15 Books Every Graphic Designer Should Read

15 Books Every Graphic Designer Should Read

For starting designers, a few guidelines can make a real difference between a smooth debut, with a clean work flow and a stressful one, with tons of coffee both spilled and drunk. This set of books will provide a useful set of advices a designer should know: design, business, how to handle clients, pricing and more. Here they are.

Essential Principles of Graphic Design by Debbie Millman

The essential principles of graphic design

1000 Graphic Elements by W. Harvey

1000 graphic elements

A Smile in the Mind – Witty Thinking in Graphic Design by Beryl McAlhone & David Stuart

A smile in the mind

The Graphic Design Business Book – Tad Crawford

The graphic design business book

Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design by Bryony Gomez

Graphic design referenced

Becoming a Graphic Designer: A Guide to Careers in Design by Steven Heller and Teresa Fernandes

Becoming a graphic designer

Typeface: Classic Typography for Contemporary Design by Tamye Riggs

Typeface Classic Typography for Contemporary Design

Graphic Design Exercise Book – Creative Assignments to Enhance Your Skills and Develop Your Portfolio by Carolyn Knight and Jessica Glaser

The graphic design exercise book

Great Graphic Design on a Budget – How to Do More with Less by Scott Witham

Great graphic design on a budget

Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips

Graphic Design - The New Basics

A History of Graphic Design by Philip B. Meggs

A history of graphic design

Bibliographic: 100 Classic Graphic Design Books by Jason Godfrey

Bibliographic

100 Habits of Successful Graphic Designers by PLAZM

100 Habits of successful graphic designers

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

Graphic Artist Guild Handbook

Thinking with Type: A Primer for Designers: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students by Ellen Lupton

Thinking with type

Selling Graphic & Web Design by Donald Sparkman

Selling graphic and web design

Designing with Type – The Essential Guide to Typography by James Craig

designing with type

How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer by Debbie Millman

How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer

How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy

How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul

Design Diaries: Creative Process in Graphic Design by Lucienne Roberts and Rebecca Wright

Design Diaries

Graphic Design: A User’s Manual by Adrian Shaughnessy

Graphic Design A User's Manual

1000 fonts

How to Create a Portfolio and Get Hired by Fig Taylor

How to create a portfolio and get hired

What is Typography? by David Jury

What is typography

The Elements of Graphic Design – Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type by Alex W.White

the elements of graphic design

Do you know any other useful books for graphic designers? Please share them with us.

9 Comments on “15 Books Every Graphic Designer Should Read

  1. Seriously surprised I didn’t see Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Every graphic designer should have that book.

    • i love how every time i see one of these lists, there is always some pretentious reply saying “oh that is good and all but you forgot blah, blah, blah…” MAKE YOUR OWN LIST THEN!

  2. I’ll definitely be adding a few of those to my Christmas list! Since I am still in school, I am constantly working on side projects and building my portfolio, hoping that the hard work pays off. I came across this contest the other day were designers submit brochures, flyers, posters, etc. that they have transformed into pieces of art. There are tons of cool prizes, like a new Macbook or $1,000 in cash! Plus new pieces to add to your portfolio. Check it out! http://www.design-egency.com/

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