Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman’s Notable Books of 2011
In reviewing my recommendations for Notable Books of 2011, I was struck by an unexpected common denominator: the subtext of each contends with a journey. Some are more overt and easy to identify—the visual navigation of a corporation’s identity, for example, or the evolution of a career. Several are more abstract and expressive and recount a struggle to change one’s path in life or leave a partner in crime. Others steadfastly describe the trajectory and influence of patterns and trends, symbols and semiotics.
Whether these chosen books reveal the heartbreaking struggle of self-realization or celebrate the courage of a dramatic leap, one thing is clear: 2011 was a year of transition and change. While not quite a full-on metamorphosis, it has certainly made for some remarkable reading.
Nonfiction, Graphic Design
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The firm of Chermayeff & Geismar has created some of the most memorable logos in the history of graphic design, including the NBC Peacock, Chase Bank’s Blue Octagon, and (literally) hundreds of others. This book reveals the history and process of creating many of the world’s most iconic marks.
Bob Gill’s revolutionary work first burst on the scene in the 1960s and his remarkable career has known no bounds. Gill’s monograph is one part reference, one part memoir and one part catalogue of astonishing design.
“I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.” So starts the heartbreaking new novel by Lemony Snicket author Daniel Handler and illustrator/national treasure Maira Kalman. A story of romance gone wrong from a teenage perspective, this book is a charming, bittersweet look at lost love.
Pentagram partner Angus Hyland co-wrote and aggregated this encyclopedia-esque bible of symbols—over 1,300 of them. Organized by graphic genre, the book deconstructs many of the world’s greatest logos by symbol: shape, form—even hearts. Not only is Symbol overloaded with images, it is written with a warm, wonderful wit.
Fashion designer Todd Oldham discovered the work of Charley Harper in 2001 and collaborated with him until his death in 2007. Together, they navigated through Harper’s extensive archive to create an exuberant, joyful monograph. This 2011 edition is a miniature, more affordable version of the original book; while smaller, its spirit and eloquence are in no way diminished.
Announcements
Now is Better by Stefan Sagmeister
Now is Better
By Stefan Sagmeister
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: October 2023
Combining art, design, history, and quantitative analysis, transforms data sets into stunning artworks that underscore his positive view of human progress, inspiring us to think about the future with much-needed hope.
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future by Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future
By Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: May 2022
Rawsthorn and Antonelli tell the stories of the remarkable designers, architects, engineers, artists, scientists, and activists who are at the forefront of positive change worldwide. Focusing on four themes—Technology, Society, Communication, and Ecology—the authors present a unique portrait of how our great creative minds are developing new design solutions to the major challenges of our time, while helping us to benefit from advances in science and technology.
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Love Letter to a Garden by Debbie Millman
Love Letter to a Garden
By Debbie Millman
Contributions by Roxane Gay
Publisher: Timber Press
Published: April 15, 2025
From the award-winning artist, designer, and the host of the podcast Design Matters, Debbie Millman, this book tells the visual story of falling in love with gardening—and the philosophies that work conjures. Spread throughout are simple recipes using the garden’s ingredients from Millman’s wife, best-selling author Roxane Gay.
Milton Glaser: POP by Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Milton Glaser: POP
By Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: March 2023
This collection of work from graphci design legend Milton Glaser’s Pop period features hundreds of examples of the designer’s work that have not been seen since their original publication, demonstrating the graphic revolution that transformed design and popular culture.
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Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange
Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall
By Alexandra Lange
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: June 2022
Chronicles postwar architects’ and merchants’ invention of the shopping mall, revealing how the design of these marketplaces played an integral role in their cultural ascent. Publishers Weekly writes, “Contending that malls answer ‘the basic human need’ of bringing people together, influential design critic Lange advocates for retrofitting abandoned shopping centers into college campuses, senior housing, and ‘ethnocentric marketplaces’ catering to immigrant communities. Lucid and well researched, this is an insightful study of an overlooked and undervalued architectural form.”
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition) by Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition)
By Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Publisher: Letterform Archives Books
Published: October 2023
This facsimile edition of Die Fläche, recreates every page of the formative design periodical in full color and at original size, accompanied by essays that contextualize the work, highlighting contributions by pathbreaking women, innovative lettering artists, and key practitioners of the new “surface art,” including Rudolf von Larisch, Alfred Roller, and Wiener Werkstätte founders Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann.
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