DSGD Graphic Design Reference
DSGD Graphic Design Reference
Embedded Files
Type & Design Blogs
Type & Design Blogs
Design Books
Design Books
On Design Principles
On Design Principles
A New Program for Graphic Design, David Reinfurt
Design as Art, Bruno Munari
Graphic Design Sources, Kenneth J. Hiebert
Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, Philip Meggs
Graphic Design Manual, Armin Hoffman
Visual Grammar, Christian Leborg
Graphic Design: A Concise History, Richard Hollis
The Graphic Artist and his Design Problems, Josef Müller-Brockmann
Basic Visual Concepts and Principles, Charles Wallschlaeger and Cynthia Busic-Snyder
A Designer’s Art, Paul Rand
Graphic Design: The New Basics, Ellen Lupton & Jennifer Cole Phillips
On Type Usage
On Type Usage
The Elements of Typographic Style, Robert Bringhurst
Shaping Text, Jan Middendorp
Inside Paragraphs, Cyrus Highsmith
Thinking with Type, Ellen Lupton
Type on Screen, Ellen Lupton
Flexible Typesetting, Tim Brown
Explorations in Typography, Carolina de Bartolo
Stop Stealing Sheep, Erik Spiekermann
Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type, Kimberly Elam
On Color
On Color
The Elements of Color, Johannes Itten
Interaction of Color, Josef Albers
Color: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors, Betty Edwards
The Designer’s Dictionary of Color, Sean Adams
Color Problems: A Practical Manual for the Lay Student of Color, Emily Noyes Vanderpoel
On Information Graphics
On Information Graphics
Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information, Manuel Lima
Visual Storytelling, Andrew Losowsky (introduction)
Envisioning Information, Edward Tufte
Mapping, Roger Fawcett-Tang
Information Anxiety 2, Richard Saul Wurman
On Conceptual Development
On Conceptual Development
Conceptual Blockbusting, James L. Adams
A Smile in the Mind, Beryl McAlhone, David Stuart
Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming, Ellen Lupton. ed.
The Universal Traveler, Don Koberg & Jim Bagnall
Problem Solved, Michael Johnson
Visual Intelligence, Donald Hoffman
On Career Development
On Career Development
How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, Adrian Shaughnessy
How to Find Fulfilling Work, Roman Krznaric
The Accidental Creative, Todd Henry
A More Beautiful Question, Warren Berger
Designing your Life, Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Reference
Reference
General Design Tools
General Design Tools
D School Library — A library of online resources and insights from the past and to domains beyond design from Stanford's d.school
Readings – A collection of recommended texts, both historical and contemporary, about and around graphic design. Curated and edited by Jarrett Fuller.
Design Resources – A site that gathers various useful tools for designers. Highly recommended.
Design Archives – A digital archive of graphic design items that are available on the Internet Archives. Compiled and curated by Valery Marier.
Creative Cloud Inspiration – Resources, articles and inspiration from Adobe
Free Design Magazines – A list of free design publications
AIGA 2025 — AIGA Designer 2025 studied trends in a number of fields, changes in the nature of work, and advice of thought leaders from diverse practices. The result is a list of seven trends that are particularly evident in their influences on communication design
AIGA – Resources from AIGA
Design Better – Design Better provides unprecedented access to the insights that power the world’s best design teams
ReadyMag Almanac – An educational project covering the fundamentals of design: typography, grid, color, and animation
Method of Actions – Method of Action creates tools, toys and games to help you learn design, for free.
Design Incubation – A venue for educators and practitioners of Communication Design to discuss design research and practice
Design Kit – Tools on Human-Centered Design
ProtoPie - Tools & Resources for prototyping
Contemporary Viewpoints & Historical Reference
Contemporary Viewpoints & Historical Reference
99% Invisible– 99% Invisible is about all the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world
Design Observer– A website devoted to a range of design topics including graphic design, social innovation, urbanism, popular culture, and criticism
The Great Discontent – A thriving community committed to celebrating the untold stories of today’s artists, makers and risk-takers—focusing on beginnings, creativity, and risk
Revision Path – An award-winning weekly showcase of Black designers, developers, and digital creatives from all over the world.
