top 10 books graphic design

“Good design’s not about what medium you’re working in. It’s about thinking hard about what you want to do and what you have to work with before you start.” — Susan Kare

03. The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier

04. flow by mihaly csikszentmihalyi.

“If no one hates it, no one really loves it.” — Jessica Walsh

05. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

06. grid systems in graphic design by josef mülller-brockmann.

“I’ve never had a problem with a dumb client. There is no such thing as a bad client. Part of our job is to do good work and get the client to accept it.” — Bob Gill

07. Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler

08. the designer’s dictionary of color by sean adams.

“It’s through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.” — Paula Scher

09. Dot Line Shape by Victionary

10. made to stick by chip heath and dan heath.

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59 Essential Books Every Graphic Designer Should Read in 2023

Books. As designers, we all love them—whether it’s a beautifully designed cover or a weighty tome on the history of design and its major sub-genres. Though, when it comes to books on the topic of graphic design, it’s often hard to find the best ones to read. The best graphic design books can take you on an exciting journey of the imagination and transport you to new creative worlds.

So whether you’ve just started studying graphic design or are a seasoned professional and whether you’re looking for a spot of inspiration or wanting to take a deep dive into how to make your designs inclusive, here are 59 essential reads, expertly curated by our Shillington Teachers and updated for 2022.

These are the kind of books we’d recommend to Shillington students, as they actively research graphic design for their studies and design briefs at our six campuses around the world. From classics of the discipline to the best of new releases, these books should be on every designer’s reading list.

1. Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers

Potentially the most important book for graphic designers ever. Written by seven designers: Ellen Lupton, Farah Kafei, Jennifer Tobias (who also illustrated the book!), Valentina Vergara, Josh A. Halstead, Kaleena Sales and Leslie Xia, Extra Bold is a design career guide for everyone. Through interviews, essays, typefaces, biographical sketches and projects from contributors with a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, gender identities, and positions of economic and social privilege. The zine/self-help manual/comic book/manifesto/survival guide covers theory, history, work and interviews to create this absolutely essential read. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for!

Buy the book

2. The Package Design Book

Published in English, French and German, The Package Design Book is any packaging designer’s bible. A collaboration between publisher Taschen and the Pentawards, The Package Design Book is over 650 pages of the finest packaging that the world has to offer across food and beverages, luxury and everywhere else. It starts off looking at the winners of the Diamond Pentawards—the absolute cream of the crop of packaging design.

3. Graphic Design School: The Principles and Practice of Graphic Design by David Dabner, Sandra Stewart and Abbie Vickress

As the title suggests, Graphic Design School introduces visual design for modern media and breaks it down in a way that’s easy to follow for any student pursuing a creative discipline. Now in its seventh edition, it explains the fundamentals of design in theory and then offers practical examples from modern media, including web, app, social media, magazines, websites and books. You’re introduced to the latest in graphic design software, as well as traditional printing techniques such as risograph and screen printing. There are illustrations throughout, as well as case studies, designer biographies and student assignments for testing skills and concepts

4. Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes

Designer Kate Holmes’ Mismatch is an investigation into how inclusive methods can build elegant solutions that work for everyone. In her book, Holmes demonstrates how certain design practices can create exclusion—for example, how colour choices can make an app unusable for people—whilst advocating how design can do the opposite and actually foster inclusion. Through projects and case studies of pioneering inclusive designers, who have often been influenced by their own experiences of exclusion, Holmes shows how inclusion can create innovation and allow design and designers to grow. Crucial reading for the future of design.

5. Logo Modernism (Design) by Jens Muller

Modernist aesthetics in architecture, art and product design are familiar to many. In soaring glass structures or minimalist canvases, we recognise a time of vast technological advance which affirmed the power of human beings to reshape their environment and to break, radically, from the conventions or constraints of the past. Less well known, but no less fascinating, is the distillation of modernism in graphic design.

This unprecedented publication, authored by Jens Müller, brings together approximately 6,000 trademarks, focused on the period 1940–1980, to examine how modernist attitudes and imperatives gave birth to corporate identity.

6. Typographic Systems of Design by Kimberley Elam

Typography is nothing if not a complex beast, tasking the designer to balance so many competing factors including hierarchy, order of reading, legibility and contrast, to name but a few. In this authoritative book, Kim Elam explores eight major structural frameworks beyond the grid including random, radial, modular, and bilateral systems.

Each system is explained and explored to give you a better understanding of these intricate complex arrangements. This, in turn, will help you to fluidly organise your text and images within a structure, combination, variation or a singular structure. A must-read for both students and professionals alike.

7. How to… by Michael Bierut

Protégé of design legend Massimo Vignelli and partner in the New York office of the international design firm Pentagram, Michael Bierut has had one of the most varied careers of any living graphic designer.

In this must-have book, Bierut presents 35 projects that illustrate the breadth of activity that graphic design encompasses today, his goal being to demonstrate not a single ideology, but the enthusiastically eclectic approach that has been a hallmark of his career. Inspiring, informative and authoritative, it’s become the bible of graphic design ideas.

8. The History of Graphic Design Vol 1 & 2 by Jens Muller

Across two volumes and 960 pages, Jens Muller’s History of Graphic Design covers graphic design from 1890 to today. That’s 131 years of the finest that graphic design has and has had to offer.

That sounds like a lot to take in, and it is. But this lovingly conceived reference is organised and laid out in a way that’s easy to digest. Across the two volumes, year-by-year spreads are combined with in-depth features on landmark projects, profiles of industry leaders, and visual timelines of each decade. It all adds up to a must-read for anyone involved in graphic design.

Buy the books: Vol.1 and Vol. 2

9. Make Time for Creativity by Brandon Stosuy

Make Time for Creativity is call to find space for your most meaningful work. Author Brandon Stosuy, co-founder of The Creative Independent, wants to help you find time to express yourself and develop your talents—and this book is how he does it. Taking a breadth of experience from a diverse network of working artists, the author shows how creativity can and should be prioritised in life and work. Make Time For Creativity touches on work-life balance, daily rituals, intentions, meeting goals and even taking time off creativity. A fascinating read that is useful for any designer or creative to learn how to spend their time wisely.

10. 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design by Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne

A good idea can change the world, and here are 100 that did exactly that. This fascinating book chronicles the most influential ideas that have shaped industrial and product design. From the origins of modern design in the craft movements of the 19th and early 20th century and the changes brought about by mass production, the book traces the most important ideas in design through the modern movement and post-war consumer society to more recent ideas such as open source and biomimicry.

Arranged in chronological order, each of the 100 ideas is presented through a combination of text and images, which explores when it first evolved and the impact it’s had on the world. Even if you’re not specifically working in product design, it’s an invaluable background for anyone working in design that will help you see the modern world in a whole new perspective.

11. Big Type

Typography fan? Of course you are—you’re a graphic designer! Big Type from industry favourites Counter-Print is a celebration of typography-led design and identity work. Featuring interviews with top agencies such as PORTO ROCHA and detailed descriptions of many of the projects, Big Type is your new go-to for type-based inspiration. It also comes with three different covers in grey, blue and green so you can pick the one which coordinates best with your book shelf.

12. Design is Storytelling by Ellen Lupton

Writer, curator, educator and designer Ellen Lupton has written a playbook for creative thinking. Her book links design and storytelling and shows how, through both, you can bring ideas to life. Design is Storytelling is aptly set out from a narrative point of view—guiding budding and practicing designers alike on how to harness the narrative power of their work. Lupton teaches her readers how to use their design to stir emotions, build empathy, articulate values and convey action. A worthy addition to any designer’s bookshelf.

13. How Design Makes Us Think by Sean Adams

The full title of this book by Sean Adams is How Design Makes Us Think and Feel and Do Things—and that’s no lie. Adams’ book delves in further than just the aesthetics of design. He picks apart how design can convince us of a certain way of thinking, in both an overt and covert manner. Through examples, not just from graphic design but also product design, industrial design and architecture, Adams illustrates how design can inspire, provoke, amuse, anger or reassure us and the reasons why it does this. An important book for designers that will make you consider how to create design with the best intentions—and the responsibility they have to do so.

14. British Rail Corporate Identity Manual

This book collects the many individual sheets of the original 1965 British Rail Corporate Identity Manual into a unique singular volume. Funded by Kickstarter and curated by London-based graphic designer Wallace Henning, this project was a real labour of love and it shows through on each and every page.

Featuring everything from the publicly owned rail provider’s symbol, logotype, lettering and colour palette to guidance on signposting, vehicles, stationery and uniforms, everything is laid out beautifully, and there are accompanying essays and interviews to boot. As a classic case study of a design system that met the test of time, this is a superb source of guidance and inspiration to any modern-day designer.

15. Stitt: Autobiographics by Alexander Stitt

Stitt Autobiographics is a pictorial record of the 50-year professional life of graphic designer Alex Stitt, who has been the hand behind many aspects of Australia’s culture since the 1950s, and has been described by Phillip Adams as one of the country’s most under-recognised creative talents. If you want to discover his account of the how, why and for whom Stitt worked for, then this book uncovers everything, including 1,800 illustrations, comic strips, storyboards and film title frames.

