My Top 5 Design Books

Filed Under Design

We all have those trusted resources that we turn to. Books on topics ranging from business, cooking, art, or other sources of inspiration. The ones with the well-worn covers and the broken spines. With all of the information available to us via the internet, there’s nothing like thumbing through a familiar book and flipping to the exact page you need to see.

Hit the jump below to see my top 5 design books complete w/ pics, book details and more! *All prices based off Amazon.com

1) Book Title: The New Big Book of Color;Author: David Carson; Price: $35.99
One of my favorite books to go to when I’m looking for that perfect color combination for anything from an identity, to a flyer, or even a website. This book contains tons and tons of visual examples of other design work sorted by color categories such as “Classic”, “Pastel”, “Natural” and “Modern”. In addition to this sorting, the book displays the colors used in each piece along with their CMYK, RGB, and Hex color mixes. This is the perfect solution for that time when you can’t quite find the right color combinations, or when you have a vision of a color, but just can’t seem to duplicate it. A must have a for any designer.

2) Book Title: Logo Lounge: Volume 3;Author: Catharine Fishel & Bill Gardner; Price: $25.65
You can never have enough logo/identity inspiration. It’s hard for me not to get jazzed about designing a logo when I look at all of the ones in here and the intense amount of creativity that they display. It almost sets a challenge each time I set out to design a logo, trying to create a logo that is worthy of being in a collection like this. One day….

3) Book Title: Colossal Design;Author: Clare Warmke; Price: A Ridiculous $.01
A great book of case studies for numerous types of projects and campaigns ranging from flyers, cds, package design and more. The book gives the reader a detailed view of the process behind each of the projects which serve as great examples of successful and deliberate planning and careful execution. A nice read if you’re looking for some insight into the corporate design world.

4) Book Title: Dutch Design Annual;Author: unknown; Price: unknown
This giant book is one of my favorites simply because of the sheer variety of artwork contained within. Granted the book is entirely in Dutch, but you don’t need words to understand the awesomeness of some of these designs. With over 400 pages of flyers, logos, posters, brochures, and more it’s harder to NOT find something you’ll like in here.

5) Book Title: The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines; Author: The Graphic Artists Guild; Price: $35 for non-members of the G.A.G. and $29 for members
G.A.G. releases a new one of these each year, each with updates to help ensure that graphic designers are being protected and within their rights. It also has great tips on any designer looking for tips on how to bill their clients. This book contains many of the essential information and tips that are sure to keep the new graphic designer in the know or to keep the veteran designer updated on their rights as a designer.