Wireframe – Podcast from Adobe that tells the stories behind user experience design and how it helps technology fit into our lives.
Design Matters Podcast– A podcast about design and an the world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians, and others
How Design Works– A guide for non-designers about what design is
Designers & Books – Designers & Books is an advocate for books as an important source of inspiration for creativity, innovation, and invention
Designers Review of Books – A site devoted to reviewing Design books. (On Hiatus)
Design is History– A project that aims to understand where design came from, how it developed, and who shaped its evolution. (No longer updated)
Contracts, Ethics & Copyright
Contracts, Ethics & Copyright
Design Business and Ethics - An AIGA Publication that outlines the critical ethical and professional issues encountered by designers and their clients.
AIGA Standard Agreements – This agreement allows you to create customized terms and conditions for different types of design engagements
99U Guide to Client Work – Master how to navigate working with clients, whether a one-off job or an ongoing engagement
How Much Should I Charge? – A potential client wants a proposal for a design project? Awesome. Answer 5 questions, and know how much to charge to make this project profitable
The Freelancers Contract – And.co partnered with the Freelancers Union to create an advanced contract that builds secure, mutual, fair relationships
Prospero Contracts – (Fees May Apply) Professional Proposals Templates & Resources
The Complete Guide to Fearless Freelancing – A Resource from Format
Intellectual Property - AIGA briefing on IP
An Introduction to Copyright – Overview from the Graphic Artists Guild
What Designers Need to Know About Copyright - AIGA Eye on Design Article with basics on Copyright
Is Copyright Law too Strict? – New Yorker article on Copyright issues
Articles & Videos
Articles & Videos
On Design Thinking
On Design Thinking
Redesign U, by Steven Johnson — Design thinking has grown into a Silicon Valley institution. Is it up for bigger challenges, like affordable housing, the courts, even democracy itself?
Why Design is Not Problem Solving + Design Thinking Isn’t Always the Answer — How should the design industry define itself?
Design Thinking is Bulls*it — In her provocative 99U talk, Natasha Jen lobbies for the “Crit” over the “Post-It” when it comes to moving design forward.
In Defense of Design Thinking, Which Is Terrible — Khoi Vinh presents a response to Natasha Jen, which combines many ideas about design vernacular, democratization and more.
On Agencies & the Industry
On Agencies & the Industry
Silicon Valley Killed the Design Agency — Will the traditional agency model for design survive?
It’s never been more important for design firms to think differently — If you take the press seriously, the design industry is no longer at a crossroads…it’s on the edge of cliff.
Ustwo Rethinks the Agency Business Model — Studios are rethinking this approach to boost their defenses against roller coaster economies and the fickle whims of clients.
Don't be a Design Zombie — Q&A with James Victore. It's not about pushing pixels around, it's about making people think.
Design is Magical — David Kelley speaks about the growing importance of design to the world.
Clients – Pentagram partner Michael Bierut on how to find good clients.
On Posters
On Posters
How Posters Became Art — A story of the collective dreams that circulate in society.
How Posters Work – Cooper Hewitt Exhibition about posters shows the ways dozens of designers from around the world have used the principles of composition, perception, and storytelling to convey ideas and solicit sensations.
Cooper Hewitt – Collection of Posters from the Museum
Demystifying How Posters Work – Ellen Lupton's one-hour class exploring how posters work.
The Persistence of Posters – Thoughts on the medium from Andrew Blauvelt.
Center for the Study of Political Graphics – An educational and research archive that collects, preserves, documents, and exhibits posters relating to historical and contemporary movements for social change.
Poster House – Poster House is dedicated to presenting the impact, culture, and design of posters, both as historical documents and methods of contemporary visual communication.
Notable Designers
Notable Designers
Bay Area
Bay Area
U.S.
U.S.
Worldwide
Worldwide
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