Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic,” and boy, was he right. Design books not only transfer the magic – they look magical as well.

Whether you are a professional or just a regular design enthusiast interested in UX, UI, etc., we are certain you will find a book right up your alley. 

It does not matter if you are looking for a quick spark of inspiration, or a book, that may help you enhance your skills and perspectives on design – you have come to the right place. 

Here, at hero/dot, we are beyond lucky to have a team of very talented designers. We asked them what their absolute favourite design books are and came up with the 7 very best of them! 

Hopefully, one (or maybe more) of them will soon-ish find itself on your bookshelf. 
Note: for the sake of this blog post, every person mentioned by name is a graphic designer at our company.

1. 'Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products' by Nir Eyal and Ryan Hoover  

Get Hooked on Design

Why this one? According to Artur, it is worth a look “because new media are increasingly entering our own organic software.” 

It is an easy to read how-to-guide on building better products with practical insights and organised steps. 

2. 'Don’t Make Me Think' by Steve Krug

Think Less, Design More

The second recommendation comes from Jacek, who says Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug “has over 20 years and despite the changing UI technology market, it shows that, in fact, we solve many of the same problems, only wrapped in a different form.” It is short, nicely illustrated and does not feel like a tech book at all. 

3. 'Graphic Design Play Book' by Sophie Cure and Barbara Seggio 

Play With Design

Dawid could not choose a favorite because it would not be fair, so instead he recommended the 3 following books. This particular one will introduce you to typography, signage, posters and kindly explain how to use them in design branding. It is a fun one, as it has numerous games and exercises for you to try out as well. 

4. 'Logo Design Love. A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities' by Airey David 

Love Your Brand With a Good Logo

After reading this recommendation, you will realise that a good logo could have more than just one meaning to it. Logos are complex, but so is the process of designing them. This book will show you how to build your brand through engaging graphic designs with extra hidden messages. 

5. 'Logo Modernism' by Jens Müller and Julius Wiedemann 

A Modern Way to Logo

In short, a well-written combo of modernist design history, together with instructive case studies – all for you to get a better understanding of how the logos are made, why they are important and how the modern touch makes them so much more sophisticated. 

6. 'Bathtub With a Colonnade' by Filip Springer 

Organise Your Design

When asked why she chose Bathtub with a Colonnade by Filip Springer, Ania said, “It is about the Polish usage of common space, a perspective on it, which more than often, shapes how we see things,” and we agree – knowing where our views come from is already a big step forward towards re-shaping them. 

7. 'Start Me Up!' by gestalten Publishing House 

Be Chic in Design

Last but not least, is a recommendation coming from Klara, and this time it is a publishing house. As an example, Klara mentioned Start Me Up! by gestalten. Their books offer tons of branding ideas with longer, or shorter (as short as just a few lines) descriptions of numerous design and architecture projects. 

As Klara put it, “Their books provide tasty content and look absolutely stunning on a bookshelf.”  

Conclusion

The design profession continues to grow and evolve. Together with it, the many book themes (graphic design, architecture, fashion, etc.) and inspirations. 

We hope you have managed to find a good book on our reading list. After all, there are no limits to define design in itself – nor right or wrong ways to transfer its magic into reality.