The SIX Books ALL Graphic Designers NEED to Read
There are SO MANY graphic design books available on the market right now. Almost all of them promise to give you invaluable insights, vital advice and unmissable information for you to use in your design career.
The unfortunate truth is that not many live up to their promises… Trust me, I know this all too well.
Throughout my time working as a graphic designer, I’ve purchased tons upon tons of graphic design books that I thought would be jam-packed full of insights to help me push my career to the next level. Sadly, only a handful have contained information that’s been genuinely helpful.
So, I wanted to put together a list of the six graphic design books that I’ve found insightful, helpful and are packed full of actionable information!
Let’s get into them…
Pretty Much Everything by Aaron Draplin
Aaron James Draplin is known the world over for being one of the most influential and widely respected graphic designers alive today. His book, Pretty Much Everything, is a compendium of (pretty much) all his work, from the beginning of his career up to now.
I genuinely cannot recommend this one enough, which is why I’ve put it at the very top of the list! It features work spanning from posters and magazines, to products and logos. Not to mention information on Draplin’s background, life growing up, and a whole range of expert tips and insights that are SURE to help you in your design career!
Purchase the book on Amazon here!
How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy
If you’ve ever taken on a few clients, you know that the process can be a bit bumpy at times. This is especially the case if you’re entirely new to both the world of graphic design and the world of freelance work.
Adrian Shaughnessy, with his book How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, has created the closest thing you’re going to find to a manual for graphic design. Having worked in the design industry for over three decades, he’s able to provide a vast array of insights, experience and real-world advice. If you’re new to design, or even if you’re a seasoned pro, you have something to gain from reading Shaughnessy’s book!
Purchase the book on Amazon here!
Branding, in Five and a Half Steps by Michael Johnson
On the surface, branding and brand design can seem like a very simple process. You come up with a logo, some colours and maybe a few images thrown in for good measure, and you’re good to go, right?
Well, at least that’s what it looks like for people outside the design world.
You, I and Michael Johnson understand that brand design is so much more than that. What Branding, in Five and a Half Steps, aims to do is make the branding process much simpler, whilst at the same time giving you a set of tools, and the knowledge of understanding what makes people tick.
This book contains a vast range of case studies, including real-world examples of corporate identities, plus information on the reasoning and decisions that went into them. This is a fantastic choice for anyone with a keen interest in branding design!
Purchase the book on Amazon here!
Why Fonts Matter by Sarah Hyndman
Whenever we look at a font or typeface, our brains make an instant, snap judgement on what messages, moods and feelings it’s trying to convey. For example, a rounded, bubble font wants you to feel happy, and wants you to understand that it’s being playful!
The book Why Fonts Matter takes a deep dive into fonts, their uses out in the wild, and the messages they convey. This book is perfect for anyone with an interest in typography, or who simply wants to gain a deeper understanding of fonts and their meanings!
Purchase the book Amazon here!
How To by Michael Bierut
This book isn’t simply named How To, the full title is actually much (MUCH) longer. But for your ease of reading, I haven’t included the full thing here! tl;dr, it’s long.
How To is a monograph, manual and manifesto by Michael Beirut, one of the most influential graphic designers around today. This book contains a whole range of insights, tips and advice from the very beginning of his 30+ year career as a graphic designer up to now.
This is a fantastic choice for anyone who is looking to get a much deeper insight into what the world of corporate graphic design looks like, from client interactions, the creative process, the working life, and more!
Purchase the book on Amazon here!
Designing Type by Karen Cheng
This book is a comprehensive guide (and I really do mean a comprehensive guide) to typographical design.
It would come as no surprise to me that, if you’ve spent any time researching typography and type design, you would have seen this book mentioned. Designing Type is often labelled as a “must-have” for typographers, graphic designers and students.
If you’re someone who has always wanted to design their own typeface, but has never known how go about it, Designing Type is by far the best book for you!
Are there any other topics that you’d like to see covered here? If so, then please let me know via the contact page, and I’ll see what I can do!
As you can see from being on this site, I’m also a freelance graphic designer, so if you need help with any projects you’re working on, I’d be more than happy to get involved! I’m currently available for both short and long term hire.
Thanks for reading!