16. Upstart!

With an eye-catching pink cover, Upstart! is gestalten’s guide to visual identities for start-ups and new businesses. Perfect for both designers and entrepreneurs, Upstart! takes a dive into branding work from across the world—from cannabis dispensaries in Portland to architecture studios in Melbourne. Each project features a detailed description paired with a two page spread of glorious, full colour photos—sure to provoke jealousy and some serious inspiration in good measure.

17. Dear Client by Bonnie Siegler

Maybe this book is in the wrong place, it’s not necessarily for designers. Instead it’s for those who hire designers—but this still means that it’s an important book to have in your shelf. Bonnie Siegler breaks her book into 46 honest, friendly lessons which help to bridge the gap between designer and client. It demonstrates how to approach and talk to creatives—how they will listen and how to listen to them—through humourous lessins such as ‘Don’t Say ‘Make it Yellow” and ‘Serve Lunch During Lunchtime Meetings’. In other words, it teaches you how to articulate your visual goals and set a clear direction—so, designers should probably read it too.

18. Why Fonts Matter by Sarah Hyndman

Fonts have different personalities that can create trust, mistrust, give you confidence, make things seem easier to do or make a product taste better. They’re hidden in plain sight, they trigger memories, associations and multi-sensory experiences in your imagination. This book by Sarah Hyndman—who has joined us for guest lectures at Shillington —opens up the science and the art behind how fonts influence you and explains why certain fonts or styles evoke particular experiences and associations.

19. Type: New Perspectives in Typography by Scott Williams

This selection of typographic design, edited by leading typographers A2/SW/HK, showcases more than 100 carefully selected contemporary designers, including the best examples of their current work, and also features an introduction by Rick Poynor.

20. Watching Words Move by Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar

This legendary document of typographic creativity, after nearly fifty years of Watching Words Move, is now available for the first time as a trade book. New essays by top designers add value even for those already familiar with the original text.

21. What Images Really Tell Us: Visual Rhetoric in Art, Graphic Design, and Advertising by Massimo Mariani

How do images hold and convey meaning? It might sound like an easy question, but there’s a lot more involved than you might think, and it’s a subject that every creative needs to consider carefully. The book examines the metaphors, metonymies, hyperboles and other concepts that inform our visual language and the power of its meaning. It will help you understand images, and thus be able to use them more effectively in your work.

22. Branding In Five and a Half Steps by Michael Johnson

Virgin Atlantic, Think London, BFI, Christian Aid, MORE TH>N—what do you all these things have in common? They were all branded by Michael Johnson, founder of Johnson Banks, and award-winning graphic designer and brand consultant. In this book, Johnson strips down brands to their basic components to help show how and why we might chose one brand over another. Through case studies and over 1000 illustrations, shows how to create the simplest and most compelling brands in, as the title suggest, five and a half easy steps.

23. M to M of M/M (Paris) Vol. 1 and 2

Founded in 1992, M/M (Paris) is the brainchild of French graphic designers Michaël Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak. Now on its second volume, M to M of M/M (Paris) is an incredible insight into their studio’s radical creative output. Each volume features over 800 images of their projects including their famous work with fashion designers including Alexander McQueen and Louis Vuitton and musicians such as Kanye West and Björk. The books also feature with interviews with some of their fellow creative luminaries, including graphic designer Peter Saville and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist.

Buy Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

24. Look Both Ways by Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman is a designer that needs no introduction. Born out of her excellent podcast Design Matters and 25 years of working in the design business, Look Both Ways is a series of illustrated essays on the intersection of life and design. An examination of the close relationship between design and everyday life, it covers life, art, love, design, tunes, brands, poetry, shame and physics. Each beautifully illustrated essay reveals the magic and wonder of the world around us and a glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s most interesting designers.

25. Extra-Curricular by Jacob Lindgren et al.

Published by Dutch exhibition space, bookshop and office Onomatopee, Extra-Curricular is an exploration of the alternative ways to learn graphic design, inclusing self-organised learning and experiments. Curated by Chicago-based designer and writer Jacob Lindgren, the book is a collection of texts from designers and organisations across the world, including Decolonising Design, James Langdon, Stefanie Rau and more. The book aims to serve as a point of departure for further experimentation and discussion—selling itself as an incomplete inventory.

26. Paula Scher: Works by Unit Editions

This stunning monograph covers Paula’s early days in the music industry as an art director with CBS and Atlantic records; the launch of her first studio, Koppel & Scher; and her 25-year engagement with Pentagram. It also provides an up-to-date look at Paula’s idiosyncratic hand-painted maps, part of her prolific artistic practice that complements her still-growing graphic legacy.

27. Can Graphic Design Save Your Life? by Lucienne Roberts

The second and updated edition of this ambitious book examines the varied and vital relationship between graphic design and health, focusing on work that demonstrates how communication strategies and visual languages are employed to persuade, inform, prevent and ultimately protect.

Download our  “Guide to a career in Graphic Design”

The Ultimate Guide on how to learn Graphic Design even if you are a beginner.

28. CAPS LOCK: How Capitalism Took Hold of Graphic Design, and How to Escape From It

Through simple to understand language and some excellent visual, CAPS LOCK unpicks how graphic design and capitalism are inextricably linked. It shows that things that uphold capitalism—banknotes, branding, adverts—would not exist without graphic design. Through case studies, the book shows how designed objects relate to capitalist societies and cultures and examines how designers support and uphold the market economy. To counteract this, CAPS LOCK closes with six radical design initiatives which oppose capitalise thought—to inspire designers to stand against the capitalist mechanisms. A fascinating look at the possible future of design.

29. Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Müller-Brockmann

Originally published in 1999 and now in its 9th edition, this book is a classic guide to graphic design and layout technique, and a must-read for any modern-day student or working designer.

Written by professionals for professionals, this book addresses all of the major problems that can be encountered in the design of grid-based systems and offers precise directions in how to overcome them, along with useful, real-world examples. In doing so, it builds on systems of functional typography and graphic design that have been in development since the 1920s and brings them up-to-date to solve the challenges of today’s designer.

30. Women Design by Libby Sellers

From architects and product designers to textile artists and digital innovators, Women Design profiles a selection of the most dynamic female designers from the modern era, showcasing their finest work and celebrating their enduring influence.

31. Analog Algorithm

A beautiful book designed by Christoph Grünberger, Analog Algorithm is a tool kit to create new forms. The book offers the reader techniques to develop new forms, fonts, logos and patterns dealing with every designer’s best friend—the grid. The fluidity of the book, as both workbook and inspiration, allows designers to find analog forms—with an infinite number of possibilities. Analog Algorithm transforms the designer into inventor, interpreter or curator.

32. Special Edition

Presenting a medley of playful and masterfully crafted designs from around the world, Special Edition focuses on product packaging that stands out for its engaging concept, unexpected choice of material or artistically elaborate design. Tailored to celebrate a unique product or extend a brand, these solutions come often about as the result of a one-off creative collaboration.

33. Start Me Up!: New Branding for Businesses by Robert Klanten

Little brand, big effect: In the age of startups and a new generation of entrepreneurs, corporate design is being redefined through distinctive visual creativity. Never before has there been more enthusiasm surrounding entrepreneurship. Today, young entrepreneurs across the globe are relentlessly developing innovative products and services.

Fresh businesses and social initiatives are appearing in industries ranging from fashion to farming, from high-tech to creative handcraft. These companies are run by passionate professionals who are well aware that following their vision is just as important as continuously communicating their vision’s brand.

Corporate branding works as an extension of a business by visually expressing its concept, so it is no surprise that new stories require a new visual language. Start Me Up! presents a wide range of original examples for inspiration and is a comprehensive compendium of innovative corporate design for a new generation.

34. DESIGN(H)ERS: A Celebration of Women in Design Today

This much-awaited book features the work of 30 talented women, including Jessica Walsh from Sagmeister & Walsh, Verònica Fuerte of HEY, Yah-Leng Yu of Foreign Design Policy Group and doodle artist Hattie Stewart. It also features insightful interviews that bring to light the thoughts and stories behind their successful careers, along with a foreword by Roanne Adams of RoAndCo Studio.

Designed by an all-women team, and covering a wide range of backgrounds, crafts and skills, the work is reproduced beautifully, often across full double-page spreads. All in all, this is a book that serves to inspire and encourage the creatives of the future.

35. Articulating Design Decisions

A truly essential book for any graphic designer whether they’re new to the industry or seasoned, Tom Greever’s Articulating Design Decisions is a practical guide of how to communicate your work to clients and other non-designers. Full of practical knowledge, including principles, tactics and actionable methods for presenting and talking about your designs and the decisions you took to create them. Even handier—the book also teaches you how to teach your clients on how to work with designers.

