Building a library of graphic design books can be very helpful to a designer. Some will be showcase books to look through for inspiration, while others may teach design theory or provide tips on running a graphic design business.
Sometimes the quickest way to get creative inspiration for a project is to see what others have done. You’re not looking to copy anything, of course, but rather see a concept, color, shape, typeface or any other element that might spark your next great idea.
The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines is an excellent resource that covers pricing and business practices across all types of design professions, contracts, law, professional relationships and more.
Los Logos is a 400-page showcase of modern logo design. With very little commentary, it’s a great book to flip through to see 3,500 examples of contemporary logos. To collect the logos, the authors invited designers to submit their work. The collection is divided into Logos, Lettering, Typograms, Combinations and Collected Themes, and ends with some logo statistics. Want more? Dos Logos and Tres Logos are also available.
The Little Know-It All is an excellent resource for graphic designers to keep handy at all times. It covers design, typography, digital media, production, marketing, law and organization.
Tell Me Why tells the story of the first two years of New York design firm karlssonwilker inc. Hjalti Karlsson and Jan Wilker started the company in 2000, on a small budget and even smaller client base. The book proves to be an inspiration, and a wake-up call, to those looking to freelance or start a firm of their own.
