An independent book
The Value Between.
Design, desire and the people behind exceptional things.
What makes something worth more to us than the thing itself?
Why are we drawn to certain objects, places and experiences? What makes one product desirable and another forgettable? And why do some businesses spend extraordinary amounts of money creating the appearance of luxury while overlooking the very things that could make their customers feel valued?
The Value Between explores the fascinating relationship between design, craftsmanship, desire and perceived value. It looks beyond appearances to examine the people, decisions and creative processes responsible for making things exceptional.
Drawing on my experience across creative direction, brand design, digital products and customer experience, the book brings together professional observations, stories from different industries and cultures, and questions about how we create, recognise and experience value.
It is not a guide to making things look expensive. Nor is it an attempt to define luxury through price, exclusivity or prestige. It is an exploration of what makes something genuinely worth caring about.
Inside the book
- Part one
What We Value
An exploration of luxury, desire and the psychology of worth. Why do certain things capture our imagination? How have our ideas of luxury evolved, and what separates genuine quality from the appearance of it?
- Part two
How Value Is Made
A look at the people and creative decisions behind exceptional work. From the first conversation to the final detail, this part examines the importance of asking better questions, understanding the wider problem and connecting different disciplines to create something meaningful.
- Part three
The Human Experience
An examination of the relationships and experiences that shape value. From exceptional service and customer trust to the influence of artificial intelligence, it asks what people will continue to value in an increasingly automated world.
A note from the author
Throughout my career, I’ve been fascinated by the relationship between how something looks, how it works and how it makes people feel.
Working across different disciplines has taught me that some of the most important creative decisions happen long before the finished work is visible. They emerge through conversations, research, unexpected discoveries and the willingness to question what initially appears to be the problem.
I’ve also become increasingly interested in the contradictions of luxury. The enormous effort businesses invest in creating desire, the extraordinary skill behind exceptional products and the surprisingly ordinary experiences that can undermine both.
This book is an opportunity to explore those ideas more deeply, drawing connections between disciplines and examining what happens when creativity, expertise and human judgement make a genuine difference.
I want it to be a book that encourages people to look more closely, question their assumptions and perhaps notice something they hadn’t noticed before.
Gareth Spenceley
In development
The Value Between is currently being written and developed as an independent, illustrated digital publication.
The intention is to make it available directly through this website, bringing together original writing, research, photography and visual investigations.
If you’d like to follow its development, see occasional previews and hear when the book becomes available, you can register your interest below.
The Value Between
Register your interest.
Share your interest in the book, your reading preferences and, if relevant, a perspective you would like to contribute. Preorders are being considered for early 2027.