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The Typographic Desk Reference- by Theodore Rosendorf
Just as the title suggests, this is a must to have sitting on your desk at all times. It may be thin, but it’s a densely packed visual glossary of type terms and design knowhow. Basically, a typographer’s manual of style.
Graphic Design Theory- by Helen Armstrong
This book offers a great primer on graphic design theory by collecting 24 essays from design luminaries like Jan Tschichold, Lorraine Wild, Paul Rand, El Lissitzky, Herbert Bayer, and more, culled from writings spanning more than a century on wide ranging topics from typography to the social responsibilities of a designer.
Bird by Bird- by Anne Lamott
One of my all-time favorite books. Lamott manages to dissect writing and process in such an inspiring way that it becomes something you simply must do as a thinking person. If you are tasked with putting words to paper at any point in life, I can’t recommend any book more highly. Especially love the notion of “Shitty First Drafts”, something I’ve always done with my design work but never really practiced while writing before.
The Form of the Book- by Jan Tschichold
A collection of 23 essays compiled over 40 years on Tschichold’s thoughts on layout and design, primarily with type. While this work focuses mostly on concerns specific to book design, its presentation of topics is wonderfully approachable, and many of the guidelines are applicable to any medium. A true treasure from one of the father’s of modern book and system design.
How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer- by Debbie Millman
Interviewer extraordinaire, Debbie Millman, talks to 21 designers and the results are thoroughly enlightening. We all love to hear about how other designers work, their processes, and what drives them to want to create; and it’s for those reasons that I really connected with this book. My copy is bursting with marginalia, highlighted passages, and dog-eared pages. Tons of insight from many of our most celebrated and accomplished designers.
The Art of Looking Sideways- by Alan Fletcher
A seriously massive work from the late Alan Fletcher compiling tons of quotes, work, and nuggets of wisdom from designers, artists, writers, and more, all categorized by topic. One of the most diverse and densely packed sources of inspiration you can have on your shelf.
Fonts & Logos- by Doyald Young
A master course from one of the greatest typographers. This book provides a groundwork in type and logo design, as well as insights on choosing the right typefaces, spacing for legibility, and common pitfalls to watch out for, all played out using examples from Young’s own work and rejected concepts.
How Designers Think- by Bryan Lawson
A seminal classic in design theory and practice that breaks down the nature of our engagements with clients and conspirators, process and inspiration. This book will teach you how to design better by thinking better and understanding how the creative process works. Basically, a handbook for how to be a designer.
Visual Grammar- by Christian Leborg
A slim and simple tome, but visually stunning in its description of the basic principles of objects on a page and how they interact with one another. Visual Grammar serves as both a visual dictionary and a straightforward introduction to the visual language of graphic design.
Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works- by Erik Spiekermann
An entertaining and educational look from one of the world’s most outspoken designers, covering all the basics of designing with type, but also many topics with less discourse devoted to them like choosing appropriate typefaces to evoke the right connotation, and understanding the smaller details of typefaces and how they affect the communication (or miscommunication) through their use.
Art Direction Explained, At Last!- by Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne
Defining “art direction” is a hard enough nut to crack on its own, but teaching it to someone can be a daunting task. It combines so many unknowns, so many gut feelings, and so much intuition, that it’s best learned from seasoned practitioners. Steve Heller and Veronique Vienne, two battle-hardened art directors in their own right, define and discuss just what art direction is and how to capture the best thoughts in your designs. This book compiles their take on the topic, and polls many of the world’s best art directors through case studies and interviews.
Art As Experience- by John Dewey
While the language can be dense at times, the rewards are wonderful. Art is an experience in itself, both as a practitioner and a viewer. Being able to tap into the reasons why something was created and its intent gives deeper meaning to a work and a deeper understanding of why it was made a particular way. Invaluable for thinking through aesthetics and engagement in what we make, and how they impact us as designers or our intended audience.
How Buildings Learn- by Stewart Brand
Buildings, like any of the things we design, don’t exist as static entities. They are shaped by their surroundings and the ways people interact with them, and because of this, they change. Some adapt peacefully, others, not so much. A great read on how the passage of time affects the things we make and how we can better understand designing for contingency.
The ABC’s of Bauhaus- by Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller
A thin but powerful book collecting essays of type and design based on the Bauhaus principles and theories edited by (and with contributions from) the indomitable husband and wife team of Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller. A perfect primer for learning all about The Bauhaus.
Thinking with Type- by Ellen Lupton
Building on her years of experience both as a designer and an educator, Lupton presents a sturdy primer on type and its use, charting a course through early forms of type and anatomy, to modern usage and common pitfalls (including some wonderful bits about crimes against typography). This is a great place for newcomers to typography to start, and a strong resource for experienced designers to brush up with. And it’s beautifully designed to boot.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves- by Lynne Truss
Truss has got funny and insightful in spades as she takes us on a whirlwind journey through proper punctuation, which for us type nerds also means proper typography. You won’t find a more approachable manual for style and usage.
