12 Design Books We Must Have Read in 2015
If you are a book lover and a designer, you will love this collection of twelve must-have titles that will be published in 2015.
A new year means lots of creative new books. If you do not have the time to check what is going to be published in 2015, I’ve got some good news for you. I have a collection here with 12 great titles you might consider reading. I personally cannot wait to get Lea Verou’s “CSS Secrets”, “The New Web Typography” by Jason Cranford Teague, “Creative Anarchy” by Denise Bosler and “Lessons in Typography” by Jim Krause. I will eventually buy all from the list below.
For the Steve Jobs fans, I have added “The Exclusive Biography” which gives a whole new perspective to one of most creative and charismatic people of our century.
Have a look at the list below, you might find some great titles for your book collection.
CSS Secrets
By Lea Verou
A practical guide with more than 40 unique techniques and tips for intermediate to advanced CSS developers that will help you in creating better websites. This will book will provide you with support to understand CSS deeply so you can find yourself better solutions and by applying Lea’s techniques to every CSS problems you are facing. You will get the information you need and you cannot find in any other book.
Publication Date: 7 May 2015
OrderGraphic Style Lab: Creating a Design Voice in 50 Exercises
By Steven Heller
There is no other book that will allow you to discover different design styles by guiding you with a playful and lively approach. The book begins with an introduction to the philosophy of learning through the process play. These 50 experimental design exercises cover the distinction between personal and universal style, historical and contemporary style and how type and typography define style.
These visual experiments will help designers increase their confidence in both personal and professional work. The book offers 50 experiments that apply fundamental principles of design in a creative and fun way.
Publication Date: 19 Mar 2015
OrderThe New Web Typography: Create a Visual Hierarchy with Responsive Web Design
By Jason Cranford Teague
Good typography means good web design. Times have changed and now designers have a vast selections of typefaces to create designs that stand out and speak in a definitive voice. There a no excuses for boring typography.
This book gives an insight in a beautiful web typography through implementing web fonts which help designers create future-proof and visually appealing websites. “The New Web Typography” shows how to implement responsive web typography through HTML5 and CSS3, a typography that looks good on desktops, tablets and smartphones. The case studies will give you that pinch of inspiration you need when you are creating a new responsive websites.
Publication Date: 22 Feb 2015
OrderShow Me, Don’t Tell Me: Visualizing Communication Strategy
By Dave Holston
This books is for people who have issues with conveying messages effectively to the audience and clients. If you are working in marketing or design this book will give you with creative solutions to solve any communication problems.
“Show Me, Don’t Tell Me” features 75 exercises that will help you overcome strategic communication problems by drawings, images, maps, role-playing and stories. It help you discover new ways to engage clients and audiences.
The author Dave Holston have 25 years of experience in marketing, design management, advertising and communication planning. Experience gained through working with the world’s largest organizations. He is the author of “The Strategic Designer” and “Design for online Engagement”.
Publication Date: 23 Jul 2015
OrderLessons in Typography: Must-Know Typographic Principles Presented Through Lessons, Exercises and Examples
By Jim Krause
Another great title coming in 2015. Full of lessons, exercises and witty explanations this book will guide you through basics of understanding and designing with type. You will learn how to customize characters from existing typefaces, create logos from letters and create better headlines and chunks of texts when used in layouts.
There are many contemporary and appealing examples of logos, monograms, word graphics and text-blocks that are created by the author to better illustrate the possibilities of designing with type.
Publication Date: 1 Jul 2015
OrderPaper Matters: A new Edge of Paper in Graphic Design
By Viction Workshop
Paper is the ultimate versatile materials that inspired designers and artists. It also provokes their imagination. In 2015, with all the technological advances paper becomes even more tempting medium for creatives to work with.
“Paper Matters” shows the creative potential of the paper and there are many examples of creative work along with information on the brands and paper used.
Publication Date: 16 Apr 2015
OrderDesign Funny: A Graphic Designer’s Guide to Humor
By Heather Bradley
Looking from the lighter side of graphic design, “Design Funny” is a great guide for people who are using wit in everyday work. Graphic design is not always strict corporate design with rules and guidelines. There are 300 witty images and 42 ways to design funny. Ten quizzes are included to reveal your sense of humor. You will also learn some amazing facts about design and humor theory from history and psychology.
Publication Date:27 Mar 2015
OrderNew Signage Design: Connecting People & Spaces
By Wang Shaoqiang
Public spaces used to be a lot more simple decades ago. With the development of the cities, public space became complex. Signage is more important than ever, especially when it comes to visiting new places. Designers have the challenging job to create understandable signage which aesthetically integrates with the built environment.
“New Signage Design: Connecting People & Spaces” presents a collection of the newest and freshest orientation systems and wayfinding designs from all over the world. A book immensely helpful for design professionals.
Publication Date: 23 Mar 2015
OrderJazz Covers – The greatest in Jazz LP art
By Joaquim Paulo
If you are a jazz lover and a designer, you will find this anthology of Jazz album artwork a real treasure. I covers half a century and shows the most daring and dynamic jazz cover designs. From the 1940s to the early 1990s, each cover design is unique and shows its own visual rhythms of frame, line, form, text and music.
Each record has some additional info about the performer, album name, art director, photographers, illustrator, year, label… A must have book for every designer and jazz fan.
Publication Date: Mar 2012
OrderCreative Anarchy: How to Break the Rules of Graphic Design for Creative Success
By Denise Bosler
It is funny how in college or university we learn to obey the rules of design. Our design teachers taught us the rules are important in order to create a design piece. We follow the rules of typography, layout, color, rhythm etc. so we can be sure that we have the job done in the best possible way.
“Creative Anarchy” is a book that explores the two sides – the rule-following and the rule-breaking designs. There are tips helping you be confident in not obeying the rules and creative exercises to push your designs to the next level. You will find particularly helpful the different sections dedicated to designing logos, posters, website, advertising, publications and many more.
Publication Date: 27 Feb 2015
OrderOtl Aicher
By Markus Rathgeb
Every designer knows who Otl Aicher is – the iconic German designer and educator. Mr. Aicher was a pioneer of the 20th century graphic desing, creating identities for well-known corporations such as Lufthansa, FSB and Erco. He also educated a whole generation of great designers in Hochschule fur Gestaltung in Ulm, Germany. Aicher is inspiring for designer with his design work often used as a method for political resistance and tool for social equality.
Phaidon releases this fascinating study in April 2015, a book which is a must-have for every design collection.
Publication Date: 22 Apr 2015
OrderSteve Jobs – The Exclusive Biography
By Walter Isaacson
Steve Jobs is one of the most inspirational and creative people of our the 20th century. This books is a collection of more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years. There are also interviews with more than 100 family membders, friends, colleagues and competitors. This books tells a story of very intense and ambitious personality whose mind was the driving force for the technological giant Apple. Steve Jobs was known as a entrepreneur striving for perfection, a person who changed a few industries: computers, phones, music, animated movies, tablet computing and digital publishing.
This book is an honest story of a creative person, a curious read for everyone who wants to learn some lessons from one of the most charismatic people of our time.
Publication Date: 5 Feb 2015
OrderDo you have a suggestion for a good design book that should be present in every design library? Leave a comment below so I can add it to the list…
