(Part 2) Top products from r/design

I seem to get asked this a lot, but here is my list, posted here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/1uq58s/good_graphic_design_books_for_a_beginner/ceklj3y



> These are all books that I absolutly love, and bought for either personal use or to accompany different courses while I was getting my BFA in GD. I have seen some of them both are brick and mortar book stores, and college book stores. If you get a chance to see them in person before buying, leaf through them to get a feel.
>
> Megg's History of Graphic Design, absolutely essential to understanding where graphic design comes from historically. IMO the best GD history book on the market, at least the most encompassing. One of my favorites, was very helpful writing different papers and researching historical styles.
>
> Graphic Design School. Another great book, focuses more on design process and stuff like that. This one more walks you though being a designer. Gives tutorials on different things too, which is useful.
>
> Graphic Design Referenced is a really great book that is a bit of a hybrid. This book describes a lot of design terms, styles, and general knowledge while referring to historical and modern examples.
>
> Those three for me are really essential books for new graphic designers, I learned more from those three than I can express. Below are a few more books I really like, but might be a bit more advanced than someone just getting started might want.
>
> Another book I have used a lot, and almost included with those three is above. Thinking with Type. Really great intro into typography.
>
> More advanced even.
>
> How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul
>
> A Graphic Design Student's Guide to Freelance
>
> Hope this helps!
>

Keep in mind this is just a starting point. There are tons upon tons of inspiration books out there for graphic design stuff, not to mention educational books on all sorts of specialties. I love graphic design books, the hard physical copy of them. When I'm stuck on a project I like to flip through them, read a bit, and then revisit my work again.

Here are the books currently in my amazon wishlist, so I can't vouch for them, but I do plan on eventually owning them.

Wish List:

• Graphic Design Solutions
  
• Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills
  
• 100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design
  
• Graphic Design Thinking
  
• Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don't teach you in design school, but should
  
• Making and Breaking the Grid

I've taken several typography classes and I have a core group of books that I constantly turn back to for information. I'm a total typo-file and I've read a lots on the topic, but these are my favorites:

Tips on working with type

A good book on just some basics and a little history of typefaces

If you're interested in learning a little history

More history

The first book I mentioned is a really good resource. Sometimes it's easy to make type look too fancy, but it's important to remember that it doesn't always have to do all the talking. Sometimes it's the main dish, sometimes it's a spice added to the whole.

As far as the color theory goes, I don't have much to contribute. Figured it'd be best to just share what I'm familiar with.

Happy designing!

Well I'm sure you've read it, but I've heard cradle to cradle is pretty good

You could look into biomimicry too, there's absolutely loads of interesting projects that deal with biomimicry

Here are some other books that could help:
one,
two

Hope that helps!

EDIT: Forgot this one

Definitely! Good places to start are Buxton's Sketching User Experience and Norman's Design of Everyday Things


Also, the people over at Kicker Studio keep a list of the top 10 books of all time as well as a very good essential reading list.


Interaction design is a huge field, as deep as any other, so it's not just something you can pick up a book or two and become an expert in or know all the details that go into a good design, but it's definitely worth learning something about it.


One nice article that will start to change how you view interfaces is Raskin's Intuitive Equals Familiar.

Good luck!

The Non-Designers Design Book is pretty wonderful. It breaks down the basic rules and tenants of graphic design in a very easy-to-understand way, with lots of pictures and before/after.

I find that many designers become designers because they were artists when they were kids and wanted to continue making art for a living. This book is great for those people, too. It's sets some structure around making your design easy to look at and/or use. Without getting too complicated, it delves into the neuropsych-based rules that help us make clean and easy designs.

I've purchased that book as a gift more than any other, and make my company buy it for everyone who works in my department.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0133966151/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0321534042&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZA58Z7W2DV09C2C0C6Q

On typography:

• The Elements of Typographic Style, the Bible of Typography.
  
• Thinking with Type, a nice overview of how type works.
  
• Detail in Typography, on the finer points of type.
  
  On grids:
  
  
• Raster Systeme, by the eminent expert of the Swiss School.
  
• Making and Breaking the Grid, a modern update on the timeless grid.
  
  On colour:
  
  
• The Art of Color, a classic on color.
  
• Interaction of Color, another classic text on color (theory).
  
  On usability:
  
  
• Don't Make Me Think, a classic on web usability.
  
• The Design of Everyday Things, a general usability Urtext.
  
• Understanding Comics, a great primer from an unlikely field.
  
  On information design:
  
  
• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, the master at work.
  
  On inspiration:
  
  
• How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer, inspiration from the field.
  
• How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul
  
  On theory:
  
  
• What is a designer, philosophical musings, existential questions.
  
• Graphic Design Theory: Readings from the Field, theoretical backgrounds on the craft.
  
  On history:
  
  
• Meggs' History of Graphic Design, a canonical classic.
  