36. Women in Graphic Design 1890-2012 by Gerda Breuer

Why are there so few women in the history of design? Why do previously well-known women become forgotten, and at what point can someone be considered successful? Do women create differently to men? What effects of the gender debate are noticeable in today’s everyday working life, and are women judged today solely on the basis of their quality of work?

This book prompts a look beneath the surface: with numerous contributions from design historians, programmatic texts and a comprehensive collection of biographies, alongside interviews with internationally recognised female designers such as Irma Boom, Paula Scher, Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, Julia Hoffmann and Tina Roth Eisenberg.

37. Moholy-Nagy and the New Typography: A-Z by Petra Eisele, Isabel Naegele and Michael Lailach

A Bauhaus professor of the early 20th century, László Moholy-Nagy has been largely forgotten in the world of typography, but this book sets out to correct that historical wrong. Featuring recently discovered, previously unpublished materials from the archives of the Kunstbibliothek in Berlin, it explains how Moholy-Nagy and his contemporaries smuggled their avant-garde sensibilities into the commercial advertising world, via a style he dubbed “The New Typography”, changing it forever.

38. Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking by Annie Atkins

The design of graphic objects for film sets isn’t a subject that gets a lot of media attention, but movies just wouldn’t be the same without them. This fascinating behind-the-scenes read looks at how graphic props such as invitations, letters, tickets and packaging are designed in painstaking detail, as Dublin-based designer Annie Atkins invites readers into her creative process.

39. Letraset: The DIY Typography Revolution

A book four years in the making, The DIY Typography Revolution is a comprehensive of Letraset—the rubdown lettering system that revolutionised typographic expression and typography in general. Taking in the full history of Letraset, from its early days as a user-unfriendly wet system to its later glory years as a truly democratic, easy-to-use alternative to professional typesetting, and its present-day revival amongst those who recognise its true typographic excellence. The books combines fascinating relics of Letraset’s past with essays by designers and interviews with some mega fans, such as Mr Bingo and Freda Sack. As with most titles published by Spin, it’s also an absolute delight to look at.

40. The Graphic Design Reference & Specification Book

This book’s subtitle is “everything graphic designers need to know every day” is definitely true. Far from the glossy tomes of design work we see elsewhere on this list, the Reference & Specification Book presents practical knowledge that designers need to know when they’re working—all those little details that can truly make or break a piece of design: how much space to leave in the gutter when designing barrel folds, what proofreaders’ symbols mean and so, so much more is housed conveniently within this book’s 320 pages.

41. Logotype by Michael Evamy

Logotype is the definitive modern collection of logotypes, monograms and other text-based corporate marks. Featuring more than 1,300 international typographic identities, by around 250 design studios, this is an indispensable handbook for every design studio, providing a valuable resource to draw on in branding and corporate identity projects.

42. Mid-Century Modern Graphic Design by Theo Inglis

Mid-Century Modern architecture and furniture has had a huge renaissance in the last few years, so this beautiful designed tome by graphic designer Theo Inglis tries to add Mid-Century Modern graphic design to the cultural zeitgeist. Covering book covers, record sleeves, posters, advertising, typography and illustration, this book covers designers from around the world which showcase the experimentation and energy of the period. Over 600 pages, hundreds of full colour illustrations, Inglis covers everything from the film posters of Saul Bass to Miroslav Šašek’s children’s books.

43. The Visual History of Type by Paul McNeil

Typography is not just a technical craft, but one steeped in history and tradition. Each typeface and type system is fundamentally about standing on the shoulders of giants, and so understanding the history of type will help you to make informed and creative decisions for your modern-day projects. This book, then, contains a comprehensive survey of the major typefaces produced since the advent of printing, from movable type in the mid-fifteenth century to the current period.

Arranged chronologically to provide context, more than 320 typefaces are displayed in the form of their original type specimens or earliest printing. Each entry is supported by a brief history and description of the key characteristics of the typeface. This book is perfect for graphic designers, educators, historians and design students, as well as anyone else fascinated by type.

44. Dot Line Shape

Potentially our favourite title on the list, Dot Line Shape does exactly what it says on the tin. Put together by viction:ary, who always produce the most beautiful of books, Dot Line Shapes gathers up a comprehensive collection of projects, both design and illustration, that use, you guessed it, dots, lines and shapes in clever ways to produce incredible designs. The book showcases the way these most basic elements can be used in the most surprising of ways—with infinite possibilities.

45. Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler

This best-selling guide outlines a universal five-stage process for brand development and implementation. From research and analysis through launch and governance, it provides in-depth guidance on all aspects of the process and describes the best practices that build better brands.

First published in 2009, this book was updated in late 2017 to incorporate emerging trends and technologies. This updated fifth edition now includes new and expanded coverage of social media cross channel synergy, crowdsourcing, SEO, experience branding, mobile devices, wayfinding and placemaking, with 30 all-new case studies of top brands from various industries around the world.

46. Identity: Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv by Alexandra Lange

Identity: Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv showcases a body of work spanning 60 years from the seminal New York design firm founded in 1957 by Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar. The firm’s contribution to design has shaped the way corporate identity programs influence culture.

47. Indie Type

The ultimate source of typographic inspiration, Indie Type is an exploration of innovative, aesthetically pleasing and adaptable typefaces that have been used in projects across the world and a scope of different languages. Designed by Pan Yuhua, the book also features interviews with 5 typeface designers who delve into the processes behind designing a typeface, including how it was created and how it can be used in a design. Looking for a typeface that’s out of the ordinary? Then this might be the perfect book for you.

48. A Dictionary of Color Combinations

A Dictionary of Color Combinations was originally published in 6 volumes in the 1930s by Sanzo Wada, a Japanese artist, teacher, costume and kimono designer. Way ahead of his time, the work that Wada developed blended traditional and Western colour combinations, laying the way for contemporary colour research. This beautifully designed book offers 348 groundbreaking colour combinations, relevant now as they were 90 years ago.

49. Print Matters: The Cutting Edge of Print

In an attempt to examine the cutting edge of printmaking, this book brings together an amalgam of print designs that have gone beyond pure digital printing. Through more than 110 samples of recent graphic identities, packaging, communications and book designs, it offers a professional look into the use of varnish, foil-stamping, die-cut, thermal prints, technical folds and many more, with design specifications.

50. Know Your Onions: Graphic Design by Drew de Soto

The focus of this book is on practical tips and pointers to help you be a better designer. The closest thing you’ll get in print to having a real-life graphic design mentor, it will guide you through the fundamental processes of generating ideas, developing your concepts, and putting them into practice.

Designed like a notebook, in which all the authors’ tips and knowledge have already been added, there is a light and accessible tone throughout this book. But that doesn’t mean it’s not comprehensive; in fact, it covers all of the main techniques of graphic design and its digital implementation and will teach you both how to think like a creative and act like a businessperson. It also includes blank pages that allow you to add specific notes that are relevant to your own studio, suppliers or clients.

51. The User Experience Team of One

Written by Leah Buley, a veteran of the experience design industry, The User Experience Team of One is a survival guide for anyone working in the world of UX. Revealing and demonstrating some mindblowing techniques for creating big impact with less time and fewer resources, Buley’s guide is essential for someone trying to make waves in user experience—whether they’re just making a start in the industry or want to push their existing company further.

52. 100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design by Christian Brandle, Karin Gimmi and Barbara Junod

If you work in design, you really need to know about the Swiss Style, which influenced the discipline of graphic design all over the world. And here’s the book to explain it. Taking a fresh look at Swiss typography, graphics, posters, corporate image design, book design, journalism and typefaces over the past century, the book is designed by the Zurich studio NORM and features a series of enlightening essays by experts in the field, each beautifully illustrated with stunning visuals.

53. Graphic Life

A beautifully designed book from the team at Pentagram, Graphic Life is an exploration of the work of the studio’s very own Michael Gericke. Graphic Life features work from across Gericke’s four decades in the industry and essays from his former collaborators, namely celebrated architect Moshe Safdie and Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Goldberger. The fascinating book can be summed up with Gericke’s own quote: “I’ve found a graphic voice, like life, with many tones and inflections, can say quite a bit and tell quite a story.”

54. The Anatomy of Colour by Patrick Baty

Colour is an integral part of design, but knowing how to use it isn’t just about learning the colour wheel: it’s also about understanding its deep historical roots and how we use colour as a society in practice. Thus every designer needs to read this comprehensive and detailed book, focusing on the use of colour in decoration over a 300-year period.

Drawing on a specialist archive, historian Patrick Baty traces the evolution of pigments and paint colours, together with colour systems and standards, and examines their impact on the colour palettes used in interiors from 1650 to 1960. In doing so, he highlights the distinctive colour trends and styles of painting particular to each period, which is put in context through in-depth analysis of the history of colour and the development and use of paint colours in interior design.

