Design Reading

There's a wide selection of books below. I've tried to pick a variety across books for designers, branders, copywriters, creative thinkers and marketeers. And there's the odd legend in there too for good measure. I will no doubt add to this list as new books are published or they simple cross my desk and I get time to read them!

All of these will make you better at what you do. They will expose you to  new ideas and challenge your existing ones. After all that's what reading is all about. Some you will zip through cover to cover, others you'll come back to when needed. Many you'll dip in and out of for years to come. I'm obliged to mention that I may make a small amount from links on this page should you buy the items. Some of the books are pricey so feel free to get the used or returned editions wherever you can.

Brand Gap
Brand Gap, The: Revised Edition

Marty Neumeier (Author)

Zag
ZAG: The #1 Strategy of High-Performance Brands

Marty Neumeier (Author)

How To Use Design To Make Things Better
How to use graphic design: to sell things, explain things, make things look better.

Michael Bierut

Start With Why
Start With Why

Simon Sinek (Author)

Design is Storytelling
Design is Storytelling

Ellen Lupton (Author)

Building Strong Brands
Building Strong Brands

David A. Aaker (Author)

Grid Systems
Grid Systems in Graphic Design: A Visual Communication Manual for Graphic Designers, Typographers and Three Dimensional Designers

Josef Mülller-Brockmann

The Brand Book
The Brand Book: An insider’s guide to brand building for businesses and organizations

Daryl Fielding (Author)

It's Not How Good You Are
It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be: The world's best-selling book by Paul Arden

Paul Arden

Steal Like an Artist
Steal Like an Artist

Austin Kleon

Branding in 5 and Half Steps
Branding In Five and a Half Steps

Michael Johnson

The Art of Looking Sideways
The Art of Looking Sideways

Alan Fletcher

Ogilvy on Advertising
Ogilvy on Advertising

David Ogilvy (Author)

Positioning
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind: The Battle for Your Mind

by Al Ries (Author), Jack Trout (Author)

Designing Brand Identity
Designing Brand Identity: A Comprehensive Guide to the World of Brands and Branding

Alina Wheeler (Author), Rob Meyerson (Author)

Branding that Means Business
Branding That Means Business: Economist Edge

Matt Johnson (Author), Tessa Misiaszek (Author)

This Is Marketing
This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See

Seth Godin (Author)

On Brand
Wally Olins. On B®and.

Wally Olins

How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul
How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Loosing Your Soul: New Expanded Version

Adrian Shaughnessy (Author), Stefan Sagmeister (Foreword)

Logo Modernism
Logo Modernism

by Jens Müller (Author), R. Roger Remington (Author)

I love it What is it
I love it. What is it?: The power of instinct in design and branding

Turner Duckworth (Author), Gyles Lingwood (Author)

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