However, that doesn’t mean throwing out a wild idea like “flashlight” is entirely wrong. Sometimes you need to brainstorm using this form of nonlinear thinking to trigger ideas you couldn’t arrive at otherwise. In the first lesson, you’ll learn the difference between visual design elements and visual design principles. You’ll also learn how to effectively use visual design elements and principles by deconstructing several well-known designs. Debbie Millman is best known as the host of the design podcast Design Matters. This book is inspired by the monologues she prepares for each episode and features illustrated essays on life and design. Covering topics ranging from brands and behaviour to rituals, love and music, this book will make you think and occasionally laugh out loud. 30. Branding: In Five and a Half Steps by Michael Johnson

Born 1938 in Havana, Cuba, Félix Beltrán, is one of Latin America's most important graphic designers. His works are situated in the tension between abstract geometry and concrete art, and this monograph showcases hundreds of his logos, posters, and book covers. A fascinating and inspiring insight into a great creative mind. 28. Logotype by Michael Evamy Learn more about the Typography by reading this thoughtful book by Ellen Lupton: Ellen Lupton. Thinking with Type. 2010. ( Link) I am not a designer, nor am I aspiring to be one. I read this as someone who appreciates art, talent and beauty, and someone who knows the importance of presentation when conveying a message. Designers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals examine classic design examples as well as exciting contemporary lettering of all stripes - from editorial illustrations to concert posters to radical conceptual alphabets.

Grid. Of the three sections (letters, text, and grid), grid is probably the least familiar. Lupton defines grid in this way: I know there are things in it that will be old hat to experienced visual communications folk, but I'm not one of them. I'm learning, and I know some of this stuff, but a lot I either don't know at all or need to read it again anyway to try to get it into my head.

In this revelatory book, celebrated designer Craig Oldham answers the common questions raised by graphic design graduates: What now? Where do you live? Can you afford to live? How can you make money doing design? How do you get a job? Who do you want to work for and are you good enough? Sharing his own experiences, as well as ideas, advice and inspiration, this book is as funny and honest as it is practical and useful. 12. Citizen First Designer Second by Rejane Dal Bello Sometimes people avoid concrete thinking because they don’t want to appear stubborn. However, we need more people to insist on evidence that supports the claims people throw around, well… and insist concretely. As designers, we select typefaces (a grouping of fonts including bold, regular and light) to match the context and make easy-to-read and pleasing text for users. We choose fonts that accentuate and match the spirit of our messages. For example, the Chiller font helps cast an atmosphere for the users of a horror-themed movie poster. The multitude of available fonts are variations of weights within typefaces, and the vast array of styles we can select have a long heritage.Historians and critics of typography have since proposed more finely grained schemes that attempt to better capture the diversity of letterforms. Designers in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries have continued to create new typefaces based on historic characteristics. Let’s take a look at the common classifications for Serif, Sans Serif, Monospace, Script and Display typefaces. This is one of those beautiful books that conveys meaning as much through its form as through its content. It contains many images of type designed in various ways, integrated with descriptive text to demonstrate various principles of typography. Written for “anyone who regularly and enthusiastically commits acts of visual communication”, as well as to accompany her own courses in typography at Maryland Institute College of Art, designer, author and Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students, provides not only the how but also the why of basic typesetting practices for both print and screen, grounding this practical knowledge in a historical and theoretical context. Much care has gone into the creation of this third title in the Design Briefs series from Princeton Architectural Press, bringing the instruction of typography into the twenty-first century. Display (decorative) type classification. 1 Display: Eclat, 2 Display: Bauhaus, 3 Display: Lobster. In the final lesson, you’ll learn about grid systems and their importance in providing structure within design. You’ll also learn about the types of grid systems and how to effectively use grids to improve your work.

Work Hard & Be Nice to People by Anthony Burrill 33. Drawing Type: An Introduction to Illustrating Letterforms by Alex FowkesGood by Design by Viction:workshop ltd. Image courtesy of Counterprint 21. Designing Type by Karen Cheng This was one of the first books on typography, and by extension graphic design I’ve read. I still love it. Nine years later, it’s still a go-to recommendation for someone curious about type, or someone who should be but doesn’t know it (yet). I'd consider this an introductory text, or a good reference for someone who's already internalized most of the content, but might want a high level reference nearby. If you've been doing visual or information design for a while some of this may be old hat, but there will probably be chunks that are new. What isn't gets conveyed in such a clear fashion that it's worth studying the the delivery anyway. Founded in 2002, Typographica is a review of typefaces and type books, with occasional commentary on fonts and typographic design. Edited by Stephen Coles and Caren Litherland and designed by Chris Hamamoto. Anthony Metivier has taught as a professor, is the creator of the acclaimed Magnetic Memory Method and the author behind a dozen bestselling books on the topic of memory and language learning… Read More We believe in Open Access and the democratization of knowledge. Unfortunately, world class educational materials such as this article are normally hidden behind paywalls or in expensive textbooks.