55. Copy This Book: An Artist’s Guide to Copyright by Eric Schrijver

Copyright is one of the areas of law that designers struggle with most. This book offers a guide to the subject that’s written in plain English, making often complex concepts easy to understand and follow. Both practical and critical, it will guide you through the concepts underlying copyright and how they apply in your practice.

How do you get copyright? For what work? And for how long? How does copyright move across mediums, and how can you go about integrating the work of others? This book answers all these questions and more and will help you keep on the right side of the law.

56. Graphic Fest

Graphic Fest takes a deep dive into the branding and design of different festival and fairs around the world. The book explores how festivals use branding, whether it be creating a fresh but recognisable theme year-on-year or making something that stands the test of time. From the Afrique Culture Festival to Geneva’s La Bâtie festival, this gorgeous book really takes an inside look into festival design—excellent for both inspiration and interest.

57. Palette Mini Series 01-03

These small but chunky books are a beautiful exploration of different palettes and their varying applications across graphic design and graphic arts. All published in 2020 and at 256 pages long, the first in the series explores work produced in black and white and the striking impact they can have on a project. Number 02 looks at multicolour designs and the power and individuality colour can given to a design. The third and final (for now) instalment is all about designs in silver and gold and how they never fail to create eye-catching designs. A great series to grab off the shelf when you’re looking for inspiration.

Buy the books: 01 , 02 and 03

58. Basic Designs 01: Format by Gavin Ambrose & Paul Harris

Typography is the means by which a written idea is given a visual form. Effective use of typography can produce a neutral effect or rouse the passions, symbolise artistic, political or philosophical movements or express the personality of a person or organisation. This book aims to impart a comprehensive understanding of typography, to explore its history, theory and practice.

If you’d benefit from a thorough examination of how typography informs other aspects of creative design, this book is for you.

59. Basic Designs 02: Layout by Gavin Ambrose & Paul Harris

Through this book, Ambrose and Harris introduce the fundamentals of layout within the field of graphic design. It provides a guide to the effective arrangement of text and image elements within a design scheme, enabling you to learn how to create powerful forms of visual communication in both print and electronic media.

Have these beautiful books got you wanting to design yourself? Then there’s no better than Shillington’s innovative graphic design course where you can become a graphic designer in just three months full-time or nine months part-time on campus or online .

Oliver Stevenson September 22, 2022

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Our Contributors

10 design books to consider for graphic design students

Learning graphic design is a lifelong process, so graphic design students don’t worry about, for example, essay writer tasks: you’ll have plenty of time becoming an expert in your field and you can focus on editing and proofreading at the moment. This said, I know that when you are getting started you are really eager to learn more quicker, that’s why I’m suggesting a selection of design books that are in my opinion worth reading for graphic design students, but also for others.

1. Making and breaking the grid

2. The Elements of Graphic Design

3. Designing Brand Identity

4. Paul Rand: a designer’s art

5. Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles

6. Thinking with type

7. Stationery design now

8. Package Design Workbook: The Art and Science of Successful Packaging

9. How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul

10. The Art of Color

What design books should we add to this list?

There are so many good design books that even if we wanted to make an exhaustive list it would be impossible. However, we would be happy if you told us in the comments what major books we missed in this list and we’ll add them to the post.

About the Author

Mirko Humbert

Mirko Humbert is the editor-in-chief and main author of Designer Daily and Typography Daily . He is also a graphic designer and the founder of WP Expert .

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10 Best Graphic Design Books to Read in 2023

1. the non-designer’s design book, 2. making and breaking the grid: a layout design workshop, 3. grid systems in graphic design: a visual communication manual for graphic designers, typographers, and three dimensional designers, 4. thinking with type: a critical guide to designers, writers, editors & students by ellen lupton, 5. a smile in the mind: witty thinking in graphic design, 6. how to use graphic design to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry and (every once in a while) change the world, 7. how to be a graphic designer without losing your soul, 8. interaction of color, 9. creative workshop: 80 challenges to sharpen your design skills, 10. don’t make me think, revisited, a common sense approach to web usability.

Graphic design is a form of visual communication between a business and its consumers. A good thought-out graphic design enhances the readability of the business content. A design does not stand on graphics alone. Other elements are equally important. It is a combination of texts, typography skills, images, and page layout techniques. The final design should be clean, legible, and usable, generating a response from the users.

Review and learn from the top-rated books below if you intend to learn graphic design. Let's get started!

Best Graphic Design Books

We have compiled a list of the ten best graphic design books here. These tried and tested books will help you reconceptualize your design approach and push you forward towards innovative creativity.

The Non-Designer's Design Book (4th Edition)

Author Name: Robin Williams

This book introduces the fundamental principles of designing. It breaks down designing concepts and demonstrates them step-by-step via examples. However, it does not cover grids and logos. This book is intended for beginners and intermediate-level designers.

It covers topics like the principles of designing, designing with color, designing with type, designing with a combination of typefaces. It also includes tips for font usage, a professional approach to designing, tips for brand designing, and other projects.

You can buy the book here.

Grids are an essential part of the graphic designing process. The book would master its learners about grid basics such as columns, compounds, and modular grids. The book guides to build cohesive layouts by explaining the rules of the grid and how to use them and break them to build layouts.

The pages consist of hundreds of colored layout concepts and diagrams to educate and inspire to master the art of building layouts. In this book, you would learn how grids work,

be inspired to explore new concepts for using—or not using—grids, discover possible alternatives for boring layouts, and get the results you want using new design elements. You would also learn designers’ processes via fascinating case studies, see numerous examples of successful layouts created with and without grids, communicate ideas effectively using visual language.

The Grid System enables designers to organize content information in a logical, well-structured, and balanced manner. Typefaces prove to be a common means for brands to establish and strengthen their visual identities. These typefaces go beyond aesthetics and achieve marketing objectives to build value for the brands over the long term by effectively expressing a unique personality or supporting a campaign.

This book lays out the guidelines and rules for using the grid system through examples at a conceptual level. It dives deep into the grid system and typography and enables designers to them effectively. It collates some of the best custom typography work worldwide that demonstrates both creative and commercial ingenuity. It features cover stories that offer insights by the top design studios in the industry and exciting project and technique-related details to inspire both designers and clients alike.

Thinking with Type, 2nd revised and expanded edition: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students

If you're aspiring to be a typographer, this is a must-have. This book is a guide to using typography in graphics using live examples. It provides the latest information in style sheets, ornaments, captions, font licensing, mixed-use typefaces, and hands letters. It is a book exclusively for designing using words.

A Smile in the Mind - Revised and Expanded Edition: Witty Thinking in Graphic Design

This book is a witty approach to graphic designing. It is packed with illustrations that demonstrate the application of wit into design techniques. It compiles the best projects in the world, including 1000 projects, 500 designers, and creative minds. It examines the different methods implemented by designers through inspirational examples. It features interviews with designers where they have revealed their source of inspiration behind their classic pieces of work. This book is a compilation of vintage pieces and contemporary designs with a definitive guide to blending wit into designs. This book is a source for triggering witty ideas, written in a humorous designer-friendly vocabulary,

How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things, Explain Things, Make Things Look Better, Make People Laugh, Make People Cry, and (Every Once in a While) Change the World

This is the author’s first monograph, design manual, and manifesto that showcases his most noteworthy projects for broad-spectrum clients. This book is a fantastic dip into the main philosophy behind his eclectic approach to designing. Throughout the book, the author provides insights into his creative processes and struggles to bring in innovative ideas. This book offers insights and inspiration to artists and designers on how different elements can be put together to create exceptional designs.

You can buy this book here .

How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul (New Expanded Edition)

This book is a source of practical advice combined with philosophical guidance, which helps young professionals to embark on their careers. It brings together essential chapters on professional skills, creative processes, and modern-day global trends. It offers a concise guide to setting up, running, and promoting your own design business. It is an advanced reading and great for regular reference.

Interaction of Color: 50th Anniversary Edition

This book explains the principles of complex color theory. It provides a selection of 60 color studies and focuses on principles like color relativity, color intensity, and temperature, the illusion of transparencies, vibrating and vanishing boundaries, and reversed grounds. It is a good book for artists, painters, designers who are more inclined towards color strategy.

Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills

It is a set of 80 creative challenges ranging from creating typefaces to designing web pages. These challenges are intended to strengthen designing skills and increase your ability to innovate, keeping time constraints in mind. It forces you to move outside your comfort zone and work out new concepts. This book also includes beneficial brainstorming techniques and tips from well-known designers.

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

Usability is one of the most critical factors of design. Clients do not choose from the best available option; rather, they want from the only available option. This is a book for both Web Designers and Web Developers . It evaluates design from the client’s perspective. It focuses on the principles of intuitive navigation and information design. This book points out the common design mistakes and lays down the best practices for web designing. This book is more inclined towards UI/UX with elements of testing, accessibility, usability, and design. This book is not a one-time read; rather, it is a book for regular reference.

The books listed above cover the aspects of designing individually. Right from the first sketch to the final information layout, every element is essential.

