Top 5 books for designers

While educational videos about design can be something quick-changing, books typically offer a structured concentration of knowledge that the author has accumulated over the years. In this article, I share examples of books for designers that I have personally read with great pleasure. I highly recommend them to you.

TOP 5 BOOKS FOR DESIGNERS:

1. On Typography

Author: Erik Spiekermann

About the book:
Typography accompanies us everywhere: on product packaging, signs, TV screens, and smartphones. German designer Erik Spiekermann will teach you how to understand the intricacies of typography and communicate more effectively using this indispensable element of our lives. It's known that information perception in listeners is enhanced by correct intonation. Typography serves as that very intonation—a visual language connecting the author and reader. However, selecting the right font from thousands of typefaces (to express even a simple idea) can be quite challenging for those who do not work professionally with typesetting. This book demonstrates with simple and familiar examples that typography is not an art for the chosen few but a powerful tool accessible to everyone who has something to say and wants to express their thoughts on both paper and screen. You'll understand the origins of various typefaces, how to use them, and why more and more are needed every day. If you think choosing a font is insignificant because no one will notice the difference anyway, you will be surprised to learn how much time and effort specialists dedicate to perfecting details invisible to the untrained eye. With this book, you will become a typography expert yourself, learning to understand and choose the right fonts for your goals.

2. Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing

Author: Douglas Van Praet

About the book:
What brain processes make us choose a specific product from similar ones? Why do some advertisements become effective worldwide, while others, equally large-scale, do not work? Modern research on brain evolution and discoveries in neuroscience have allowed a change in the traditional marketing approach based on statistical study of consumer needs and preferences. The innovative methodology presented in the book enables the identification and consideration of subconscious processes underlying our actions and involved in decision-making. The ability to peek into consumers' subconscious minds opens up new gigantic prospects for marketing.

3. Creative Personal Branding

Author: Jürgen Salenbacher

About the book:
Jürgen Salenbacher explores the works of leading theorists in business culture and explains how branding methods can help us develop creative thinking. This book is a unique resource for creative minds, entrepreneurs, and teams, and is also useful for anyone facing important life decisions. You will learn how to awaken your creative abilities to generate business ideas. A separate chapter is dedicated to personal development, presenting methods and tasks for identifying your potential, vision, mission, goals, and objectives—all in a value-oriented manner. The branding chapter provides a structure on how to build visual identity both online and offline. At the end of the book, there is a manifesto of Personal Creative Branding and a list of books by Salenbacher. Personal creative branding will give you creative leadership. If you combine creative thinking with your knowledge and experience and structure it, the results will be remarkable!

4. Steal Like an Artist

Author: Austin Kleon

About the book:
"Steal Like an Artist" is a famous bestseller by young writer and artist Austin Kleon, where he offers 10 lessons on creative self-expression. You don't need to be a genius; it's enough to be yourself! Creativity is embedded in everything and is accessible to everyone—that's Austin's main idea. There’s nothing original in this world, so don't reject outside influence; instead, collect ideas, rethink them, and rearrange them in your search for your own path. Follow your interests wherever they lead you, and give freedom to your creative self! This positive, originally designed book will assist anyone looking to bring a creative flair to their work and life.

5. How Design Makes Us Think

Author: Sean Adams

About the book:
"How Design Makes Us Think" goes beyond the obvious and superficial to explore the hidden signals designers use to engage an audience. Design in any media uses a combination of elements—fonts, images, shapes, and colors—to convey a message, but this message also generates thoughts and emotions that aren’t easily articulated. The book offers a wide range of examples from different sectors, including publishing, product, digital, and commercial design, and examines the techniques and tools designers use to influence an audience and communicate implicit messages. Each chapter explores different moods and concepts—from romance to productivity, from humor to sophistication. The result is a unique and engaging insight into the process of creating design, for both practitioners and enthusiasts alike.

Happy reading!