Design Books I Keep Coming Back To
These are three design books I return to when I’m starting a project or working through a layout that isn’t quite right. Each is useful for something different.
1. The Design Manual – David Whitbread
This is the one I reach for when I’m working on a longer document. It covers structure, spacing and accessibility in plenty of detail. I’ve read it more than once, but it’s still useful to revisit the basics when there are a lot of pages to bring together.
The Design Manual / David Whitbread
2. Grid Systems – Josef Müller-Brockmann
I come back to this when a layout feels cluttered or the spacing needs work. The examples are a useful reminder of how much alignment and white space can do. It helps me step back and look at the structure of the page.
Grid Systems / Josef Müller-Brockmann
3. Extracts from Visual Identities – North
I tend to pick this up at the start of a brand project. It’s full of identity work by North, presented simply enough that you can spend time looking at the work itself. A good one to flick through when I’m thinking about how a visual identity holds together.
Extracts from Visual Identities / North
