I’M A READER of books, journals, and periodicals in many areas but in the last few years I think I’ve had my fill of design books. While looking at lists for our library I came across some very interesting subject headings including, 30 Delightful Graphic Design Books, Essential Book List for Graphic Designers, Top 10 Books on Design Creativity and Inspiration, Writing Books for Graphic Design Students, 25 Must-Read Books for Designers, Typographers, and Freelancers, List of Usability and Interface Design Books. Have you had enough yet? Just pondering numbers it looks like I need to read more than a thousand books. Conferences about design methodologies and technologies are also problematic. How many times is it necessary to sit through the same remixed presenation heard 5 years earlier? At least the change of geography incites me to wander streets, watch people, listen to music, or partake in a lively discussion at the coffee bar in the back of a bookstore. Oops, did I say bookstore. Yes I did. That’s because there is a myriad of books on culture, literature, mathematics, the sciences, languages and spiritual pursuits. To really understand design is to know about everything else. As a side note, here’s one of my favorite books by Victor Papanek, Design for the Real World.