The books above complement each other by focusing on one design element at a time.

People are also reading:

What apps do graphic designers use?

Some of the important tools that are used by a Graphic designer are: 1. Adobe Photoshop. 2. Adobe illustrator. 3. Adobe Indesign. 4. Corel Draw 5. Lightroom 6. QuarkXPress

Do graphic designers use Wacom tablets?

Yes, graphic designers use Wacom tablets for the great designing experience. Wacom creative pen tablets allow designers to work more efficiently under tight deadlines. It allows natural drawing motion and pressure discovery for a smooth drawing process. It comes with a lot of custom settings.

How do you design a logo?

There are many steps that you can consider while creating a logo. 1. Understand the organization. 2. Know the client’s need. 3. Find inspiration for logo design 4. Choose the color and outlook of the logo in the right way. 5. Select the right typography. 6. Evaluate your logo options. 7. Revise the design. 8. Organize the outcome.

What is the graphic design and layout?

Graphic design is the way of visual communication that helps to solve problems through typography, iconography and different picture layouts. You can optimize user experience via interactive designs. In graphic design, everything depends on how the elements are arranged to reflect the meaningful idea. This is why the layout is important in graphic design.

Who is the best graphic designer?

Well, we can never decide whoever the best graphic designer of all time is. Every designer has their unique style and has different designing tastes. The only deciding factor can be the fields where the designer has great work.

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7 Brilliant Graphic Design Books You Need in Your Collection

Color Psychology in Art and Design

lllustration of a jumping rabbit with clouds and cherry blossoms on a wave pattern background

How to Draw a Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Window Decoration

Colorful wall painting showing a sun flower with an anthropomorphic face

How to Turn a Digital Illustration into a Mural Painting

In the digital age, information is more accessible than ever before. Any information you want is just a few taps away on your smart devices. However, with this expanding library of references and information available digitally, many of us graphic designers have forgotten the beauty and excitement of holding an actual graphic design book in our hands.

Not only are we missing this intimate relationship with our literature, but also losing out on the actual knowledge that is so easily accessible from them too. So, if you count yourself as a graphic designer , then you better fill up your empty bookshelves with these 7 best graphic design books that are sure to help you in your journey!

#1. Typography Book: Just My Type ‍

by Simon Garfield

A big part of graphic design are the fonts . Garfield’s deep dive into typography implores you to look closely at your beloved fonts and realize their major contribution to any piece of design. A good font can hide in plain sight and speak to an audience almost subconsciously, having the power to make (or ruin) any work. In contrast, a bad font can negatively influence your design work. Pick out the right font for your designs using this design book.

#2. Graphic Design Fundamentals: How To

by Michael Beirut

A protégé of design legend Massimo Vignelli, and having enjoyed one of the most successful graphic design careers ever, Beirut brings us this design manual. It is an absolute must-read for any designer out there. He reveals his philosophy of what graphic design is, and as the cover so explicitly states, how to use it to to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry, and – every once in a while – change the world! Featuring his work/creative process, relationship with clients and the struggles faced by designers, this graphic design book is a monograph from one of the greats himself!

#3. Graphic Design Book About Colors: Interaction Of Color

by Josef Albers

For the color strategist in you, Albers delves into the principles of complex color theories . With a selection of over 50 case studies, this book is a ready reference guide of principles like temperature, color intensity, color relativity, vibrating and vanishing boundaries, the illusion of transparencies, and reversed grounds. Not just graphic designers, this book has served as a guide to painters and artists alike who have harnessed color strategy into their designs.‍

#4. Brand Design Book: Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide For The Whole Branding Team

by Alina Wheeler

This book’s fifth edition is a guide in branding fundamentals for both designers and brand teams alike. An outstanding resource to understand branding through and through, Wheeler engages the reader with her in-depth guidance of a universal five-stage process for brand development and implementation. With everything from social media synergy to SEO and experience branding, this up-to-date resource is a must-have on your shelf.

#5.Book Full of Inspiring Designers: Graphic Design Visionaries

by Caroline Roberts

This book presents the story of graphic design through the ages. It features inspiring stories of the 75 most influential designers along with full-color reproductions of their horizon-expanding work. Showcasing individuals like Stefan Sagmeister, Wim Crouwel, M/M Paris, Studio Dumbar and many more, this informative visual masterpiece introduces you to the key identities of the design world you should know.

#6. Book For All Typographers and Graphic Designers: Grid Systems In Graphic Design

by Josef Müller-Brockmann

This legendary Swiss designer's graphic design book remains the definitive guide in mastering the essential principle of grid systems in any piece of graphic design. This visual communication manual is packed with information and detailed examples that are handy for any graphic designers, typographers and 3D designers out there and a resource you simply cannot go without on your reference shelf.

#7. Inspirational Design Book: Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

by Austin Kleon

Creativity in the digital age is full of over-the-top optimism as well as crippling fear of not having an original idea. This New York Times bestseller by Kleon is an inspiring graphic design book/guide about creativity in today’s digital world, presenting 10 transformative principles to help you discover your inner artist and view things from a creative angle.‍

While our lives and our information have become increasingly digital, the importance of having good core resources readily available to fall back on cannot be overlooked. Successful professionals of every field always preach the virtues of growing your reading list whenever you get the time. A good place to begin your literature study is with the above 7 graphic design books as you steadily populate your bookshelf.

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Discover the power of color psychology in art and design! Understand why specific colors affect us differently and how to use them in your projects.

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17 Books that will change your approach to design

Design & Product

May 27, 2020 • 16 minutes read

17 Books that will change your approach to design

Designers from across the industry recommend the essential graphic design books to read.

Simon Dumont

If you’re a graphic designer looking to improve your design skills with new ideas and approaches, welcome to our essential graphic design reading list. If you specialize in another part of design—you’ve also come to the right place. Here’s why.

As the design profession continues to evolve, new specialist roles and definitions are invented all the time. While it’s good to know the difference between UX and UI design , it’s equally important to remember that the best designers often don’t specialize in any one thing .

Design blogger Butterhalfsix sums it up nicely:

I continue to define myself in a very simple way: I’m a designer.

So whether you’re a graphic design guru or a web design wizard, dipping into specialist areas outside your own will make you a better, more rounded designer.

As well as providing an essential reading list, we asked a range of designers from UX, product, and brand to reveal the graphic design books that had a big impact on their ideas about design. We hope you find a good book that sparks fresh inspiration and new ways of thinking—no matter how you define yourself as a designer.

Essential graphic design reads

1. 'interaction of color' by josef albers.

Book cover showing four block color stripes of teal, dark purple, yellow and orange

Get the book | $14.38 | Published 1963

Using color effectively is one of the great challenges of design. For design teachers, students, or professionals, Albers’ influential work on color theory demonstrates how to think outside the box of safe color palettes in an economical and impactful way.

“One of the most important books on color ever written.” —Michael Hession @ Gizmodo

2. 'Designing Brand Identity' by Alina Wheeler

A pixelated blue sky book cover with orange text

Get the book | $40.85 | Published 2012

Depending on your role in a company, the word ‘rebrand’ is either exciting or terrifying. Wheeler’s brand Bible goes beyond just visual design, tackling the entire topic from brand strategy to research. As the book’s subtitle says, “An essential guide for the whole branding team.”

" Designing Brand Identity is the book that first taught me how to build brands. For the past decade, it’s been my blueprint for using design to impact people, culture, and business." —Alex Center, Design Director @ The Coca-Cola Company

3. 'Grid systems in graphic design' by Josef Müller-Brockmann

Get the book | $43.38 | Published 1996

Consistency is a vital design principle, especially if you’re designing a product or brand. The most common way to achieve consistency in these contexts is with a grid system—and what better person to learn from than the godfather of grids himself, Josef Müller-Brockmann.

4. 'Logo Modernism' by Jens Müller

Red book cover with multiple graphic shapes and icons

Get the book | $63.59 | Published 2015

Designing a company logo that’s both simple and iconic is harder than it looks. If you need inspiration, this book is an extensive archive of clean, crisp logos from the modernist period. A cultural artifact charting the rise and rise of the corporate logo.

“Almost limitless as a logo archive for the period, Logo Modernism means business about the business of good design.” ―PedroSilmon.com

5. 'Thinking with Type' by Ellen Lupton

Orange book cover with newspaper background

Get the book | $10.98 | Published 2010

The definitive guide to using typography in visual design. While there are many books about typography covering different areas of the topic—some of which will appear later in this list—this is a great all-round introduction for any design student.

" Thinking with Type is to typography what Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time is to physics." —I Love Typography

6. 'How to use graphic design to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry, and (every once in a while) change the world' by Michael Bierut

White book cover with large block text 'How to'

Get the book | $34.61 | Published 2015

A monograph examining the life work of legendary graphic designer and Pentagram partner, Michael Bierut. The book spans 35 projects and delivers unique insights into the potential of graphic design to make a big impact in a variety of ways.

