Top 12 Best Graphic Design Books Updated 06 /2023

It has never been easier to get your hands on information. On your smart devices, you can get whatever information you need in a matter of seconds. However, many of us graphic designers have forgotten the joy and excitement of having a real graphic design book in our hands because of the ever-expanding library of references and knowledge available online.

Because of this lack of intimacy with our literature, we're also missing out on the wealth of information that may be gleaned from it. It's time to stock your bookshelves with these 7 finest graphic design books that are sure to help you on your journey!

Typography Book: Just My Type ‍

by Simon Garfield

Fonts make up a significant portion of graphic design. Garfield's extensive study of typography encourages you to examine your favorite typefaces in greater detail and appreciate their role in any design. When used correctly, a typeface has the ability to speak to a reader without them even realizing it, and this power may make or break a piece of writing. A terrible typeface, on the other hand, can have a detrimental impact on your design. Use this design book to help you choose the correct typeface for your projects.

Graphic Design Fundamentals: How To

by Michael Beirut

Design great Massimo Vignelli's protégé, Beirut has had one of the most successful careers in graphic design history. It's a must-have for any aspiring designer. When it comes to what graphic design is, he explains how to use it for everything from selling products to explaining concepts to making things appear better to making people laugh or cry. This graphic design book offers an in-depth look into one of the world's greatest artists' work, creative process, relationships with clients, and the challenges faced by designers.

Graphic Design Book About Colors: Interaction Of Color

by Josef Albers

Albers digs into the principles of color theory for the color strategist in you. Color intensity, color relatio, vibrating and disappearing boundaries, the appearance of transparencies and inverted grounds are just a few examples in this book's many case studies. Painting and other forms of art have found this book to be an invaluable resource for incorporating color strategy into their work.

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

by Alina Wheeler

In its fifth edition, this book provides designers and brand teams with a primer on branding basics. Wheeler's in-depth guide to a universal five-stage method for brand development and implementation is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to better understand branding. This up-to-date resource is a must-have on your shelves, covering everything from social media synergy to SEO and experience branding.

Book Full Of Inspiring Designers: Graphic Design Visionaries

by Caroline Roberts

As graphic design has evolved over time, this book tells that story. The book includes interviews with 75 of the world's most prominent designers, as well as full-color images of their mind-expanding work. Stefan Sagmeister, Wim Crouwel, M/M Paris, Studio Dumbar, and a slew of other prominent designers are included in this visually stunning exhibition.

Book For All Typographers And Graphic Designers: Grid Systems In Graphic Design

by Josef Müller-Brockmann

To this day, the graphic design book written by this great Swiss designer remains the gold standard for understanding and applying grid systems to all types of graphic design work. There is a wealth of useful information and examples in this visual communication guidebook for graphic designers, typographers, and 3D designers, and it's a must-have for your reference library.

‍Inspirational Design Book: Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

by Austin Kleon

The digital age of creativity is characterized by both excessive optimism and paralyzing anxiety of failing to come up with a unique idea. An inspiring graphic design book/guide about today's digital environment, Kleon's New York Times bestseller presents 10 revolutionary principles to help you unearth your inner artist and perceive things from a creative standpoint.

‍While our lives and information have become increasingly digital, the necessity of having excellent core resources to fall back on cannot be overstated." Prominent pros in every industry always advocate expanding your reading library whenever possible. As you build your library of graphic design material, start with the seven books listed above.

Designing Brand Identity

by  Alina Wheeler

Best-selling handbook on branding Alina Wheeler's guide is both a design classic and relevant to a modern audience because it has already been updated five times. And it's put together in a very clever way. According to Paula Scher, "Alina Wheeler describes identity design better than anyone else how it works."

Brand fundamentals, process fundamentals, and case studies make up the book's three sections. Using a uniform five-stage methodology for brand development and deployment, it guides designers and complete branding teams in-depth.

Updated coverage of social media cross-channel synergy; crowdsourcing; SEO; experience branding; mobile devices; wayfinding and placemaking is included in this current version of the book. Debbie Millman, host of the Design Matters podcast, contributes a foreword to the book.

Branding: In Five and a Half Steps

by Michael Johnson

You should read this book if you're thinking about or already working in branding. When it comes to branding, Michael Johnson breaks it down into five distinct stages: research, strategy and narrative development; design; implementation; and engagement. In fact, he acknowledges the non-linear character of branding with a vital half step, which highlights the fluid interaction between strategy and design. He doesn't, however, oversimplify things:

The first half of the book is organized around a simple six-question paradigm, while the second half delves further into the design process by using over 1,000 examples from around the world. Everyone, from novices to seasoned practitioners, will benefit from this insightful book.

Logo Modernism

by Jens Muller

This book is more of a reference book than a fireside read, but it's no less interesting for it. Jens Müller investigates how modernism in graphic design was distilled and how these attitudes and imperatives gave rise to corporate identity by bringing together roughly 6,000 trademarks. These three chapters – geometric, effect, and typographic – give a thorough index for you to use as a guide for your own design projects. If you're in the logo design field, this book is a must-read.

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