On the Subject of Design

2008 Oct 23
Comments 23
Published In Books, Design
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Reading is one of my great loves in life, a fact that is sometimes at odds with my smock wearing tendencies. Over the years, I’ve repeatedly affirmed self-education despite the lack of a classroom. This helps me stay sharp and challenge my notions about design and the stuff I make everyday.

Good books are tough to find, so I’ve begun keeping track of notable ones. I still get a lot of emails asking about graphic design reading recommendations, so when I relaunched this site, I decided to dedicate a section to others like me where I could keep a list of books that I’ve found helpful. I don’t provide these as a comprehensive canon, but as a source of books I’ve vetted as worthwhile for those wanting to keep learning. Enjoy!

Comments 23
Design Tags Adobe Caslon, Black, Blue
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23 Comments

Permalink for this comment Jake says: October 23, 2008

Thanks for the list, I picked up two from it earlier and am trying to find the time to read them. It is always interesting to see what people have on their book shelves.
Permalink for this comment Thomas says: October 23, 2008

Thanks for this list. I’ve bookmarked it as every few months I’m searching the web for good design/typography books to read. This list will come in extremely handy.
As we speak the book by Robert Bringhurst is on its way (to my) home.
Permalink for this comment David Appleyard says: October 23, 2008

Great list, and another example of a fantastically designed post.
Permalink for this comment Dave Joyce says: October 23, 2008

Design of Everyday things, that was the textbook required for my usability/human interaction design class!
Permalink for this comment Michael Jackson says: October 23, 2008

It’s nice to have a list of good design books from someone who is obviously an accomplished designer. I’m always looking for good ones, and this list should keep me busy for quite a while.

On another note, your blog is freaking awesome! Even if I’m not drawn in by the post subject line, I’ll always come and check it out just to see the way you’ve arranged things and the colors you’ve used.
Permalink for this comment Brandon Passley says: October 23, 2008

Everyone always knows that if they don’t know what to get me for x-mas, they can always get me a design book… and now I have so many more books to add to the “approved” list.
Permalink for this comment Kevin says: October 23, 2008

What a great collection of books. I have most of them on my shelf as well. Those that I don’t were lent out to peeps and never found their way back to me. At least they went to a happy home, so I tell myself.
Permalink for this comment Leif Miltenberger says: October 23, 2008

Thanks for the excellent list of resources!

As I was browsing through the list, I noticed something that might make it a bit easier: it would be great if there were “Previous / Next” links on the expanded detail pages for each book. Just a small suggestion.

Cheers!
Permalink for this comment Chris Johnson says: October 23, 2008

I continue to be amazed by the sheer awesomeness of each new post/article you create. Even when I don’t really care about the content – I like cheesesteaks, but not that much – I still find myself poking around the articles just to see what cool new stuff you’ve done with the design.

Bravo.
Permalink for this comment miss.shellie says: October 23, 2008

which one is your favorite?
Permalink for this comment Jason Santa Maria says: October 23, 2008
@ miss.shellie :

which one is your favorite?

Oh man, that’s tough. I don’t know if I could single out just one, but my favorites would have to be:
- Understanding Comics
- Eats, Shoot & Leaves
- Design Writing Research
- The Brand Gap
- The Elements of Typographic Style
Permalink for this comment Matt Donovan says: October 23, 2008

You would enjoy readernaut
Permalink for this comment Jason Santa Maria says: October 23, 2008

@ Matt Donovan : I’m already on Readernaut, but admittedly, I don’t really use it. I’ve fallen into the same trap as with most book sites like that, I get bored with always updating my progress. Until it becomes a quick activity (like me just saying “page 20 of The Brand Gap“ out loud to my computer), these kinds of services probably won’t catch on with me.
Permalink for this comment miss.shellie says: October 23, 2008

ok I’m going to close my eyes and pick one of those. ;) * * *
Thanks.
Permalink for this comment Luke Dorny says: October 23, 2008

Just great.
Opens… then closes amazon.

Opens… then closes amazon.

Well, okay. i’ll take two more. Opens… then places order finally. There are about 70% of these books that are not on my reading shelf.
The design of the books compel you.
The design of the books compel you.
The design of the books compel you.
Permalink for this comment Jonathan says: October 23, 2008
I’m just 4 weeks into my 1st year of a graphic design university course, and already my bookshelf has:

On your list:
- Thinking with Type (Lupton)
- What is a designer (Potter)
- How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul (Shaughnessy)
- Type and Typography (Baines/Haslam)
- Visual Literacy (Wilde)
- Eats, Shoots and Leaves (Truss)
Others:
- Graphic Design School (Dabner)
- Graphic Design – The New Basics (Lupton)
- What is Graphic Design? (Newark)
- How Designers Think (Lawson)
- The Non-Designers Design Book (Williams)
- How to have Creative Ideas (De Bono)
- Graphic Design That Works (Rockport Publishing)
- A Technique for Producing Ideas (BernBach)
- Design Essentials Index (Krause)
- The Elements of Style (Strunk & White)
- On Writing Well (Zinsser)
  & several photography books….
Do you think I have an addiction to buying design books? Now I just have to find time in between constant project work to read some of them!!!
Permalink for this comment Max Weir says: October 23, 2008

Thanks for sharing your collection with us, I’m always fascinated by how each new post will look like and this is just another great example.

Thanks.
Permalink for this comment Jason Santa Maria says: October 23, 2008

@ Luke Dorny : Well, I’m glad you finally decided! I’ve read tons of design books (many are not so helpful, or have been better written by others), and after working my way through the old regulars, I’ve tried to start finding some that come at design or creation from a different angle.

@ Jonathan : Great list! I’ve read all of the ones on your Others (except How Designers Think, which is sitting on top of a new stack of books on my desk), and a few of those a good reads too.
Permalink for this comment Andy Ford says: October 23, 2008

I’m very narrowly focused on html and css but your (awesome) presentation at AEA SF has inspired me to learn more about design and typography. So, thanks for that and thanks for this hand picked list!
Permalink for this comment Steven Clark says: October 23, 2008

Tufte’s “Beautiful Evidence” is worth picking up, too.
Permalink for this comment Allen Gingrich says: October 25, 2008

I’m not sure what this says about me, but having purchased every single title on your now depreciated list, I think you have just single handedly crippled my checkbook yet again, as the last readings you suggested have truly improved my knowledge of not only design but of life so much, that I feel predestined to buy the 15 or so you just added.

I will still continue on with my degree in English, nothing I have read has changed that. But you can bet your ass that when the day comes and my publisher opens his briefcase and lays out a large glossy sheet on his desk, and says, “Allen, here is the final layout,” I’ll nonchalantly brush it aside, and from my back pocket produce my own sheet.

“I don’t think so,” I will say, as he marvels over my self-taught-from-many-a-book skills.

Long story, short: You’re an inspiration, as are the books you suggest.
Permalink for this comment Daniel Nicolas says: October 27, 2008

So in a year, we will find a JSM design book that goes through what are considered to be this site’s most noteworthy of articles (by design, not topic), explaining and showing off all the creative decisions and the internal narrative that goes on during your designing process…right?
Permalink for this comment Jason Santa Maria says: October 27, 2008

@ Allen Gingrich : Wow, I’m glad my recommendations have proved so useful! I look forward to your book layouts. And I apologize for your declining bank account. Rest assured, I only recommend books I think are really good. I read and quickly forget about all the other not-so-good ones that line some of my shelves.

@ Daniel Nicolas : Don’t hold your breath :)