7. '100 Ideas That Changed Design' by Peter Fiell & Charlotte Fiell

Get the book | $12.42 | Published 2012

A great book to dip into for any designer or design fan, 100 Ideas That Changed Design is exactly what the title implies. Comprising ideas and trends emerging from the 19th century up until the present day, it’s a great all-round resource for bite-sized nuggets of inspiration.

"As a survey of the many changes in graphic design and the dialogs between competing schools of thought, 100 Ideas is an entertaining, often insightful read." —Geoff Hart @ STC Technical Communication Journal

The best graphic design books recommended by designers

8. 'signs and symbols: their design and meaning' by adrian frutiger.

Navy book cover with three rows of Celtic-style symbols

Get the book | $53.46 | Published 1978

Our UX designer, Jolanta Gil , opens this list with this seminal work by Swiss typeface pioneer Adrian Frutiger . The book delves deep into the relationship between symbols and psychology, providing fascinating theories on why certain shapes and patterns have endured in the human mind throughout history.

The book tells such interesting ideas, like why we depict the heart's symbol in one way or another, even though the real human heart looks completely different.

Jolanta Gil , UX Designer at Maze

Full of theories on the roots visual symbols and how they've developed through the history of graphic design, the book is a must-read for any designer who wants to understand simple visual elements that we take for granted. A vital resource for logo design.

Fun fact: Adrian Frutiger was a leading typeface designer who created many famous typefaces, including Avenir, Linotype Didot, and Frutiger Next.

9. 'Type Matters!' by Jim Williams

Black notebook cover with white text saying 'Type Matters'

Get the book | $18.65 | Published 2012

While typography is an essential pillar of graphic design, product designer Matt Elbert thinks having a good understanding of the elements of typographic styles can massively benefit any designer. He recommends reading Type Matters!, a solid introduction to why fonts matter and how you should think about typography, written by award-winning graphic designer Jim Williams.

Whether it’s graphic or product design, typography has a voice. How we interpret that voice affects how the design makes us feel. This is a great book for communicating that idea.

Matt Elbert , Product Designer at Movista

If typography is an unexplored area for you, this is a great place to start.

10. 'Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles' by Jan Tholenaar et al.

White book cover with multiple red, gold and black letters in unique fonts

Get the book | $36.20 | Published 2009

Another one for typographers, this comprehensive and beautifully-put-together collection of fonts begins all the way back in 1628. The book showcases a broad range of typefaces across history, with a particular focus on the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. It also includes other typographic elements like borders, initials, and ornaments.

Claudia Aran , Senior Visual Designer at Typeform and typeface connoisseur, was keen to recommend it for this list:

This book feels like a journey through time in typography and letter print.

Claudia Aran , Senior Visual Designer at Typeform

A great resource for any designer to dive into for typeface inspiration.

11. 'Designing News' by Francesco Franchi

Book cover with red spine and newspaper-style cover

Get the book | $78.00 | Published 2013

Creative director Francesco Franchi draws on his publishing experience to set out a comprehensive vision on editorial design. The book examines how the transformation of news and journalism in the digital age affects the way we should approach design in the media.

Product designer Alex Muench gives it a big thumbs up:

For graphic and editorial designers, it’s an inspiring read about the past and potential future of news and media reporting—and how designers can shape this future.

Alex Muench , Product Designer at Doist

If you work in editorial design, dip into this book every once in a while for inspiration on layouts and infographics.

12. 'Designing Design' by Kenya Hara

Simple white book cover with four paragraphs of text

Get the book | $48.81 | Published 2003

Written by Japanese graphic designer and MUJI art director, Kenya Hara , Designing Design is an ode to the power of simplicity in design. Inspired by Japanese philosophy and color theory, the book emphasizes the importance of emptiness and space in design—something that product and UI designers can relate to just as much as graphic designers.

Product designer Helen Tsvirinkal explains how this book impacted the way she approaches design :

Reading this taught me that every aspect of a design has to be meaningful. Only use a color if it helps communicate something. Only choose a material if it solves a problem or stimulates a desired tactile experience. And if something doesn't have a clear purpose, reconsider if it's necessary.

Helen Tsvirinkal , Product Designer at Shopify

Fun fact: Author Kenya Hara designed the opening and closing ceremonies for the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.

13. 'The Non-Designer’s Design Book' by Robin Williams

Yellow book cover with black box showing title of the book

Get the book | $12.14 | Published 2003

Perfect for beginners, this one’s an essential guide for anyone dabbling in design for the first time. It breaks down the basic theory around the pillars of design—proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast, and color—that anyone can understand and remember.

Reading this book as a non-designer makes you realize that, actually, you’re doing design work all the time. Williams equips you with the fundamentals to apply design principles in your everyday life and improve things.

Maze product designer Victor Vorontsov loves the book for this reason—but points out that it can also be a double-edged sword:

This is the best book for explaining basic design rules in a simple and clear way for newbies. But you’ll suffer afterwards, because you’ll spot bad design in everything around you!

Victor Vorontsov , Product Designer at Maze

As a non-designer who has read this book, I can confirm.

14. 'The Design of Everyday Things' by Don Norman

Get the book | $16.15 | Published 1988

A great follow-up read for design students once The Non-designer’s Design Book has taught you the basics. This book is all about how design is applied to the world around us. Less to do with graphic design specifically—but still incredibly relevant—Don Norman’s classic reveals the ingenuity of the design behind everyday objects.

Illustrator and designer Petra Sitaru sums up her main takeaway:

I read this book a while back, but I still remember the most important thing I learned: good design becomes invisible by fulfilling its purpose. The only time people really notice design is if it’s not doing its job.

Petra Sitaru , Freelance Illustrator & Designer

If you ever wondered why doors are shaped like they are, this book will help explain things. An absolute must-read for designers of all kinds.

15. 'Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far' by Stefan Sagmeister

Book cover with man's face cover in giraffe-print-style tattoo

Get the book | $27.09 | Published 2008

If there’s such a thing as a graphic design rockstar, Stefan Sagmeister definitely qualifies. Between designing album covers for Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, and Jay-Z, he has hosted exhibitions all over the world and has even made a feature length film.

Less a book on graphic design, and more an abstract window into the mind of a true graphic design auteur, this is a unique experience for designers who really want to challenge their imagination. Sagmeister superfan Claudia can’t recommend it enough:

A master of graphic design and typography, Sagmeister has always inspired me with how differently he sees things and solves visual communications. He can pick any random topic and make it evolve in a beautiful way with visual design.

Full of witty diary observations and jaw-dropping visuals, this book is a work of art in itself.

16. 'Design Diaries: Creative Process in Graphic Design' by Lucienne Roberts & Rebecca Wright

Book cover showing mood board with text, CDs, pieces of paper

Get the book | $18.22 | Published 2010

While many of the books on this list delve into the theoretical side of design, Design Diaries explores the practical side with real-world, detailed case studies on the design process.

Featuring inside reports on how famous international studios approached past projects, it’s a fascinating look at the day-to-day struggle behind beautiful designs—the imperfect part you don’t normally get to see.

Brand designer Dimitra Papastathi explains why this book is special to her:

Process is the most important part of the job. Beyond defining the final visual outcome, it’s the part we enjoy most as designers. The book showcases projects throughout the years, so it’s particularly interesting to observe how design processes have evolved over time.

Dimitra Papastathi , Freelance Brand & Digital Designer

An insightful read for budding designers and branding teams still honing their design process.

17. 'The Language of Things' by Deyan Sudjic

White book cover with simple red and black text

Get the book | $11.77 | Published 2008

A funny, thoughtful essay about how designs change the world and shape our perceptions. Authored by the Director of the London Design Museum, the book draws on a huge variety of physical designs and objects—from lamps, to calculators, to guns—to form an academic critique on our cultural relationship with design.

Here’s UX designer Jolanta Gil on why this book makes the list:

The book answers questions like: Why do some objects become archetypes? And why do we let ourselves be drawn into a mad trance of consumption? Using concrete examples from history and modernity, Sudjic shows that design is an evolving language that’s worth learning to read.

For designers who are interested in how design relates to society, this is an engaging read.

Looking for reading recommendations on UX research? Here's our top 11 UX research books 📚

Creative Boom

50 essential books every graphic designer should read.

Image courtesy of [Chris Wilson](https://www.stckmn.com/), featuring some of his own top picks

Image courtesy of Chris Wilson , featuring some of his own top picks

Whatever stage you've reached in your career as a graphic designer, one thing's for sure: you never stop learning. Or rather, you never should stop learning: honing your existing skills, discovering new approaches, and encountering fresh perspectives.

Written by: Tom May

20 January 2022

In a rush to meet daily deadlines, though, it's often easy to get stuck in a rut. Months, even years, can pass without you learning anything new, as you're so focused on getting your work done and getting the bills paid. Settling down with a good book can be a great way to break out of this vicious circle, get fresh inspiration and start learning new things again.

