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Design Books: Suggestions for the New Year
This week is the second or first, in my case, week of work in 2017. With every new year there's a lot of resolutions made, areas that we want to improve or things we want to change. I feel that for me I want just to focus on less and the practice of minimalism. For that reason I am also trying to focus more on design books rather than just online. I am trying to savor the information a bit more instead of gobbling up everything I might think will be inspiring or useful. Most of the time that ends up not being the case, but just the fear of missing out, resulting in a pile of articles to read or links that, without context, have little to no value. So, for this post I will highlight a few design books that are on my list for 2017. Some I have already in my library, others I might purchase along the way. The books are about design, branding, photography, interface and topics that we try to cover here on the blog. Design Books Designing Design Representing a new generation of designers in Japan, Kenya Hara (born 1958) pays tribute to his mentors, using long overlooked Japanese icons and images in much of his work. In Designing Design, he impresses upon the reader the importance of "emptiness" in both the visual and philosophical traditions of Japan, and its application to design, made visible by means of numerous examples from his own work: Hara for instance designed the opening and closing ceremony programs for the Nagano Winter Olympic games 1998. - Amazon Draplin Design Co.: Pretty Much Everything Esquire. Ford Motors. Burton Snowboards. The Obama Administration. While all of these brands are vastly different, they share at least one thing in common: a teeny, little bit of Aaron James Draplin. Draplin is one of the new school of influential graphic designers who combine the power of design, social media, entrepreneurship, and DIY aesthetic to create a successful business and way of life. - Amazon Design for People: Stories About How (and Why) We All Can Work Together to Make Things Better Most design books focus on outcome rather than on process. Scott Stowell's Design for People is groundbreaking in its approach to design literature. Focusing on 12 design projects by Stowell's design firm, Open, the volume offers a sort of oral history as told by those involved with each project--designers, clients, interns, collaborators and those who interact with the finished product on a daily basis. - Amazon The Grid: A Modular System for the Design and Production of Newpapers, Magazines, and Books Inspirational guide to understanding principles of proportion and their relation to layout design. - Amazon Room: Inside Contemporary Interiors ROOM: Inside Contemporary Interiors explores a curated selection of exceptional spaces, ranging from retail concept stores, pop‐up dining experiences, and art installations, to hotels and private residences. - Amazon The Best Interface Is No Interface: The simple path to brilliant technology (Voices That Matter) In his insightful, raw, and often hilarious criticism, Golden reveals fascinating ways to think beyond screens using three principles that lead to more meaningful innovation. Whether you’re working in technology, or just wary of a gadget-filled future, you’ll be enlighted and entertained while discovering that the best interface is no interface. - Amazon 150 Best Eco House Ideas The newest volume in the highly successful “150 Best” series—joining 150 Best House Ideas and 150 Best Apartment Ideas—150 Best Eco House Ideas is a comprehensive handbook showcasing the latest in sustainable architecture and environmentally-friendly home design. Perfect for architects, designers, interiors decorators, and homeowners alike. - Amazon How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things, Explain Things, Make Things Look Better, Make People Laugh, Make People Cry, and (Every Once in a While) Change the World The first monograph, design manual, and manifesto by Michael Bierut, one of the world’s most renowned graphic designers—a career retrospective that showcases more than thirty-five of his most noteworthy projects for clients as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Yale School of Architecture, the New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue, and the New York Jets, and reflects eclectic enthusiasm and accessibility that has been the hallmark of his career. - Amazon
Design Book: HYPE by Bram Vanhaeren
Our friend Bram Vanhaeren has just released a book showing the commercial and experimental work he has done over the last 20 months, the book is called HYPE and looks really cool. Especially because as he says, it's an incentive to other artists to practice more and of course inspire us all. HYPE is a collection of commercial and experimental artworks of Bram Vanhaeren. A collection of work created over the last 20 months and some unique insights in the techniques he uses. This book was created to inspire other young artists, share techniques and give the reader a pleasant time exploring the works by Bram Vanhaeren. Inside the Book T-shirt Want to buy it? For more information about the book or if you want to buy it, visit http://bramvanhaeren.bigcartel.com/product/hype-art-book