Lupton, Ellen, and Jennifer C. Phillips. Graphic Design: The New Basics. Princeton Architectural Press, Maryland Institute College of Art, 2015.
Graphic Design: The New Basics offers a deep dive into the essential principles of graphic design, showing how to manipulate elements like point, line, plane, scale, color, and texture to create powerful visual compositions. A major takeaway for me as a graphic designer is the importance of mastering these foundational elements to effectively communicate ideas and evoke emotions through my designs.
Lupton, Ellen. Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students. Princeton Architectural Press, 2024.
Thinking with Type explores the intricacies of typography, covering everything from the anatomy of letterforms to the use of grids and hierarchy in creating effective layouts. A major takeaway for me as a graphic designer is the crucial role typography plays in shaping the readability, tone, and overall impact of a design.
"Typography is an interface to the alphabet" (Lupton 74)
Norman, Donald A., and Neil Hellegers. The Design of Everyday Things. Hachette Audio, 2018.
Studying Thing Theory (Bill Brown) in university, I was fascinated by how objects shape our lives. Reading The Design of Everyday Things was a revelation. Little did I know I had been studying design all along! Where I focused on the ways in which objects exude power over our lives, Don Norman shows how to take back control over the objects around us through human centered design.