Simon says. "As senior leaders, we don't often get to be in that state, so this book was an excuse to get back there."
"We got to interact with all the team's work, see what we liked, what we didn't," Simon adds. "Because it was just for us, we could do what we wanted, and this is the result."
For a studio with global clients, REMIX is also accessible beyond those who can afford a luxury design object. Alongside the hardback, there's a digital version that reshuffles each visit, creating new combinations. "It's a living document," Aporva says. "It changes as you interact with it."
The digital experience ensures that someone in Lagos or Mexico City can explore the work on their phone, even if the physical edition is limited to 2,500 copies. There are also student discounts and copies for college libraries.
"It's perfect for ADHD minds," I suggest, and Aporva and Simon agree. "Creative minds process differently," they say. "Our minds are like that too, sometimes organized, sometimes not."
REMIX is an intense, colorful journey, but it's also reassuring. Behind the high-gloss case studies, the work of DixonBaxi is driven by the same passion as a teenager with a sketchbook or a motion designer on a Sunday afternoon. It's about making things, over and over, because you want to see what happens.
And this is the part most people miss... it's not just about the final product, it's about the journey, the process, and the joy of creation.
