Top products from r/design

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u/Jardun · 2 pointsr/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:

u/DigitalSuture · 4 pointsr/Design

Websites:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/

http://psd.tutsplus.com/ There is one for vector illustrations also.

http://www.lynda.com/

Web design podcast

Books

Your new bible on type

Lee Varis "Skin". Awesome book on working with skintones

Photo-compositing

Web usability testing

Fun stuff:

Flash cards, the fun kind to get your brain going

color swatches by Pantone

Calibrate you monitor; you don't know what colors you can print without a baseline

Just realize what you print and what your screen show can be close, but it will never be 100 percent accurate. This also depend on the viewing conditions. Calibrate your monitor, get a backup system in place, read and make your own assignments, and good luck. If you want to buy a bunch of business cards cheaper than VistaPrint or elsewhere with a digital offset waterless system... try

CopyCraft.com

Unless you have money for letterpress cards, but i would only hand those to decisionmakers that sign checks :)

Also i almost forgot... magazines!!!

Many on this list

And i personally like this one

Also you need to make sure your drawing skills constantly improve. I use photoshop for photos exclusively and it speeds up my workflow and helps me with my understanding of light and creating shadows etc. I can't stress maybe a Figure Drawing class (if you have a bad position it is okay to move to a better "view") or something similar to help work through drawings faster and get a better basis of form. These little notebooks are so handy to keep for quick sketches and ideas, and random people that are potential clients.

A Wacom tablet (unless you can afford a Cliniq) is so awesome to have. I have the XL and it is too much... the Large is sufficient unless space. I hear that the smallest size is just too small for most people.

Here is a awesome glove to help with sweaty hands and to keep it smooth, i actually just got mine and it actually helps with my editing on my tablet.

edit: added moleskin/wacom/smudgeguard info

u/mannoymanno · 2 pointsr/Design

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!

u/ClockworkSyphilis · 2 pointsr/Design

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!

u/arbitrarycolors · 2 pointsr/Design

I've found all of these books to be helpful. I think you mainly would find the Grid Systems book useful.

Grid Systems by Kimberly Elam is a pretty good reference for using grids and better understanding composition. It has alot of examples of works that are accompanied by transparent pages that have grids to lay over them.

Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton helped with just understanding typography better.

Designing Type by Karen Cheng is good for understanding the intricacies of type and the differences between different typefaces by using grids.

u/black-tie · 3 pointsr/Design

On typography:

u/iamktothed · 4 pointsr/Design

Interaction Design

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/Design

The Art of Looking Sideways is not strictly a design book, but is great for inspiration on dry days and full of interesting stories and ideas to help you start thinking laterally.

u/zuluthrone · 1 pointr/Design

Design at it's core is the marriage between content and form. Some marriages are calm, stable, and reassuring while others are codependent, paranoid, and toxic. Both can have amazing results when you know what you're doing.

Thinking with Type was my favorite intro textbook in school. It has a straightforward approach to theory with examples that are both beautiful and inspiring.

My advice would be to exhaust yourself of ideas. Put as many quick attempts together as possible with each as different from the previous as possible. Often the best ideas come after this moment of frustration.

Also, think to space god's quote from futurama. Design is invisible, reactions are implicit.

u/kakajuice · 1 pointr/Design

First, I would study some basic design principles. Look at a few books on typography, grid, etc. Learn about some of the major design movements.

Check out these book:
http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Principles-Design-Revised-Updated/dp/1592535879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299115160&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Grid-Systems-Principles-Organizing-Design/dp/1568984650/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299115186&sr=1-7-spell

What tends to happen is most people dive into these tutorials knowing how to use the programs, but not knowing anything about design in general. Knowing how to use Photoshop doesn't necessarily mean you are a designer, like knowing how to play a few chords on a guitar doesn't necessarily make you a musician.

Web design is big now, but if you want to hop on the next gravy train, I'd suggest getting into Mobile / Tablet visual design. The demand is hot and theres not enough people who know how to do proper visual design for touch screen devices.

