Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
FRANCIS BACON • PHILOSOPHER and statesmanDuring my career as a graphic designer and educator, I have found many inspiring books and blogs with valuable information. Here is a list of some inspiring resources. I try to update this list constantly, so please enjoy and do not hesitate to share your favorites with me!
Logo Design Love
(don’t miss the style guides)
Under Consideration
(subscription is worth it!)
Typewolf
(checklist is worth every dollar)
Brand Style Guides
(collection of brand guidelines)
Print Guide
(don’t miss the past topics in the sidebar)
Print is Dead (Long Live Print!)
Design Matters
with Debbie Millman
Milton Glaser Interview
talks about moving people into action
Andrews, Van Leeuwen & Van Baaren. (2013). Hidden persuasion. 33 psychological influence techniques in advertising. Amsterdam: BIS Publishers.
Hall, Sean. (2007). This means this. This means that. A user’s guide to semiotics. London: Laurence King Publishing.
Lucas, G. (2006). Guerrilla advertising. Unconventional brand communication. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.
McAlhone, Beryl & Stuart, David. (2009). A smile in the mind. London: Phaidon Press.
Pricken, M. (2008). Creative advertising. Ideas and techniques from the world’s best campaigns. (M. Whittall, Trans.). New York: Germany. (Original work published 2001).
Bierut, M. (2018). How to. New York: Harper Design.
Conradi, J. (2010). Unimark International. The design of business and the business of design. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller Publishers.
Draplin, A. J. (2016). Draplin Design Co. Pretty much everything. New York: Abrams.
Kennedy, A. (Ed.). (2011). Identify. Basic principles of identity design of the iconic trademarks of Chermayeff & Geismar. New York: Print Publishing.
Stout, DJ. (2015). Variations on a rectangle. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press.
Vignelli, M. (2007). Vignelli from A–Z. Australia: The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd.
Vignelli, M. (2010). The Vignelli Canon. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller Publishers.
Wyman, L. (2014). Lance Wyman. Mexico. México, D.F. Editorial RM, S.A. de C.V.
Airey, D. (2010). Logo design love: A guide to creating iconic brand identities. Berkeley: New Riders.
Johnson, M. (2016). Branding. In five and a half steps. New York. Thames & Hudson.
Gob, M. (2009). Emotional branding: the new paradigm for connecting brands to people. New York: Allworth Press.
Landa, R. (2006). Designing brand experiences: Creating powerful integrated brand solutions. New York: Thomson Delmar Learning.
Lindstrom, M. (2005). Brand sense: Build powerful brands through touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. New York: Free Press.
Lindstrom, M. (2008). Buy•ology. Truth and lies about why we buy. New York: Broadway Books.
Neumeier, M. (2006). The brand gap. Berkeley: New Riders.
Neumeier, M. (2007). ZAG. Berkeley: New Riders.
Olins, W. (2008). Wally Olins: The brand handbook. UK: Thames & Hudson Inc.
Olins, W. (2014). Brand New: The shape of brands to come. UK: Thames & Hudson Inc.
Sheehan, B. (2013). Loveworks. How the world’s top marketers make emotional connections to Win in the Marketplace. Brooklyn, NY: Powerhouse Books.
Wheeler, A. (2018). Designing brand identity: an essential guide for the entire branding team. (5th. ed). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Bierut, M. & Helfand, J. & Heller, S. & Poynor, R. (Eds.). (1999). Looking closer three. Classic writings on graphic design. New York: Allworth Press.
Bierut M. & Drenttel, W. & Heller, S. (Eds.). (2006). Looking closer five. Classic writings on graphic design. New York: Allworth Press.
Bierut, M. (2018). Now you see it and another essays on design. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Bierut, M. (2007). Seventy-nine short essays on design. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Cranmer, J. & Zappaterra, Y. (2003). Conscientious objectives: designing for an ethical message. Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision SA.
Heller, S. & Ilic, M. (2008). Icons of graphic design. (2nd. Ed.). New York. Thames & Hudson. Inc.
Eiseman, L. (2006). Color: messages and meanings, a Pantone color resource. Gloucester, MA: Hand Books Press.
de Orellana, M. (Ed.). Diseño gráfico en México. 100 años. México, D.F. Artes de México y del Mundo, S.A. de C.V.
Rand, P. (2014). Thoughts on design. (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Shaw, P. (2011). Helvetica and the New York City subway system: the true (maybe) story. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Vilchis Esquivel, L del C. (2010). Historia del diseño gráfico en México. 1910—2010. México, D.F.: INBA y CONACULTA.
Environmental Graphic Design.
Berger, C., Lorenc, J., & Skolnick, L. (2007). What is exhibition design? Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision SA.
Calori, C. (2007). Signage and wayfinding design. A complete guide to creating graphic design systems. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Gibson, D. (2009). The wayfinding handbook. Information design for public spaces. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
de Jong, M. & Kossmann, H. (2010). Engaging spaces. Exhibition design explored. (B. Nolan, Trans.) Minneapolis, MN: Amsterdam
Lin, G. (2015). Follow me III. Hong Kong: SendPoints Publishing Co., Ltd.
Mollerup, P. (2005). Wayshowing. A guide to environmental signage. Principles & practices. Switzerland: Lars Müller Publishers.
Bringhurst, R. (2008). The elements of typographic style. Point Roberts, WA: Hartley & Marks.
A MUST!
Flor, M. (2017). The golden secrets of lettering. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Haslam, A. (2006). Bookdesign. A comprehensive guide. London: Laurence King.
Hill, W. (2010). The complete typographer. A manual for designing with type. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Hische, J. (2015). In progress. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, LLC.
Houston, K. (2013). Shady characters. The secret life of punctuation, symbols & other typographical marks. London: W. W. Norton & Company.
Morlok, F & Wazlelewski, M. (2018). Bookbinding. A comprehensive guide to folding, sewing & binding. (Waight, C. Trans.). New York. Princeton Architectural Press.
Samara, T. (2002). Making and breaking the grid. A graphic design layout workshop. Beverly, MA. Rockport Publishers.
Williams, J. (2012). Simple tips for everyday typography. Type matters! London: Merrell Publishers.
University training will provide the future graphic designer with all the tools of the profession, but even more with the proper cultural level to give depth to their work and to make them the responsible designers that society needs.
MASSIMO VIGNELLI • ARCHITECT, DESIGNER, AND AUTHOR