Read any good books recently? We know some ‘picture’ books you should pick up if you’re a business decision-maker, entrepreneur or marketing professional interested in the potential of graphic design.
Why’s a leading creative agency providing a list of recommended books on graphic design? We could be doing ourselves out of marketing design commissions by empowering in-house teams!
But it’s part of our ethos to share good practices. Plus, we devour the latest intel on creative topics as part of our own continuous development and trend-spotting.
So, here are four books about graphic design that we think you should give a read!
Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
Subtitle: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 5th Edition Dec 2017
This is a great book to enable decision-makers to get a handle on what branding means and ways to create a meaningful brand identity using effective graphic design.
It provides:
• A clear, practical perspective.
• Many examples of great graphic design.
• Case studies of how to apply design to good effect.
The book is also valuable to understand the strategic planning and governance that should be invested in brand collateral.
Graphic Design for … by Andy Cooke
Subtitle: Art, Fashion, Film, Architecture, Photography, Product Design and Everything in Between
Publisher: Prestel
Date: First edition Feb 2018
An essential reference guide for how to work in partnership with graphic designers.
It provides:
• Insights into a graphic designers role.
• Ways to optimise design briefs.
• Examples of successful creative collaboration.
It’s an overarching guide to how the graphic design process works and how top creatives produce their best outcomes. It also includes questions you need to ask creative agencies.
Paul Rand: a Designer’s Art
Subtitle: None
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Date: 1st edition Nov 2016
Some of you may already be feeling starstruck by the name Paul Rand, but for those of you who don’t know, Paul Rand is a global icon in this field, creating logos for globally-recognised brands such as IBM, UPS and ABC. For that reason, many consider this to be a must-read for anyone interested in graphic design!
It provides:
• A fascinating collection of his best-known designs.
• Insights into design processes.
• Valuable essays on design theory.
Find out how some of the best-known brands in the world were created. So simple yet so revolutionary!
How To… by Michael Beirut
Subtitle: Use graphic design to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry, and (every once in a while) change the world
Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd
Date: Revised and expanded edition June 2021
The title shows the reasons to read this book, which explores the way graphic design should be created and applied to achieve a multitude of purposes.
It provides:
• Examples across a diverse breadth of activity.
• Illustrations of how successful designs are identified.
• The influences that graphic designers use.
It’s a wonderful collection of graphic design ideas and anecdotes from a consummate professional. The latest edition includes his recent clients including Mastercard and The Poetry Foundation.
We are an ‘open book’ for free graphic design advice
“Reading is good. Action is better” – Entrepreneur Eric Ries.
Either after soaking up all this graphic design intel and inspiration – or to bypass the research process – contact us to ‘press’ us into providing free creative advice. We’re always happy to ‘exchange words’ about what great branding and marketing content looks like, to help clients turn over a ‘new page’ in their graphic design!