Oh yeah, and Lynda.com and tutsplus is good too. Learn the programs, but don't expend too much energy learning fancy lighting tricks until you've learnt the basics of design. It'll help build a foundation on which you can go from there.





u/timbojimbo · 6 pointsr/Design

I have compiled a reading list to be read in order just for this question.

I strongly believe that these books will make you better than 90% of designers out there.

Level One

Start with Thinking with Type it is a really good introduction to all things graphic design. It focuses a lot on typography and it is really basic. I

Next is Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type This book takes what you learned in Thinking with Type and allows you to develope it further in a grid based system. Its good, basic, and has exercises for you to do to play with composition.

Third on the list is Graphic Design: The New Basics It will take what you learned in Thinking with Type and Grid Systems and open them up a little. You learn about design elements other than just type like scale, rhythm and contrast. It really good, and has some projects to do.

Level 2

Now You can get into more "advanced" stuff. There are a lot of books that can go here, but Ill recommend some of my favorites. Its not as important to do this section in order.

Grid Systems in Graphic Design is the bible when it comes to grids. Its german and dry as fuck, but it is basically awesome. Its expensive, but worth every single penny.

Elements of Typographic Style Not alot about grids in here, but it tells you every insane crazy thing that typographers do when they massage text.

You can look at other designers work too. Heres a list of designers I like a lot:

Stefan Sagmeister

Paul Rand

Massimo Vignelli

James Victore

Paul Sahre

Wolfgang Weinhart

Paula Scher

Tibor Kalman

Most of these designers also have books out about their life and work.

Get a sketchbook and play around in it. Draw, collage, glue bubblegum wrappers in there. Just make it a diary of your visual life.

You could also get into Visual Theory here:
Norman Bryson has a book on still lifes that awesome
JWT Mitchell's What do pictures want is great

After this, its just a matter of making a lot of really bad shit and eventually its just a little less worse and maybe one day it might be good.

Ive got more, but that should keep you busy for a year or two.

u/foaming_infection · 3 pointsr/Design

It is listed in one of the posts already, but I have this book and can honestly say it IS the book you are looking for. Its design, but not limited to one field of study.


Universal Principles of Design


Stellar book. Breaks down tons of design principles, which could aid graphic designers, product designers, architects, computer programers, etc. I would definitely call this a Design Encyclopedia. Great book. Worth every penny.

u/coolplate · 1 pointr/Design

I'm in a similar position. I'm working on a PhD in Electrical Engineering, so that boat has pretty much sailed for me. I LOVE manufacturing processes and design. I hear these two books are good:
Making It: Manufacturing Techniques for Product Design

and
Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals

I might want to do a post of my own to see if I can get some advice for myself. Does anyone have ideas of how I can get into product design? I'm interested in things such as those that are posted on Yanko Design.

u/kcolttam · 1 pointr/Design

Well, as an ex-designer that now pretty much exclusively codes, I'd say your time would be best spent around typography. Here's a book that I would highly recommend. :)

u/kaijudrifting · 2 pointsr/Design

Wacom products are good, but I find they're overpriced for what you get. I'm currently rocking a Huion H610 ($76.99 on Amazon). My first tablet was a Wacom Bamboo that served me just fine (aside from the USB cable shorting out a couple times; customer service always replaced it for a small fee), but honestly I like the Huion better.

u/urzaz · 1 pointr/Design

If you're having trouble with text and typography, I recommend Elements of Typographic Style. From letters and glyphs to pages and columns, it's a great read (actually funny in places) and will help you know what you want to do with your type. Then it's usually a pretty simple matter of googling how to do that in InDesign.

This isn't directly skills-related, but if you're going to be working as a designer you should read Design is a Job. A lot of really great practical info on working as a designer and the industry you don't usually hear people talk about.

u/drewnibrow · 1 pointr/Design

Hey Mug2k. I think you are progressing well. Here are some resources that helped me with web and interaction heavy stuff b/c that's the direction you seem to be going. Also kudos for using Sketch!


Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug (The bible of interaction):
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Think-Revisited-Usability/dp/0321965515


A Book Apart by Various Authors (Based on the excellent blog 'A List Apart'):
http://www.abookapart.com/


Design+Code by Meng To (One of the best when it comes to Sketch):
http://designcode.io/

u/bearachute · 3 pointsr/Design
  1. Spellcheck
  2. Use a grid, organize your information, make the distinction between content, description of that content, and metadata
  3. Learn about typography and type design history -- the Helvetica you are using is a rough digital replication of the metal cut for small point sizes, not display
  4. Have your website up before you submit anything
  5. Your portfolio should consist of anywhere from 4 to 12 projects targeted exactly for the job/internship you're after -- everything irrelevant should be taken out. It's better to have a lighter portfolio that is completely on point than a heavier portfolio with fluff.
  6. The reason your portfolio is so big, filesize wise, is because you are using software to make it which rasterizes your type, rather than preserving the postscript outlines. This means that not only is it harder to send online, it's going to print like shit. Most people who look at your stuff are going to see it online first, so make sure you have a compressed version that you feel comfortable attaching in an email (<10MB), as well as a print version you can take to clients.
  7. Use the design process to decide how your portfolio will look when printed -- if that's appropriate. How is your work intended to be viewed? Approximate that as best as possible in your portfolio.
  8. If you're not sure which software to use to make all this stuff: get a copy of InDesign and start learning.
u/clifwith1f · 5 pointsr/Design

I highly recommend Edward Tufte's book Envisioning Information. It's a bit older but still incredible prescient in formulating how to lay out graphical elements such as graphs and maps. A truly gorgeous book.

u/sprokolopolis · 3 pointsr/Design

Meggs' History of Graphic Design details the evolution of visual communication through the ages, starting with the birth of written language. An understanding and knowledge of the eras of graphic design and the forces/politics/people/movements that shaped it is a valuable asset. This makes a great reference book as well.

edit: typo

u/mikeycdog · 5 pointsr/Design

Another good book that surveys typography and introduces lots of general concepts:
Thinking With Type

A book you may find useful for color theory - it is about the relationships between colors, and was originally a book that came with colored paper to follow along with. It helps with seeing these relationships, not what good color combinations would be (this is some more like Kuler)
Interaction of Color

u/wassailant · 5 pointsr/Design

This is really misleading.

A Graphic Designer can work across fields including (but not limited to) advertising, and:

  • medical - scientific illustrations, product info, packaging
  • environment - wayshowing, signage, installations
  • publication - typesetting, layout, production
  • branding - logotype, look/feel, brand extension
  • motion - multimedia, film/television, flash
  • web - user interface, site development
  • gaming - inhouse graphics, promotions

    Just to name a few.

    For your instance I would suggest it's worth developing any skills that are going to help you and give your work an edge, and understanding design and how it's made will definitely give you that.

    That said, the label 'Art Director' could be used in more than one way. Typically a Senior Designer (so a graphic designer with lots of experience and talent) might go on to become an Art Director, and this role would see her responsible for interpreting the creative given to them by the ad folk. On the flip side, within ad firms there's a term 'Art Director' that doesn't necessarily require design skills, but would almost always require a solid appreciation and knowledge of art and design and the market being targeted.

    Check out these:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typography

    http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Type-2nd-revised-expanded/dp/1568989695/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292171536&sr=8-1
u/MrAleex · 1 pointr/Design

I think for her actual needs she would be better with a tablet, do you think Huion is the best option?
If it is, which one of these 3 would you take?
Tablet 2
Tablet 4
Tablet 6


Seriously, you don't know how much I owe you, guys!! ^^

u/Cobalt_Genie · 1 pointr/Design

interesting.

So do you recommend any books on this subject? I'm trying to get a better handle on typical user flows and use cases…

Anyone read Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug?