• Graphic Design: A New History, an alternative narrative.
  
  Monographs:
  
  
• From Lascaux to Brooklyn, the inimitable Paul Rand.
  
• Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design, the art of Saul Bass.
  
• Tibor Kalman, Perverse Optimist, the exceptional work of Mr Kalman.

Interaction Design

• About Face 3 by Alan Cooper
  
• Designing Interactions by Bill Moggridge
  
• Designing Interfaces by Jenifer Tidwell
  
• Designing for the Digital Age by Kim Goodwin
  
• Making Things Talk: (2011) (2007) by Tom Igoe
  
  Interior Design
  
  
• The Decoration of Houses by Edith Wharton and Ogden, Jr. Codman
  
• Domino: The Book of Decorating by Deborah Needleman
  
• Design*Sponge at Home: A Guide to Inspiring Homes by Grace Bonney
  
• The Vintage/Modern Home by Katherine Sorrell
  
• The Fundamentals of Interior Design by Simon Dodsworth
  
  Landscape Architecture
  
  
• Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards by Leonard J. Hopper
  
• Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers
  
• Landscape Graphics by Grant W. Reid
  
• Cities for People by Jan Gehl
  
• Design with Nature by Ian L. McHarg
  
  Lighting Design
  
  
• Stage Lighting Design by Richard Pilbrow
  
• The Architecture of Natural Light by Henry Plummer
  
• Painting With Light by John Alton
  
• Made of Light by Anthony Tischhauser
  
• Color, Environment and Human Response by Frank H. Mahnke & Rudolf H. Mahnke
  
  Product Design
  
  
• Sketching: Drawing Techniques from Product Designers by Koos Eissen
  
• Design for the Real World by Victor Papanek
  
• The Craftsman by Richard Sennett
  
• Mythologies by Roland Barthes
  
• Cradle to Cradle. Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough & Michael Braungart
  
  Product Design
  
  
• In the Bubble: Designing in a Complex World by John Thackara
  
• The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II & James H. Gilmore
  
• Universal Methods of Design by Bruce Hanington & Bella Martin
  
• Cradle to Cradle. Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough & Michael Braungart
  
• Mental Models by Indi Young
  
  Sound Design
  
  
• Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema by David Sonnenschein
  
• Designing Sound by Andy Farnell
  
• Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen by Michel Chion
  
• The Sound Effects Bible by Ric Viers
  
• Sound Theory Sound Practice by Rick Altman
  
  Urban Design
  
  
• The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
  * Cities for People by Jan Gehl
  
• A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
  
• The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler
  
• The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch
  
  Web Design
  
  
• Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
  
• HTML & CSS: Design and Build Web Sites by Jon Duckett
  
• The Principles of Beautiful Web Design by Jason Beaird
  
• Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS by Ben Frain
  
• Hardboiled Web Design by Andy Clarke
  

Within Australia, budgets for design are closely linked to advertising spend. This means that economic downturns results in downturns for design and vice versa.

Growth has been pretty consistent over a long enough period of time, IBIS World indicates an annual average of 5.36% between 1995 and 2008. The total number of designers in the marketplace has definitely exceeded that rate of growth however, so yes, you are in an over saturated market. Like others have made clear however, focus on your skills and pay attention to trends and you are maximising your chances of weathering it.

The key word you used is 'professional' - you'd be surprised how many people from supposedly top quality insitutions don't conduct themselves professionally.

Have you read How to be a Graphic Designer without losing your soul?

Here's a little list of best-sellers on Amazon and a few from this thread:

• Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals
  
• Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
  
• The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition
  
• How to Draw: drawing and sketching objects and environments from your imagination
  
• Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
  
• The Non-Designer's Design Book (3rd Edition)
  
• Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design
  
• Envisioning Information
  
• Interaction of Color: 50th Anniversary Edition
  
• Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice
  
• Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills
  
• Design Basics (with CourseMate Printed Access Card)
  
• Graphic Design: The New Basics
  
• Style & Simplicity: An A to Z Guide to Living a More Beautiful Life
  
• The Color Scheme Bible: Inspirational Palettes for Designing Home Interiors
  
• The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)
  
• Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming
  
• The Art of Looking Sideways
  

I actually had to buy both books mentioned above as well as Designing with Type which is pretty good.

It's probably more of a beginner's book to typography (history of type, anatomy, terms and definitions, ect.), but I've enjoyed using it. Elements of Typographic Style and Thinking with Type are a little more advanced imo. All good books to have.

I remember really liking the book "logo design love" when I was getting started, though I haven't looked through it in awhile (loaned mine to a friend) to remember exactly what was in it haha. But I remember it having some practical advice in it that was presented in an easily understandable way. (https://smile.amazon.com/Logo-Design-Love-Creating-Identities/dp/0321985206/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=logo+design+book&qid=1568948814&s=gateway&sr=8-1)

Could be worth checking out!

