The-Best-Graphic-design-books-for-beginners

The Best Graphic Design Books for Beginners

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Books are a great source of information and knowledge. In this digital age, books are more accessible than ever before. You are not bound by the shackles of having a hard copy of the book you want to read. Any book is just a few clicks away from you on your smart device.

There are numerous books on any topic you pick to read about. And as a beginner in any field having a great starting point is crucial for fast learning, and growth. As for the beginner in the field of graphic design, we have compiled a comprehensive list of The Best Graphic Design Books for Beginners. The books included in this list are a great read and come with loads of information. And it will help you take your graphic design knowledge, and work to another level.

List of The Best Graphic Design Books for Beginners

Let’s get started,

1. GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR EVERYONE by Cath Caldwell

graphic design for everyone

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This book is a great starting point for anyone how is looking forward to starting their graphic design journey. The writer of this book Cath Caldwell is a world-class designer and it shows through the book.

Graphic Design for Everyone, covers everything from color theory, typography, web designing, alignment, and so on. Each of the graphic design principles is presented in an easy-to-understand manner. The in-depth, and concise approach toward the topic in the book gives the book great overall value.

This book has great value for both beginners and professional designers. It helps the beginner start out and provides valuable inspiration and solutions to problems for professional designers.

2. HOW TO by Michael Beirut

how to

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How To, is considered one of the best graphic design books for beginners. The book of published in 2015, and is a design manual, and manifesto written by Michael Beirut.

This book contains all the experiences of Michael Beirut and delivers many invaluable lessons on graphic design with ease. Each section of the book contains different projects on which Micheal worked. Thus, providing insight into the work and process used in tackling those projects.

The book provides a unique insight into the potential of graphic design and its use to make an impact in a variety of ways.

3. THE NON-DESIGNER’S DESIGN BOOK by Robin Williams

the non-designer's design book

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The Non-Designer’s Design Book is a perfect starting point for beginners. This book makes of realizing that non-designer people are also doing designing all the time without even realizing it.

All the basic graphic design theory is described in a very concise way that is easy to understand and remember. It provides a great deal of information about design challenges and how to deal with them. This book also has a lot of examples that help in making beautiful designs in your own way.

4. THE DESIGN OF EVERYDAY THINGS by Donald A. Norman

the design of everyday things

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The Design of Everyday Things dips its toes in the concept of Design-Psychology. It is a user-centered design philosophy that focuses on the fact that the products must be convenient and easy to use.

This book is great for beginners as it teaches you to see design as a third person, why designs fail, and so on. The perspective this book provides to see everyday things get you thinking about the influence of design or lack of design in things.

5. THOUGHTS ON DESIGN by Paul Rand

thoughts on design

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Thoughts on Design are filled with filled wonderful ideas about design. The main focus of the book is about design and its applicability in the task on hand.

In the book, Paul Rand focuses less on the use of typography but he emphasizes the use of space and direction in a design. The book helps and gives advice on what design means, and what a designer needs to think while designing. Overall it is a great reference book for designers and beginners alike.

6. DESIGNING DESIGN by Kenya Hara

designing design

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In Designing Design, Kenya Hara talks about the power of simplicity in design. The book takes its inspiration from Japanese philosophy and color theory.

This book gives you a deep insight into Japanese design minimalism. Whether it is in terms of color, form theory, presentation, and material selection. And it emphasizes the use and importance of emptiness and space in the design.

7. GRAPHIC DESIGN VISIONARIES by Caroline Roberts

graphic design visionaries

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Graphic Design Visionaries is a book about Great Designers. Caroline Roberts has compiled a list of 75 design greats in this book. The Visionaries mentioned in this book consist of individuals, design agencies, and collectives.

Each visionary in the book is allocated four pages. And the visionaries are presented in chronological order of their birth year. This book provides diverse design practices and the history of design.

8. JUST MY TYPE by Simon Garfield

just my type

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Just My Type is a book about Fonts. And it invites you to take a deep dive into the typography and explore its contribution to designing. In the book, Simon Garfield talks about the idea behind various typefaces and their designers.

The writing of the book is very easy-to-read and conversational in nature. It is a great detailed book about fonts. And further explores that how the use of a good or bad font can make or break your design. It helps in choosing the right font which works in a design.

9. THINKING WITH TYPE by Ellen Lupton

thinking with type

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Thinking With Type is a book about Typography. It is an excellent book for beginners and veteran designers alike. This book provides practical typography resources and talks about the principles of typography.

There are real-life examples used in the book and it explores the use of type across different types of projects. It helps in choosing types and teaches how to work with them.

10. TYPOGRAPHY SYSTEMS OF DESIGN by Kimberly Elam

typographic systems

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It is another book about typography. In this book, Kimberly Elam talks about the eight major typographic systems. The book consists of information and knowledge about text layout and how different elements affect it.

Typography Systems of Design teaches you how to use typography at its full potential, and the importance of symmetry in layout. This book also emphasizes that negative space on the page is not a bad thing. The layout grids presented in the book are very good and provide much-needed inspiration.

11. INTERACTION OF COLOR by Josef Albers

interaction of color

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With Interaction of Color, Josef Albers talks about the principles of color theory. While acknowledging the conventional color theory, Albers gives his own unique take on the color theory with a selection of over 50 case studies.

The book is an easy, concise, and brief introduction to the color theory. It acts as a reference guide on the topic like principles of temperature, color intensity, and so on.

12. LOGO MODERNISM by Jens Müller

logo modernism

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Logo Modernism by Jens Müller is considered to be a must-have book for any logo designer. This book contains an archive of logos from the modernist period, which can provide much-needed inspiration to the designers.

The logo collection present in the book is very well curated and categorized into sections like geometric, and typographic for ease of use. This book acts as a great reference point, guide, and can give the inspiration you are looking for.

13. LOGO, FONT & LETTERING BIBLE by Leslie Cabarga

logo font and lettering

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This book provides great analysis about the design of logo, font, and lettering. Leslie Cabarga’s expertise on the subject and in this field shines through the book. This book covers the history of typography as well.

Logo, Font & Lettering Bible is wonderfully written and designed. And the topic of typography and lettering is thoroughly and creatively explained. This book can also be used as a guide for polishing, and developing type and logo building skills by new, or old designers.

14. 100 IDEAS THAT CHANGED GRAPHIC DESIGN by Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne

100 ideas that changed graphic design

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This book covers the events of the early design movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. 100 ideas that changed graphic design is a very well-written book and delves into the various subjects related to designing.

The book provides a great deal of value by including numerous references to artists, books, movements, and so on. The great deal of information that this book has shows the impact that graphic design can have. Furthermore, it also covers topics like white space, technical design, and more.

15. BRANDING: IN FIVE AND A HALF STEPS by Michael Johnson

branding

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It is a widely recommended book for those who want to learn about branding and graphic designers alike. Michael’s simple, clean, and concise approach towards the topic makes the book a must-read.

In this book, he also talks about that how the strategy and design overlap each other, and how to tackle it. It is a great book for beginners as Michael demystifies the topic of branding with ease.

16. WHAT THEY DIDN’T TEACH YOU IN DESIGN SCHOOL by Phil Cleaver

what they didn't teach you in design school

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What they didn’t teach you in design school is written by Phil Cleaver who has over 40 years of industry experience. In this book, he provides practical advice which ranges from how to put together a portfolio to what to wear for an interview.

This is a great book with a simple, straightforward approach. And departs actual techniques and tips which are applicable in the real work environment as well as life.

That’s the list of the best graphic design books for beginners. Please do comment with your suggestions below.

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