In this article, we've listed our 50 favourite design books. Ranging from instructional texts to collections of essays, design monographs to business guides, you're sure to find an inspiring read here that will help reinvigorate your creative practice.

1. Graphic Design School by David Dabner, Sandra Stewart, Abbie Vickress

Traditionally, graphic design required formal study before you could enter the profession. That's not necessarily the case nowadays, but it's still good to know the fundamentals. This book is described as a foundation course for graphic designers working in print, moving image and digital media, and is divided into two main sections, 'principles' and 'practice'. The first section deals with the fundamentals of design, such as composition, hierarchy, layout, typography, grid structure, colour, etc. The second puts these basics into practice and explains studio techniques and production issues.

2. Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler

Are you looking for an authoritative guide to branding, taking in all the different aspects from start to finish? You'll find it here. From research and analysis through launch and governance, this book provides expert insight on all aspects of the process and describes the best practices that build better brands.

3. Know Your Onions by Drew De Soto

It's no exaggeration to say that the book covers all the essential graphic design techniques and their digital implementation. It's designed like a notebook, with all the authors' tips and knowledge contained inside, along with blank pages that allow you to add your own personal notes and thoughts.

4. Now Try Something Weirder by Michael Johnson

To survive in the creative industry, you need to keep generating great ideas. Award-winning graphic designer Michael Johnson draws on three decades-plus of experience to share his secret. This book will help you improve the way you work with clients, deal with briefs, give presentations and gain confidence in your abilities.

Now Try Something Weirder by Michael Johnson

5. Extra Bold by multiple authors

Unlike any design book we've seen to date, Extra Bold is a practical and informative career handbook for designers that's part-textbook and part-comic book, part-zine, part-manifesto, and part-self help manual. You'll find within a range of interviews, essays, typefaces, biographical sketches, and projects from dozens of contributors with a variety of abilities, gender identities, and racial, ethnic and class backgrounds, and Jennifer Tobias's original, handcrafted illustrations add a healthy dose of fun.

6. The Graphic Design Reference + Specification Book by Poppy Evans and Aaris Sherin

As a graphic designer, you need ideas and inspiration. But you also need to understand the nitty-gritty of the design process, such as how much space to leave in the gutter when designing barrel folds, what proofreaders' symbols mean, how different image file formats differ, and so forth. This comprehensive reference everywhere brings together a ton of must-have information in an up-to-date, concise handbook.

7. The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst

A true classic, originally published in 1992, and thoroughly revised for the modern era. Renowned typographer Robert Bringhurst explains the art of typography in a clear and concise style, from practical, theoretical, and historical perspectives. Quite simply a must-read for any graphic designer entering the profession.

8. Book of Branding by Radim Malinic

Creative director and designer Radim Malinic 's Book of Branding is an excellent introduction to the world of visual identity with a conversational tone that's delightfully jargon-free. It gives a lot of real-world advice and case studies to help you understand the brand identity process and how great collaborative work is created in practice.

Book of Branding by Radim Malinic

9. How To by Michael Beirut

Protege of design legend Massimo Vignelli and partner in Pentagram, Michael Bierut is one of the world's most respected designers. This revised and expanded edition of his monograph features projects for clients including Mastercard and The Poetry Foundation and serves as a veritable bible of graphic design ideas.

10. Make Your Own Luck by Aries Moross

In this mixture of memoir and guide, famed creative Aries Moross offers a series of insider's tips on how to make it in the competitive field of design. With a forthright and refreshingly honest tone, Make Your Own Luck address how to thrive in art school, develop your own style, self-promote, collaborate, deal with copycats, find an agent, and more.

11. Oh Sh*T What Now? by Craig Oldham

In this revelatory book, celebrated designer Craig Oldham answers the common questions raised by graphic design graduates: What now? Where do you live? Can you afford to live? How can you make money doing design? How do you get a job? Who do you want to work for and are you good enough? Sharing his own experiences, as well as ideas, advice and inspiration, this book is as funny and honest as it is practical and useful.

12. Citizen First Designer Second by Rejane Dal Bello

As someone who's spent 20 years working in the design industry, it goes without saying that Rejane Dal Bello cares about design. Here, the graphic designer, illustrator and visual branding consultant explains why choosing a design career has mattered to her, and how it can matter to others. This deeply personal book, beautifully designed by Jon Dowling & Céline Leterme, is a great choice for anyone considering entering the profession or seeking fresh insight and inspiration for their work

Citizen First Designer Second by Rejane Dal Bello

13. Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking by Annie Atkins

Although we wouldn't often think of it, films are full of objects and props that need to be designed, such as invitations, letters, tickets, and packaging. Annie Atkins has spent a career doing so, and this behind-the-scenes account is a fascinating insight that will inform and inspire graphic designers of all types.

14. Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology by David Evans

User experience design is, at root, about understanding your users. And so this book gives a useful and comprehensive introduction to foundational psychology, in a way that directly relates to UX design. Written by David Evans, an experimental psychology PhD and senior manager of consumer research at Microsoft, this will help UX designers gain an edge in a super-competitive field.

15. Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton & Jennifer Cole Phillips

This revised and updated 2015 edition of Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips's 2008 classic, acts as an excellent introduction to graphic design for new entrants to the profession. Visual demonstrations and concise commentary explain the formal elements of design, from logos to letterhead to complex website design.

16. Nakajo by Masayoshi Nakajo

Born in 1933, Japanese designer Masayoshi Nakajo worked in the advertising department of Shiseido and for Deska, before establishing his own Nakajo Design Office in 1961. Famed for his work for advertisements, products, watch faces, posters, and the House of Shiseido, this book offers a colourful visual timeline of his career. It's a great way to discover and enjoy Nakajo's ability to harness youthful avant-garde symbols and create designs and patterns that are always infused with movement and energy.

Nakajo by Masayoshi Nakajo. Image courtesy of Counterprint

17. Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton

Another great read by Ellen Lupton, this primer on typographic design is divided into three sections: covering lettering, text, and grids. Each section is accompanied by an essay explaining key concepts, and then a set of practical demonstrations illustrating that material. Essential reading for students, teachers, and anyone entering the graphic design profession.

18. The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher

How people perceive things visually is of obvious importance to anyone involved in visual design. Serious yet easy-to-read exploration of the science being perception, this unique book is packed with anecdotes, quotations, images, curious facts and useless information, oddities, serious science, jokes and memories. This book does not set out to teach lessons or draw conclusions, but it is full of wisdom and insight collected from all over the world.

19. Grid Systems by Josef Müller-Brockmann

Swiss graphic designer Josef Müller-Brockmann was one of the biggest names in mid-20th century design, and in this classic book he sets out a series of guidelines and rules for the function and use of grid systems, from 8 to 32 grid fields to three-dimensional grids. It remains today an essential guidebook for everyone working in the profession.

20. Good by Design by Viction:workshop ltd

In recent years, world-changing events like the pandemic and climate change have made us think more deeply about what it is to be a designer, and how that can mean more than just a way to make money. Good by Design brings together the best projects and insights for those wishing to put their graphic designs skills to better use, and combine creativity, craft, and compelling visuals to transform the way we live.

Good by Design by Viction:workshop ltd. Image courtesy of Counterprint

21. Designing Type by Karen Cheng

First published in 2006, this classic guide to type design has been fully updated for 2020. You'll learn all about basic issues informing the creation of typography, including the visual principles of letter construction, optical compensation and legibility, and the relationships between letters and shapes in a font. The new version of the book also includes more contemporary typefaces and explanatory diagrams, as well as a closer connection between text and image.

22. Logo Modernism by Jens Muller

To know where you're going, you need to know where you've been. And that's the case in logo design just as much as anywhere else. Hence this book pulls together approximately 6,000 trademarks from the period 1940-1980, to examine how modernist attitudes and imperatives gave birth to today's corporate identities.

23. The History of Graphic Design Vol 1 & 2 by Jens Muller

Another authoritative book about design's past by Jens Muller, The History of Graphic Design delivers exactly what the title promises. Featuring hundreds of landmark projects, industry leaders profiles, and illustrated timelines, this book traces the evolution of the profession from the end of the 19th century to the remains of World War II.

24. Baseline Shift by Briar Levit

Most histories of graphic design place women in the margins. Here's the exception. With a little digging, the author confirms that women of various backgrounds and ethnicities have long been active in the profession: running presses in the British colonies, illustrating books in the studios of artistically cutting-edge Harlem, and drawing type in the drafting rooms of major type foundries. This collection of 15 fascinating illustrated essays uncovers their fascinating stories.

Baseline Shift by Briar Levit. Image courtesy of Counterprint

25. Women Design by Libby Sellers

Traditionally, design books have tended to minimise the contribution of women to the profession, so here's one that starts to right the balance. Women Design profiles a selection of the most dynamic female designers, from architects and product designers to textile artists and digital innovators. These range from pioneers such as Eileen Gray, Lora Lamm and Lella Vignelli to more recent trailblazers including Kazuyo Sejima, Hella Jongerius and Neri Oxman.

