Ten Best Books on Graphic Design
Becoming truly great at graphic design takes a lot of practice, experimenting with new tools and techniques, and studying the craft. Aside from keeping up with modern content creators in the digital realm, we highly recommend exploring books on graphic design to boost your skills and inspire creativity. In this article, we’ve narrowed down the ten best books on graphic design to study to give you a solid foundation and help you learn the most essential techniques.
Although we are only one screen tap away from learning and inspiration online, as seasoned graphic designers, we have come to realize that there is great value in learning from books written by top graphic designers. Over the years the most notable creators in the field have transferred their knowledge through their writing. So it’s important to take in ideas from these experts who established the industry, and whose work has stood the test of time.
Within these titles, you will discover design principles everyone should know, as well as sharpen your design sensibilities. Check out the full list; we are quite sure you’ll find several graphic design books that speak to you:
- Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon
- Designing Brand Identity, Alina Wheeler
- History of Graphic Design, Jens Müller edited by Julius Wiedemann
- How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, Adrian Shaughnessy
- How to, Michael Bierut
- Show Your Work!, Austin Kleon
- Just My Type, Simon Garfield
- Thinking With Type, Ellen Lupton
- Interaction of Color, Josef Albers
- The Designer’s Dictionary of Color, Sean Adams
- Bonus: Work for Money, Design for Love, David Airey
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Feel an urge to create art that is a lot like a work of art that you’ve already seen? Go ahead! Steal Like an Artist gives you license to “borrow” ideas from your favorite artists and creators. Instead of clinging to the rule that all art should be completely original, Austin Kleon claims that nothing is original; all art is born from creativity, which is all connected. His advice is to take artistic influences and use them, add to them, and make them your own. Kleon’s 10 tips on “stealing” will encourage artists in any medium to find real ways to become more creative in everyday life.
Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
This bestselling book on Brand Identity stands out as a classic in graphic design titles. It’s full of over 50 case studies from top brands, and insights and quotes from notable designers. Alina Wheeler was a well-known brand consultant whose experience comes across in the three sections: basics, process and best practices, making the tasks of designing brand identity understandable. This book is an accessible guide to branding for both beginners and well-trained graphic designers, and has plenty to teach both audiences.
History of Graphic Design by Jens Müller Edited by Julius Wiedemann
This book covers graphic design from its early inception to today. It’s a book that all students of graphic design should at least be familiar with, to understand the common language that professional graphic designers speak. There is a helpful visual timeline of graphic design spanning 70 years, giving an overview of how the craft has evolved. Müller, a logo designer, also points out milestones in design, helping new designers understand what is considered “great design.” Overall this book clearly explains how graphic design has become what it is today.
How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy
Adrian Shaughnessy is a British Graphic designer of global acclaim. He co-founded Unit Editions, which published important design books and research papers that have showcased the most significant movements in graphic design through the decades. In this book Shaughnessy lays out the ethical issues that all designers at one point or another face, and encourages new designers to maintain integrity in this creative field. For anyone who wants to make graphic design their career, this is a must-read. It’s especially helpful for those just starting their career, as it gives practical advice to find freelance projects, start your own design company or get a job. Some consider this book a mentor and guide, thanks to the author’s relatable style. Easy to read, this book is an approach to succeed in a graphic design career: one that is challenging, yet fulfills creative passions.
How to by Michael Bierut
Michael Bierut is considered one of the foremost graphic designers in the world, who counts Walt Disney, Princeton University, New York University, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the Library of Congress among his clients. For that reason alone, this is one of the books any graphic designer or design enthusiast should read. This is an entertaining read, and a walk through over 35 of the designer’s projects, giving an inside look at how to translate the philosophy of design into great work for clients.
Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon
Shy about getting your artistic work out into the world? This book provides the push a budding designer (or an experienced designer) needs to share your talent with the public. Austin Kleon writes in a relatable style, and he gives examples and illustrations to explain how anyone can start building their own name as a graphic designer. This is a book that’s easy to read a little bit at a time, and gives encouraging tips that can work for designers of all levels of experience.
Just My Type by Simon Garfield
If you’re a budding font nerd, or curious about why fonts are so important, this is your book. Just My Type is an inside look at fonts and typography. Garfield explains these visual elements using history, design and culture to show how fonts and types are so relevant to our experiences. Readers get the backstory on the most used fonts, and gain knowledge on how to choose the right font for each job. This book is useful for those starting out in graphic design, but also for seasoned designers looking for some letterform inspiration.
Thinking With Type by Ellen Lupton
Ellen Lupton’s “Thinking With Type,” lays out essential principles of typography and offers a guide to designing with text. Key to building skills in design, this book will help anyone learn the fundamentals of type, including typefaces, spacing, and grid systems. Through visual examples and explanations, Lupton illustrates how to use type in all kinds of contexts, from print to digital media. This book is an invaluable resource for beginners and experienced designers, delving deep into typographic theory and its applications in design projects.
Interaction of Color by Josef Albers
Josef Albers was a Bauhaus artist and professor whose name comes up in almost any discussion of design history. For that reason alone, this book is a must read. Interaction of Color teaches the basics about how colors work together and affect each other. All aspects of color theory are clearly explained through examples and exercises. It’s helpful for students of graphic design because the author lays out how to use colors in designs to make them more attractive and interesting. The audience for this book includes anyone interested in learning about color, particularly budding graphic designers or artists. Albers’ book gives a foundation to build skills in using color to create truly great designs.
The Designer’s Dictionary of Color by Sean Adams
This book is a full visual guide to the color spectrum, with its pages helpfully arranged by color. It serves as a basic guide to each color, describing the history, cultural background and meanings conveyed by each color and shade. For anyone who wants to create art, this book is a practical tool to learn to blend colors to send the right visual message. Designers, artists and creators of all fields will want to be familiar with the color principles laid out in this practical dictionary.
Bonus: Work for Money, Design for Love by David Airey
If you’re interested in the business side of graphic design, you’ll want to read Work for Money, Design for Love. David Airey talks about the mindset required to start a design business, and lays out the steps to successfully manage clients, in a way that anyone can understand. Full of case studies and first-hand advice, this is the one book you need as a guide if you want to start freelancing or starting your own graphic design agency.
Conclusion
Talk to any seasoned graphic designer, and they’ll reference a variety of media that have inspired their craft: films, artists, and digital media. But one thing in common to any experienced designer is that there are always books that have guided their learning and provided a foundation for becoming a better designer.
Picking a few of these top ten books on graphic design is a great way to get an education in the classic principles of design, typography, branding and color. And whether you’re a freelancer, student or working for a large design agency, you’re sure to find several of these can give you new perspectives and help you become a better graphic designer.