How to Think Like a Graphic Designer by Debbie Millman is headed right for my To Read list. Nineteen designers, including Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Beirut, David Carson, and Milton Glaser, share their approaches, processes, opinions, and thoughts about their work. I’d love to get inside the minds of these industry giants.
Daily Lit was developed by two overwhelmed souls who spent hours each day on email but could not find the time to read a book. Now the books come by email and the problem is solved. An installment is emailed to you each day from a book of your choosing off of Daily Lit’s collection list.
I’m currently making my way through Many Thoughts of Many Minds (Quotations). It’ll take me 2851 days.
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It absolutely sucks when you loan a book to someone and they happen to forget that you want it back. These Mean Little Bookplates help remind them of what is rightfully yours via a nice little mean quote from Shakespeare.
David Pearson creates some amazing book covers for Penguin. As if that’s not enough, the man actually designed the book cover for Penguin By Design – a book all about the history of the company’s books.
I’m loving the consistancy of the Great Loves series he designed. Check out the spines! All of his work is like that – extreme attention to details that make the whole that much more interesting.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Felix Fu creates tiny watercolors that capture life through Felix Doolittle. Each piece is like a miniature work of art in which an English influence is evident. Fu’s signature style includes full color illustrations and quality heavy paper.
My favorites are the wide selection of bookplates and food labels. I know at least one person on my Christmas list who will be getting a set of these come December!
I never really buy anything leather. Partially out of inner-turmoil about inhumane animal treatment and partially because it never really appeals to me all that much.
Right now though I’m having a horrible time talking myself out of this leather-bound Merriam-Webster dictionary available at Graphic Image. I’m loving the look of the crocodile-embossed italian calfskin, but having major issues accepting it. If only they could make a faux version I’d be sold!
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From WIRED magazine. Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”) and is said to have called it his best work. So we asked sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers from the realms of books, TV, movies, and games to take a shot themselves. Check it out.
My favorite:
Dorothy: “Fuck it, I’ll stay here.”
– Steven Meretzky
Lengendary notebook maker, Moleskine, has just introduced an incredible new line of City Notebooks. So far they exist for Boston, NYC, San Francisco, DC, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Prague, Rome and Vienna. They cover all possible information you could need in a city you’re only visiting or already live in. The Key Map summarizes the overal layout, showing the metro system and listing stations. That’s followed up by Zone Maps that show large-scale maps of the city’s center and an alphabetical street index. Up to 76 blank pages give you space to write notes, while there’s also a 96-page tabbed section to organize information and thoughts. As if that’s not enough, there are 32 removable sheets and 12 translucent sticky sheets to overlay maps and route as you go. Oh, and did I mention they’re only hardbacked, 3.5 x 5.5″ and $16.95?
I’d love to get my hands of a copy of this book – Seventy-nine Short Essays in Design by Michael Bierut. Apparently each of the essays is printed in a different typeface. You can pick it up here at Amazon.
It’s a book, not a person. Not me (unforturnately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it and who you are). more specifically, it’s a book for designers. It might as well be the new Design Bible actually.
The Little Know-It-All: Common Sense for Designers by Silja Bilz is divided into sections explaining unique vocabulary used in design, printing, typography and photography and includes helpful tips and concise analysis in areas such as advertising, mulimedia, business, copyright and project management. It is structured thematically and equipped with a resourceful index that references numerous sources and links. It’s complete with graphics that illustrate and supplement the texts, making it a reference book for students and newcomers while serving as a trusty companion for professional designers and media professionals alike in their everyday work.
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