I wish I did, but any good design book (think The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman) should mix in elements of how the human psyche interacts with good and bad design, so even if we don't have any currently, we have some books that can help fill this gap.

I am also interested in specific psych/soc application books as well though.

I had an older edition of this book I got in college. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get into graphic design:
https://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151

It does a really good job of taking a lot of topics, summing them up nicely and providing examples. It'll help with spacing, colors, alignment, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Artists-Handbook-Pricing-Guidelines/dp/0932102158/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

Their guidelines are usually above normal but I think that is their plan. If they say something "should" be 50% higher than it is, and you end up charging 25% more then they succeed in increasing the dollar value throughout the industry.

As you mentioned architecture, Architecture: Form, Space, and Order is something of a classic. I do not think it would be that useful to non-arch students though. I think 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School may be a good book for non-architects, to give you a good idea (very briefly) of the principles.

Theres a book called Non-Designers Design Book which simplifies a lot of the basic rules of design and even gets pretty deep into typography. I used my first year of college and I enjoyed how the information is presented.

Design is a Job: So you know how shitty you are as a freelancer and how to improve your business practices in design.

Elements of Typographic Style: Read it and memorize it. Learn as much as you can about typography.

The Elements of Graphic design: Because yes.

Thinking With Type: More type knowledge. I think the entire book is up online.

What Is a Designer: Things, Places, Messages: Some good design circlejerkery.

I would recommend you take a look at the book The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.

Until a few months ago I really thought I couldn't draw and had pretty much given up on being able to draw anything. This frustrated me quite a lot, but I'd pretty much come to terms with it. I then picked up this book and have gone through about 1/3rd of the book so far. It was an amazing feeling to find out that I really could draw!

The only problem is that I'm filled with the regret that I didn't realize sooner that I could draw. I wonder if I would've been followed a different career path if I had.

This seems to be a standard, and this is a great reference.

Logo Design Love

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0321985206

The principles described in the book "Non-designer's Design Book" are surprisingly simple and robust. Although intended for non-designers, as the title suggests, I think it's a solid introduction for anyone to learn design.

The author talks about only four principles:

• Contrast - Elements that aren't the same should be very different so they stand out. Making them slightly different confuses the user into seeing a relation that doesn't exist.
  
• Repetition - Repeat styles for a cohesive feel. If you style related elements the same way in one area, continue that trend for other areas for consistency.
  
• Alignment - Everything needs to be visually connected to something else. Nothing should be out of place or distinct from all other design elements.
  
• Proximity - Proximity creates related meaning. Elements that are related should be grouped together, whereas separate design elements should have enough space in between to communicate they are different.
  
  Also makes for an easy-to-remember acronym.

If you are curious about how to charge clients, you should definitely invest in The Graphic Artist Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethnical Guidlines. it has tons of information on how to price your work accordingly.

The Non-Designers Design Book

Short, precise, easy read. Highly recommended.

The Humane Interface by the late Jef Raskin. It's amazing.

This is a good book, Design of Everyday Things
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0385267746

I almost exclusively sketch cars. But quite a few redditors recommend this book if you wanna learn to sketch.

This book might be of help.

I like The Design of Everyday Things

For information architecture, information display books i can recommend:

Information Visualization: Design For Interaction by Robert Spence

The Humane Interface by Jeff Raskin

i like this one: 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

I like this one too

http://www.amazon.ca/101-Things-Learned-Architecture-School/dp/0262062666

I'd check out Don Norman's writings, maybe starting with Design of Everyday Things (AKA The psychology of Everyday Things).

Other books that lead you closer to Human Factors might be books like Set Phasers on Stun: or reading about the various HF Societies

Do you want to start web design? Then learn to code. If you can spare some cash, get HTML and CSS by Jon Duckett.

If not, just go to w3schools.com or similar sites and try it out online.

Most of the code I know I learnt in only a few months.

There were a few books that were reccomended as staples in my Design degree.

History of Design

How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul

Making and Breaking the Grid

...and there was one caled 'Type' that I can't seem to remember the author of.

if you don't own this, you should.

Cradle to Cradle

Design for the Real World

Bill Buxton's Sketching user experiences:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sketching-User-Experiences-Interactive-Technologies/dp/0123740371/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1279318234&sr=1-1

Phenomenal type book: A Type Primer, John Kane.

A personal favorite

Logo Design Love

I know it sounds weird to you, but if you read "the design or everyday things" by Don Norman, you will encounter this idea.

The idea that products that you fail to use or make you feel stupid are bad designs and not "operator error."

It's a commonly held belief by designers and it makes more sense than you might think initially.

EDIT: another book even more relevant: this one is just stories of how people died because of bad designs https://www.amazon.com/Set-Phasers-Stun-Design-Technology/dp/0963617885