Art and design books, creative reads, inspiration, theory & trends.

Books on Art & Design

MOME / Visual Grammar No2. / Graphic Design Timeline

Graphic Languages: A Visual Guide to the World’s Writing Systems is a richly illustrated exploration of how individual letters and symbols have evolved across cultures. Edited by Oliver Häusle and produced in collaboration with leading international type designers, this volume—published by Slanted Publishers in May 2025—goes far beyond mere aesthetics. It celebrates the ingenuity behind global scripts, inviting both seasoned designers and curious readers to deepen their appreciation for the visual systems that carry our stories and identities. Through detailed visual essays, it reveals the power and cultural resonance embedded in every stroke of a character.

Made in Japan: Awe-Inspiring Japanese Graphics

On the Road to Variable: The Flexible Future of Typography

#Scandinavian #design is world-famous for this sense of #minimalism and #functionality. Clean lines masterfully match with a thoughtful select range of #colors and #materials. With a focus on #graphic output, Truly Nordic is a publication by viction:ary examining contemporary design made in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and also Finland. On 256 pages, the #book is profiling over 40 #designers and #studios that follow this philosophy through their innovative work on #brandidentities, #packaging, etc.

How Design Makes Us Think — Book by Princeton Architectural Press

Graphic Fest: Spot-on Identity for Festivals and Fairs, a book recommendation for brand experts and graphic designers.

Nimblicity: ​​From Aristotle to Zuckerberg: Communication Wisdom that Wins

Palette 07: Monotone – New Single-Colour Graphics, a viction:ary publication filled with a range of design solutions that thrive on the clever use of limited colors.

Explore the most comprehensive guide to the history of furniture design ever published. The Atlas of Furniture Design showcases 1,740 objects from 546 designers and 565 manufacturers, featuring over 2,500 images, including detailed photographs, historical documents, patents, brochures, and connections to art and architecture.

Typography for Screen: Type in Motion — Book by Wang Shaoqiang

Written by Sophie Lovell, the book is an incredibly complex monograph on Dieter Rams’ life, work, and ideas. On 400 pages, the book is a precise and comprehensive presentation of his life and work. Dieter Rams is widely known as one of the most influential product and industrial designers of the twentieth century. Whether radios, clocks, lighters, juicers, shelves, or whatever, his designs are characterized by this well-balanced mix of simple form and function. His ideas are summed up in his ‘ten design principles’: good design is innovative, useful, and aesthetic. Good design should make a product easily understood. Good design is unobtrusive, honest, durable, thorough, and concerned with the environment.

What Makes Good Design Actually Good Design? We Tell You!

Cover of <n>Draplin Design Co.: Pretty Much Everything</n> by <n>Aaron James Draplin</n>, published in 2016.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Designers: Top 10 Gifts to Spark Creativity and Joy

Scandinavian design is world-famous for this sense of minimalism and functionality. Clean lines masterfully match with a thoughtful select range of colors and materials. With a focus on graphic output, Truly Nordic is a publication by viction:ary examining contemporary design made in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and also Finland. On 256 pages, the book is profiling over 40 designers and studios that follow this philosophy through their innovative work on brand identities, packaging, product, stage design, and more.

Min: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design, a new book publication by Stuart Tolley. This new publication by Stuart Tolley is an inspiring visual survey of

Design and Digital Interfaces by Ben Stopher, John Fass, Eva Verhoeven, and Tobias Revell explores how everyday digital devices—like smartphones, smart speakers, and GPS systems—do more than just serve us; they influence how we think, feel, and act. The book challenges readers to move beyond surface aesthetics and critically examine the deeper impact of these interfaces on our lives, raising vital questions about awareness, control, and accountability in our tech-driven world.

Analog Algorithm is a book by German illustrator and graphic designer Christoph Grünberger that serves as a tool kit to create new forms using grid-based design.

Graphic Design Trends 2026: Ten Bold Directions Shaping Creativity

Written with a great sense of humor and much practical experience, Michael Janda describes what it takes to succeed in your creative career. #book #design

Naive - Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design

Imagine—A Book by Slanted Publishers

101 stories of chairs—Chairpedia is a unique design lexicon focusing on individual stories behind iconic chairs from various brands. #book #interiordesign

Graphic designer Sean Adams explores the pervasive role of design in our lives in his new book, How Design Makes Us Think: And Feel and Do Things. Released by Princeton Architectural Press, this 256-page volume showcases an abundance of inspiring examples—from graphic and product design to industrial design and architecture—demonstrating the ways design shapes our everyday experiences.

The Graphic Design Play Book by Laurence King Publishing

Hinterland, a New York-based design studio specializing in branding and publication design, recently created a book for The School of Visual Arts. The *Senior Library* serves as a portrait of SVA's Design and Advertising graduates, drawing inspiration from *Choose Your Own Adventure* books. It offers multiple ways to navigate the content, with a jacket that doubles as a poster featuring a visual and alphabetical index. The nonlinear format reflects the fluid nature of a designer’s education, career, and creative journey.

Unlock your creative potential with "Design Is Storytelling," a comprehensive guide by Ellen Lupton packed with essential techniques and timeless inspiration. Perfect for designers of all skill levels, this book covers everything from foundational principles to advanced concepts, helping you refine your craft and stay ahead of the latest trends.

Published by viction:ary, Type for Type features a wide range of custom typographic work from around the world. In today’s branding, custom typefaces have become an increasingly common means. They help brands to establish and further strengthen their visual identities. Read more below or click on the following link to purchase this fine publication.

Brand and identity design is the key to visually transport the entire experience of a festival or fair. It’s important that the graphic design concept of the identity conveys emotions and energy while visualizing the event’s topic to attract the right crowd. Based on a high-quality selection of modern graphic design solutions, Graphic Fest is a book by publishing house Viction:ary that showcases several event identities on a total number of 256 pages.