The world of design is constantly evolving, and staying updated is essential for any creative. An excellent way to deepen your knowledge, techniques, and trends is through reading.
In this article, we recommend four must-read books that cover various aspects of design, from theoretical foundations to inspiring collections of work. These books will not only enrich your library but also provide you with valuable tools and perspectives for your professional development in the exciting world of design.
The Process Five by The Brand Identity
With a hefty 344 pages, The Process Five is the most extensive book in the series to date, housing a grand total of 571 process works. It brings to the fore never-seen-before insights and inspiration from projects by esteemed studios like Pentagram, Play, Hugmun, Carla Palette, Resn, Studio Blackburn, Rabbithole, TRiC, Justified Studio, and U.I.WD. for renowned clients such as OpenAI, Channel 4 and Getty.
Each project is accompanied by an in-depth interview, providing a deep dive into key aspects such as the timeline, team, and challenges, as well as revealing the designers’ candid thoughts on the end result.
The Interviews: Volume Two by The Brand Identity
Bigger and better than before, Volume Two is nearly double the size of Volume One; containing 62 conversations across its 636 pages. Each interview, originally from 2019-2021, goes in-depth into world-class projects, the process behind them and the DNA of the design practices themselves. On top, brand-new reflections detailing how each creative or company has evolved between then and now are included.
These conversations have proved to be a snapshot from a fixed period of time. They document transitions before, during, and after the throes of COVID-19-enforced lockdowns. They document lifestyle changes. The shifts from full-time to freelance. Going solo, building, growing, staying, leaving, collaborating. And capture the shifts and innovations within design. Variable and experimental typefaces, Slack, Notion, Zoom, ChatGPT, Midjourney. They also serve as a record of the challenges and triumphs, particularly in a time where everyone was forced to face the difficult unknown. As Human Resources’ Kurt Green puts it in the book’s final interview: “That’s scary to think all this bullshit has been nearly two years.”
Printed on a combination of premium G . F Smith uncoated and coated papers, The Interviews: Volume Two has been designed to resemble the construction of a classic autobiography; with a glossy image section sandwiched between text-only pages. In line with its archival nature, the green PVC cover protects the pages of the book, helping to keep the conversations – once online, now tangible – safe from deterioration.
Everything comes together to form the perfect bedtime reading for any graphic designer or enthusiast looking to learn from the best in the business.
Get The Interviews: Volume Two →
TYPEONE Magazine - Issue 08 by Type01
Positioned as a supporting guide, we’re delighted to introduce TYPEONE Magazine issue 08, their very first cultural exploration issue — delving into the world of Japanese graphic design and typography.
The editorial features we’ve curated for issue 08 aim to platform the thoughts and experiences of the individuals, as well as topics and conversations at the heart of Japan’s design industry, put forward by natives of its culture. All the while, simultaneously constructing lines of questioning that relate to the experience of our readership who are primarily based in Western and European countries, who like us, may have only a surface understanding of the Japanese graphic design and typography industry.
Armed with an understanding of both design principles and nuanced perspectives TYPEONE Magazine issue 08 serves as a valuable companion to equip yourself with a wider breadth of knowledge about the cross-cultural design industry of Japanese design and typography.
Get TYPEONE Magazine - Issue 08 →
Universal Principles of UX by Irene Pereyra
From interaction designers Anton & Irene, comes their new book “Universal Principles of UX: 100 Timeless Strategies to Create Positive Interactions between People and Technology”, published in March 2023 by The Quarto Group, written by Irene Pereyra.
User Experience is a field notable for its expansiveness, complexity and persistent evolution. This book is not a chronological retelling of the history of user experience design. It is also not a technical how-to book that will show you how to become a perfect user experience designer one step at a time. It's a philosophical anthology of case studies, situations, problems, and contradictions encountered across more than fifteen years of working on real world client projects that will teach you how to think, rather than tell you what to do.
Each principle is presented in a two-page format. The left-hand page contains a succinct definition, a full description of the principle, examples of its use, and guidelines for use. Sidenotes appear to the right of the text, and provide elaborations and references. The right-hand page contains visual examples and related graphics to support a deeper understanding of the principle.
