Designers & Books Blog

 

856 blog entries
By Maria Popova February 12, 2015

Artist Lauren Redniss tells the story of Marie Curie through the two invisible but immensely powerful forces that guided her life: radioactivity and romance.  It’s also a remarkable feat of thoughtful design and creative vision.

By Maria Popova August 28, 2013
Heller and Vienne provide an astute lens not only on what design is and does, but also on what it should be and do.
April 25, 2017

Read Jaron Lanier’s You Are Not a Gadget, and then read (or reread) this classic novel of a dystopian future without books. I did, and the juxtaposition is startling.

By Mark Fox March 10, 2014

I share McCloud‘s concept of “amplification through simplification” with my graphic design students every semester.

By Mark Fox December 27, 2013

This slim but dense book explores the relationship between art, advertising, desire, and capitalism. One of my favorite passages exposes the sociopolitical dimension of advertising, using the British term publicity: “Publicity turns consumption into a substitute for democracy. The choice of what one eats (or wears or drives) takes the place of significant political choice.”

By Massimo Vignelli June 2, 2014

Kepes opened my eyes and made the world relevant.

By Matali Crasset September 3, 2013

One of my favorite books, depicting an entire mural of society.

By Matteo Thun June 16, 2014

Great photos, very useful technical information.

By Matteo Thun December 5, 2013

Calvino’s ideas on lightness, quickness, exactitude, visibility, multiplicity, and consistency still inspire me every day.