26. Can Graphic Design Save Your Life? by Lucienne Roberts

There aren't a lot of books exploring the relationship between graphic design and health, but here's a great one. Now in a second and updated edition, this ambitious book explores examples such as health apps, pill packaging, hospital information systems, and public health warnings. Contributing designers, design writers and health professionals all examine the question of how graphic design impacts what we notice, what we understand and the actions we take in matters of health.

27. Visual Intelligence by Félix Beltrán

Born 1938 in Havana, Cuba, Félix Beltrán, is one of Latin America's most important graphic designers. His works are situated in the tension between abstract geometry and concrete art, and this monograph showcases hundreds of his logos, posters, and book covers. A fascinating and inspiring insight into a great creative mind.

28. Logotype by Michael Evamy

First published in 2016, Logotype is a definitive collection of logotypes, monograms and other text-based corporate marks. It features more than 1,300 international typographic identities, by around 250 design studios, and examples are drawn not just from Western Europe and North America but also Australia, South Africa, the Far East, Israel, Iran, South America and Eastern Europe. Contributing design firms include Pentagram, Vignelli Associates, Chermayeff & Geismar, Wolff Olins and Landor.

Logotype by Michael Evamy

29. Look Both Ways by Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman is best known as the host of the design podcast Design Matters. This book is inspired by the monologues she prepares for each episode and features illustrated essays on life and design. Covering topics ranging from brands and behaviour to rituals, love and music, this book will make you think and occasionally laugh out loud.

30. Branding: In Five and a Half Steps by Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson's award-winning studio, johnson banks, is responsible for the rebranding of companies Virgin Atlantic, Think London, BFI and Christian Aid. Here, he strips everyday brands down to their basic components, with case studies that enable us to understand why we select one product or service over another and allow us to comprehend how seemingly subtle influences can affect consumers' decisions.

31. 100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design by Christian Brandle, Karin Gimmi and Barbara Junod

Swiss design is referred to a lot in the design community, but how much do you know about it really? This book, designed by the Zurich studio NORM, takes a fresh look at Swiss typography and design over the past hundred years and explains what it all means, with illuminating essays from experts in the field and captivating illustrations.

32. Work Hard & Be Nice to People by Anthony Burrill

Designer Anthony Burrill is probably best known for his poster based on the slogan "Work Hard & Be Nice to People". His book is full of similarly concise and down-to-earth advice on getting things done, success, creativity, difficult decisions, motivation, work, collaboration and happiness. This new version is a re-worked and re-packaged paperback edition for 2020.

Work Hard & Be Nice to People by Anthony Burrill

33. Drawing Type: An Introduction to Illustrating Letterforms by Alex Fowkes

Nowadays, more and more designers are drawing their own type, for use in a range of disciplines such as packaging, editorial, posters, advertising, online graphics, and signage. If you fancy getting on board with the hand-made aesthetic, this book walks you through the steps to drawing serifs, san serifs and scripts, etc, with ample space on the pages to mimic and draw your own typefaces.

34. The Process: A New Foundation in Art and Design by By Richard Wilde, Judith Wilde

Whether you're a design student or an established designer, it's good to challenge yourself now and again to shake things up. This book is a compendium of 13 experimental projects designed to teach conceptual thinking and problem solving to art and design students. Each project is illustrated with multiple visual solutions, provided to inspire creativity and illustrate that there can be multiple solutions to a single problem.

35. Watching Words Move by Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar

In 1959, design legends Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar produced a small booklet about typographic creativity. Six decades on, it remains influential, and this reproduction includes added thoughts by other designers including Michael Carabetta, George Lois, April Greiman, Steve Heller and Kit Hinrichs on its lasting impact.

36. Why Fonts Matter by Sarah Hyndman

How do fonts affect what we read and influence the choices people make? This book opens up the science and the art behind how typography, and explains why certain fonts or styles evoke particular experiences and associations. A must-read for any designer who loves words and how they influence and wants to know how to give them impact in design.

Why Fonts Matter by Sarah Hyndman. Image courtesy of Sara

37. Start Me Up!: New Branding for Businesses by Robert Klanten

Traditional branding books focus on large companies and big brands. But in the 2010s and 2020s, corporate design has diversified enormously as the startup scene explodes around the world. In this 2015 book, Robert Klanten shares some of the best work by creative agencies for startup founders, from a beauty parlour in Singapore to a whisky distillery in Finland.

38. Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility by Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne

What does it mean to be a designer in today's corporate-driven, overbranded global consumer culture? This book attempts to answer this question with more than 70 essays and interviews covering controversial topics such as topics as the advertising of harmful products, branding to minors, and violence in game design. It doesn't provide any definitive answers, but through asking the right questions, acts as a spur for further debate and discussion.

39. Don't Get a Job... Make a Job: How to make it as a creative graduate by Gem Barton

This book was written in 2016, but couldn't be more relevant in this pandemic era. Its starting point is that there are an increasing number of creative graduates, but a shrinking number of actual jobs. In short, your best route is to make opportunities for yourself, and this book celebrates the various strategies students and graduates are taking to gain exposure and gainful employment.

40. The Designer's Dictionary of Colour by Sean Adams

Colour is key to nailing your design work, so it deserves a book that examines it in depth. The Designer's Dictionary of Color takes a deep dive into 30 specific colours, detail each one's creative history and cultural associations. This is accompanied by lots of visual examples from the turquoise on a Reid Miles album cover to the avocado paint job on a 1970s Dodge station wagon. A source of both practical advice and inspiration for designers everywhere.

Designer's Dictionary of Colour [UK edition] by Sean Adams (Abrams, £19.99) out now

41. 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design by Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne

Graphic design isn't static, but changes over time. This brilliantly crafted book records some of the best graphic design ideas from the last 100 years that have influenced that evolution. Arranged broadly in chronological order, the ideas featured including technical ones like overprinting to stylistic ones like swashes on caps, as well as groundbreaking methods ranging from paper cut-outs and pixelation.

42. Keep Going by Austin Kleon

Creative work is hard, and it never really gets easier. So to make it as a graphic designer, you need some stamina, and this book can help. It's full of illustrated advice and encouragement on how to stay creative, focused, and true to yourself in the face of burnout or distractions.

43. Layout Essentials by Beth Tondreau

It's quite simple: without knowing the rules of grids and layout design, you won't make it as a graphic designer. Equally, though, if you stick to them rigidly, you'll limit your creativity. So knowing when to bend and even break the rules is just as important as knowing them in the first place. This comprehensive book covers both, with lots of visual examples.

44. Logo Design Love by David Airey

Want to know how logos are created in the real world? In this book, the author client case studies from renowned designers to illustrate how to develop an iconic brand identity from start to finish, using. Topics covered include creating effective briefs, generating ideas, charging for logos, and how to collaborate with clients.

Logo Design Love by David Airey (Image courtesy of David)

45. How to do Great Work Without Being an Asshole by Paul Woods

As you can probably tell from the title, this book does not pull its punches. Its inspiration is the commonly held idea that long hours, chaotic workflows and egotistical colleagues are part of being a "proper designer". It disagrees with this toxic attitude and instead offers anecdotes, flowcharts, exercises and action plans for better working practices

46. Copy This Book: An Artist’s Guide to Copyright by Eric Schrijver

Whether you're seeking to protect your intellectual property or avoid infringing others', copyright is an absolute minefield. This well-structured guide will help you get your head around it. Copy This Book details the concepts of authorship and original creation that underlie our legal system, providing you with an essential guide for navigating the new Commons and the old laws of copyright control.

47. Visual History of Type by Paul McNeil

This book is a complete visual index of western typefaces from the early days of printing to the modern era. More than 320 typefaces are displayed in the form of their original type specimens or earliest printing. Each entry is supported by a brief history and description of key characteristics of the typeface. The level of detail is simply astonishing and it's that which makes this a must-have for any designer interested in typography.

48. The Anatomy of Colour by Patrick Baty

Colours mean specific things to specific people, but this is not set in stone. In fact, it's evolved hugely over time. This book offers you a glimpse into just how much, as archive, historian and paint expert Patrick Baty traces the evolution of pigments and paint colours together with colour systems and standards. He then goes on to examine their impact on the palettes used in interior design, from 1650 to 1960.

49. Graphic Design Rants and Raves by Steven Heller

Design is everywhere, and graphic design enters into everything. That's the organising principle for this collection of essays, which brings together 40 essays on such subjects as brand design utilised by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, The Charlie Hebdo massacre and the principles of free expression, and revisiting design icons like Paul Rand and Frank Zachary.

50. Geometry of Design by Kimberly Elam

Geometry is where art and design meet maths, and this instructive book explains how that works in words that non-experts can understand. The book focuses not only on the classic systems of proportioning, such as the golden section and root rectangles but also on less well known proportioning systems such as the Fibonacci Series. Through detailed diagrams, these geometric systems are brought to life, giving an effective insight into the design process.

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