I was thinking of picking this up.

u/nut854 · 1 pointr/Design

Peter Morville's polar bear book is considered the original IA bible by many in the field and possibly how Information Architecture got it's name. I'd recommend having a commanding knowledge of the fundamentals in this book before doing much else.

Don't make me think is also widely refereed to in web design that focuses on IA and web usability. We commonly photocopy pages from this book and give them to clients who don't have a clue about the field.

Lastly, if at all possible, try going to next year's IA Summit. The people you will meet there and the ideas you will learn will be very valuable.

u/HMDombie · 2 pointsr/Design

I would actually start off with some typography since it's such a huge part and foundation of graphic design. "Thinking with type" is a good little book. Messing up your type is an easy way to break a layout.

u/jaydee_says · 14 pointsr/Design

The idea everything should live within some kind of structure consisting of columns, padding and alignment, etc.

You can use the grid to help create those lines, most people will pull guides and custom measure our a grid. Some prefer to build a grid and design within, others will design organically and mold a grid as they go.

A good read on the practice.

u/CatchACrab · 3 pointsr/Design

I always recommend the art of looking sideways by Alan Fletcher. It's a great book to just have laying around so you can look at it whenever you've got a couple minutes to spare.

u/nonameowns · 2 pointsr/Design

no prob

it's very common to work at something for a long time and become blind to certain stuff

what works for me is to flip the art horizontally and/or vertically while in progress and you should notice right away the flaws then keep working then flip again. it keep your perspective fresh

also I strongly recommend for you to read understanding comics
despite the comic focus, it teach the whole visual language approach thing and it will blow your mind

u/lapiak · 4 pointsr/Design

I'd recommend you read The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman.

If everything is a wall of text, it's not quickly scanned. There are visual cues that aid scanning. Organization and hierarchy helps. Typographic choices in legibility and readability are also important.

u/lordgold · 1 pointr/Design

Meggs' History of Graphic Design

http://www.amazon.com/Meggs-History-Graphic-Design-Philip/dp/0471699020/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250861554&sr=8-1

An incredibly interesting book, I bought it for use in my sophmore History of Graphic Design class last year, and still read it.

Also, another vote for Elements of Typographic Style. An incredible resource if you're at all interested in type.

u/shrubberni · 1 pointr/Design

I'm pretty sure you know I know what you mean, and that you know I know you know what I mean. I'm assuming everyone here read POET at some point.

u/OneGirlArmy · 2 pointsr/Design

I always really loved this book; Making and breaking the Grid. It was essential when I was in Design School.

u/chmod777 · 6 pointsr/Design

The elements of typographic style

http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Typographic-Style-Robert-Bringhurst/dp/0881792063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250821514&sr=8-1

learned more about fonts and font design than i ever wanted to. great book. lots of why, lots of theory, not as many examples.

u/schwat_team · 2 pointsr/Design

In almost every GD class I took at the California College of the Arts this book was required reading. its a great reference for beginners and really reasonable in price compared to my tuition.

u/domatron · 1 pointr/Design

I would second the h60.

It has a decent sized drawing area and for under $100 it's great for a beginner.

u/FeatheredOdyssey · 3 pointsr/Design

I'm partial to Thinking with Type and How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul myself.

Both are very instructional and inspirational

u/stalklikejason · 2 pointsr/Design

Buy this, then read the shit out of it and try again.

u/zombienash · 1 pointr/Design

Thinking with Type

Graphic Design: The New Basics

Layout Essentials


Read them. Lacking graphic design history isn't your problem. You're lacking quite a few fundamental skills, and these books are good places to start - they're required texts in many design programs.


Again, read them, don't just give them a 'cursory glance'.

u/minusidea · 2 pointsr/Design

That's poor planning in the beginning of the process. I highly recommend Logo Design Love by David Airey. After I read it I took 1 or 2 processes away from it that I hadn't used before and it helped a bit.

u/TommyFive · 2 pointsr/Design

On this note, I found this book to be much more effective than Making It:
http://www.amazon.com/Manufacturing-Processes-Design-Professionals-Thompson/dp/0500513759

Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals, by Rob Thompson.

