Best Books About Design [Top 10] [2024 Update]

What are the best books on design and industrial design? We have listed the best recommendations for you here. Read on for our recommendations for the best design books.

Top titles about Design: these books show you all aspects of design

Everything you find around you: on your desk, in your kitchen drawers, in your cupboard, and on the shelf was once designed. Design is everywhere. We start our recommendations with the top 10 best books about Design of all time. This list has been updated this year, including all the recent titles.

Best Books About Design	Author
Grid Systems in Graphic Design	Josef Müller-Brockmann
Thinking with Type	Ellen Lupton
The Graphic Design Idea Book: Inspiration from 50 Masters	Gail Anderson and Steven Heller
The Elements of Typographic Style	Robert Bringhurst
A Guide to Graphic Print Production	Kaj Johansson, Peter Lundberg, and Robert Ryberg
The Book of Books: 500 Years of Graphic Innovation	Mattieu Lomman
The Non-Designer’s Design Book	Robin Williams
Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers	Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Tobias
Universal Principles of Design, Revised, and Updated	William Lidwell, Kristina Holden, Jill Butler
Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids	Beth Tondreau

The updated top 10 list: the best books about design

Bold British Design: Creating a Fearless, Modern Living Space

If you want to create a bold, British interior, then we think this is your go-to guide. Find out what characterizes British interior designs by observing twenty of Britain’s top creative designers, and what you need to turn you space into a British design.

About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design

New technology leads to new ways of connecting. Smartphones and tablets are in everyone’s household, and more times than others, there are at least one device per person. This makes interaction design a new field of play for those who promote their products or services via new media.

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Are you looking for inspiration to improve your creative skills? Then we suggest you read ‘Steal Like an Artist’. This is not about copying someone else’s work, but about finding your own creativity when watching, reading or hearing different forms of art.

The Interior Design Reference & Specification Book updated & revised: Everything Interior Designers Need to Know Every Day

Planning and executing interior design project can be easy or complicated, depending on the size of the project. This reference guide gives you information on space, surface, fundamentals, and resources, among other specific design subjects.

Non-Designer’s Design Book, The

Whether you are a new designer or not, this book by Robin Williams has been updated in this fourth edition to help you with the main principles of a design. Get creative with your designs.

The Pattern Making Primer: All You Need to Know About Designing, Adapting, and Customizing Sewing Patterns

Jo Barnfield has managed to write down everything in this book that you need to know about sewing and patterns. Find out what tools to use, how to design with the pattern of your choice, and how to finish your sewing project.

The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition

A product design should meet the expectations of its users. This book wants to let you know that you can make a usable design and still make something beautiful. Just follow the basic rules and customers will know how to handle it and therefore be happy with your product.

Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Rooms

The writer of ‘Design Remix’ is well-known for his colorful classic interiors. With different themes he explains how you can introduce colors into your own home and how to use accessories as an accent.

New York School of Interior Design: Home: The Foundations of Enduring Spaces (CLARKSON POTTER)

We would like to call this book a reference guide for home design and décor in the most extensive way possible. From defining a space to choosing suitable colors (and their effect on a room) to working with other design professionals, the New York School of Interior Design shares it all.

Deer-Resistant Design: Fence-free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer

If deer keep eating your flowers or ruin your grass, you might want to check out this book on how to keep them out of your garden without building a high and ugly fence. It is as simple as changing your plants.