The Brand Gap- by Marty Neumeier
A slim book that packs an incredible amount of insight. This is one of those books every designer (and maybe clients too) should read at least once. Neumeier dissects just what a brand is, the difference between it and your logo, and what the purpose and strengths a good brand can bring about. Indispensable for the uninitiated.
Making and Breaking the Grid- by Timothy Samara
A worthwhile book on grids. After a brief introduction to grids and their usage, the book launches into gallery mode by showcasing examples from a variety of media. It breaks down the grid being used in each piece while walking through a broad range of styles and solutions. Less academic than other grid books, but succeeds in depicting solid problem solving.
Understanding Comics- by Scott McCloud
Though the main subject here is about comic books as an artistic medium and a vehicle for storytelling, all of its lessons are just as applicable to design problems. The entire book appears in the format it champions, a graphic novel, narrated by the comic book version of the author. This is a fantastic book to help you think about design from a different angle and gain deeper insight into the decisions you are tasked with making as a visual storyteller.
Marks of Excellence- by Per Mollerup
Mollerup presents a thorough history of the trademark, why we have them, why they resonate with us, and why they’re significant in our culture. This book also contains a comprehensive taxonomy of the types of symbols and signs that make up different kinds of trademarks, using a large selection of global brands as examples.
How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul- by Adrian Shaughnessy
This book won’t teach you how to be a graphic designer, but it will teach you how to survive as one. Shaughnessy includes great tips on self-promotion, finding work, managing and maintaining client relationships, and sound advice on some of the philosophical dilemmas designers encounter on the job.
Comics and Sequential Art- by Will Eisner
While the focus of Eisner’s book is on visual storytelling in comic books, the lessons are equally useful for all students of visual media. Topics covered include the anatomy of a story, how visuals can impact and drive a story forward, and using visual media as a means of artistic expression.
Letter By Letter- by Laurent Pflughaupt
Pflughaupt surveys the history of letterforms and their significance as marks and communication. Most of the book is made up of the history of individual letters of the Roman alphabet, taking each letter in turn to survey its roots, unique properties, and influence on language.
While You’re Reading- by Gerard Unger
A long look at the way we read, interact with, interpret, and digest text. It’s particularly fascinating to understand the process by how our mind takes in text, building from the humble glyph to words and sentences, in fits and starts of comprehension and repetition.
Designing for People- by Henry Dreyfuss
Written in 1955, Dreyfuss’ book is no less poignant today than it was then. Though Dreyfuss was an industrial designer, his book amounts to a quintessential manual for user centered design and showcases how he pioneered many of the same practices we use today in interaction design.
Design Writing Research- by Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller
A fabulous collection of critical essays on design, visual theory, and history, adding strong discourse to the medium by questioning the ways we practice, sell, learn and create in our profession. Worth it for the chapter “Period Styles” alone.
Unjustified Texts: Perspectives on Typography- by Robin Kinross
Lots of great essays and discourse on the value of socially minded design, with a focus on editorial design and the state of typography. Includes a good number of brief biographies on notable designers like Jan Tschicold, Adrian Frutiger, and Norman Potter.
What is a Designer: Things, Places, Messages- by Norman Potter
A relatively thin volume, with incredibly dense language, on the role of the designer, individually and in the global community. Potter can be harsh and demanding at times in his unwavering views of the design industry and the duties of its members, but this is a rich work with much wisdom to impart. Also includes a good model for a creative process.
Type & Typography- by Phil Baines and Andrew Haslam
Notable for its breadth of coverage in just about all aspects of typography. This book can serve as a great overview of topics, and makes a good reference for matters of type anatomy, type layout, grids and related terminology.
Designing Interactions- by Bill Moggridge
A thoroughly enjoyable history of interaction design, from the first glimmers of man and machine interfaces to modern day sci-fi, that describes not only how we interact but why we interact. The book centers around interviews with interaction design luminaries who all offer up their insightful experience in the field. Required reading for any designer. Also doubles as a hefty doorstop or burglar deterrent.
From Lascaux to Brooklyn- by Paul Rand
One of my favorites from Rand, who breaks down design principles to their most basic parts, arguing that some of the most beautiful visual communication can come from the most simple sources. He recounts a bit of history in the first half to get everyone up to speed (and to show how timeless visual communication is) before walking through a handful of his work from conception to final output.
Envisioning Information- by Edward R. Tufte
Classic Tufte, and the sequel to The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Envisioning Information offers a wide range of examples and techniques for ways to visualize data to bring meaning into the story being told.
Detail in Typography- by Jost Hochuli
A brief but sturdy look at the finer points of typography, including readability and line length, type selection, optimal sizing and spacing, and the magic of well considered type. Serves as a great desktop reference for typographic guidelines.
The Design of Everyday Things- by Donald A. Norman
An analysis of usability, or sometimes more importantly, the lack of usability in objects. Norman seeks to expose the dangers of not considering how people interact with the things we make, as well as the hurdles to comprehending interfaces and functionality of technology. Includes some great material on complexity vs simplicity in interfaces.