Very in depth, and covers more topics of manufacturing than Making It. Excellent examples and pictures too!

u/JazzRules · 1 pointr/Design

Ahhh these type exercises bring back fond memories! Typography can be a difficult thing to learn and teach because there is never one answer to a problem. Just learn the few things you shouldn't do and rock out with the rest. It is a skill that has a feel to it and the only way to develop an eye for it is to just practice and observe. I will dig out some of my work of similar projects and share.

Here are some of my favorite reads from back in day.

The Elements of Typographic Style

The Fundamentals of Typography

U&lc : Influencing Design & Typography

u/andhelostthem · 1 pointr/Design

Look for books on grid design (here's a simple one I own), check out some magazines with good design (wired, espn) and watch framing and color use in high end commercials, billboards and print ads.

u/Redswish · 38 pointsr/Design

Actually I think it's visual innuendo. The comic begins by implying that he's looking at porn, so things are starting to get blue, a bit naughty. The silhouettes reveal less, you can't see clothes (maybe they aren't wearing any), and leave more to the imagination—get you thinking 'what's he looking at there?'.

There's a lot more to comics than 'artistic effects' and the dialogue. If you're interested further, check out this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Comics-The-Invisible-Art/dp/006097625X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=15NXBCDIMJODD&coliid=I3HBL84XK10YEE

u/conxor · 4 pointsr/Design

The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Brinhurst is what you're looking for.

Hermann Zapf said “I wish to see this book become the Typographers’ Bible,” and Hoefler & Frere-Jones consider it "the finest book ever written about typography".

u/lazylock · 2 pointsr/Design

I don't have any experience with Monoprice tablets, but I do have a Huion 610. It runs well on Windows 7 using the drivers from their site without any hassle, so I don't believe being a cheaper alternative to Wacom tablets is necessarily the issue.

u/chops893 · 2 pointsr/Design

Check out Frenden and his Wacom-alternative tablet reviews. I bought a Huion H610 and like it much more than my old Intuos 3, and for at least 1/2 the price. Here'a link to the new H610 Pro.

u/You11You · 17 pointsr/Design

https://www.amazon.ca/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/0321344758

The way I learned UI design quickly was to put together some designs and ask for critiques from designers. There used to be a website where you could get critiques for your designs (in exchange for giving critiques yourself).

u/ElDumpo · 1 pointr/Design

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.

u/el3r9 · 1 pointr/Design

Gotta ask the extremely obvious question, are you using a grid?

I was designing my (print) portfolio recently, and [this book](Thinking with Type, 2nd revised and expanded edition: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568989695/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gfAyyb1X1NJWM) has been of terrific help. You'll find useful ideas there for web design as well.

There are also some hard limits on how wide a line is compared to the font size. As in, the maximum number of letters on a single line. I think it's about 45-60 letters, but I could be mistaken. But this is the sort of thing that could be researched when "deciding widths".

u/pauselaugh · 14 pointsr/Design

Here's really how, rather than reading an incomplete paraphrasing of it:

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

Required reading at the Institute of Design, in 1994. (The Bauhaus).

u/SkinnyMeanMan · 8 pointsr/Design

The Elements of Typographic Style

It may be a bit dense for a beginner, however it's been referenced as the bible of typography multiple times to me, by unrelated sources! (And it's cheap!)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881792063/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0881791326&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=191BS5CQJSX6RBDKACAE

u/Animent · 2 pointsr/Design

If you had to read one single book on typography I would say this one

u/leworking · 2 pointsr/Design

Universal Principles of Design. Lots of concepts in design explained a topic per page.

u/mandix · 3 pointsr/Design

You should read this book: Brockman's Grid Systems Book know it. learn it. and use it/practice it. Finally post your revisions. I know you have put a lot of work in this, but its hard to read and the design feels weak (ie not something that would make me proud to work there).

I would try to get that book (library, I think there is an online version) and try employing the principles he talks about.