Spunk & Bite- by Arthur Plotnik
Plotnik picks up where Strunk & White left off, and digs into the details of modern trends and usage in writing. For someone like me who comes from a background of wearing smocks, this book cuts into some of the more elusive elements of writing: tone, style, lists, descriptions, openings and closings, and more—all demonstrated with real examples and commentary.
A History of Graphic Design- by Philip Meggs
This should be required reading. A History of Graphic Design was my textbook in college for Historical Survey of Graphic Design. Sadly, I didn’t really care as much about design history and theory in school (I thought I was far too cool for it, and regardless, there were video games to be played). It wasn’t until after I graduated that I cursed myself for being such a damn fool, and read the darned thing cover to cover. While not a comprehensive guide to Design history, this book is a very broad overview of the different design movements and all of the big players. Above all, it is most useful as a basic groundwork in design history and a starting point to discover topics you want to learn more about.
Design and Form: The Basic Course at the Bauhaus- by Johannes Itten
The Bauhaus School focused on bringing design to the people, reducing everyday things to their simplest, most functional forms. It encompassed many different types of art, of which graphic design was just a part, from architecture to industrial design. The lasting effects of the schools ideals and principles can still be seen today. This is as basic as it gets, useful and informative for anyone starting out.
Visual Literacy: A Conceptual Approach to Graphic Problem Solving- by Judith Wilde, Richard Wilde
A ground-level course in basic design principles like rhythm, pattern, focal point, and contrast presented as assignments from a design class complete with creative thinking exercises and real solutions from the authors’ students. Solid advice and examples to help you walk before you can run. These practices are so fundamental, yet are so easily overlooked daily.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design- by Josef Müller-Brockmann
Your basic course in grid work. Though I will probably be dragged outside and beaten, I have to say that this book is not the bees’ knees. While it is an incredibly worthwhile book in grid systems, there are many more, newer volumes that are, I dare say, easier to digest. Many designers find this book to be the end-all-be-all, most of that is due praise because Müller-Brockmann was pretty much the first guy to synthesize this information. All I am saying is every designer should read at least one grid design book, and this is the daddy of them, but do some research, you may find one that works better for you (even if they are just presenting the same information a little differently).
A Whack on the Side of the Head- by Roger von Oech
Even though I thought this would be a cheesy self-help book, my opinion was quickly changed and became a very important tome. Whack teaches you just how to free up your imagination and think out of your proverbial, self-imposed box, altering your line of thinking to allow you to get to more innovative ideas and concepts. Also very worthwhile is Roger von Oech’s follow up, A Kick in the Seat of the Pants.
The Elements of Color- by Johannes Itten
- This is in many ways a more simplified version of Itten’s exhaustive The Art of Color. If you plan to work with color at all, you owe it to yourself to know some decent color principles like why certain color combinations work better than others, theories on color contrasts and processes to obtain color combinations that evoke particular moods. Also check out: Color Index by Jim Krause, and Leslie Cabarga’s The Designer’s Guide to Color Combinations and The Designer’s Guide to Global Color Combinations. While these are useful, they can also become crutches. Use them as starting points to color ideas or as reference.
About Face: Reviving the Rules of Typography- by David Jury
A great intermediate book on type design. It takes a much more textbook style approach primarily focused on individual fonts for identification, time period and usage, but you will also find some great layout and typographic methodologies.
The Elements of Typographic Style- by Robert Bringhurst
An essential book for anyone who uses type in design. Yeah, that’s right, I mean you. As a graphic designer, you owe it to yourself to read more books like this. Inside, you will find some hardcore principles of design, like The Golden Section, a thorough disection of type forms, type usage and layout, type identification, and ever so much more. Mostly focused on page design and print material (skewed towards type layout) but contains ridiculously useful information which is easily applied to all forms of design. For a more basic, but equally worthwhile starter course, try Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works by Erik Spiekermann and E.M. Ginger.
Type: The Secret History of Letters- by Simon Loxley
History of Type! Wow, this is serious Typographic nerdery, and I loved every word of it. Don’t take your fonts for granted. Find out why they were made, who made them, what significance they had to the greater picture. Chock full of interesting history and type related trivia.
Logo & Font Lettering Bible- by Leslie Cabarga
The subtitle of this book is: A Comprehensive Guide to the Design, Construction and Usage of Alphabets and Symbols, and it is all that and more. This is a very good place to start learning more about the particulars of logo design right down to nitpicking kerning, leading, individual character shapes.
Graphics Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines- by Graphics Artists Guild
You still wanna be a graphic designer, huh? You fool! If you insist on traversing this slippery slope, at least arm yourself. This is the stuff that they don’t tell you about in school (at least not at my college). Inside you will find very useful information like base pricing guidelines for every type of design work conceivable, information on paper work like invoices and contracts, and information on all of the situations in design and business you don’t see coming. If you plan to do things on your own someday, whether it be freelance or starting your own design business, you really need to start somewhere. By following some helpful tips and guidelines books like this contain, you help other designers too. The point is for everyone to value design (client and designers), by pricing things the general ballpark of what they are worth. Teach your clients what good design is, and what they are buying from you. You help us all from the notion we are graphic decorators.
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