Dan Formosa
Dan Formosa’s Book List
I included some design and non-design books in my list. All of them have been influential, although for some books, direct connections may not be obvious.
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Published in 1983, this is great book on design. I’m especially fascinated by the opening chapters covering the early history of design in America. Innovations evolved not just from a need to survive in the new frontier—American design and technology was part a deliberate effort to separate America from its European ties. Political from the start.
I jumped immediately into the pre-publication copy I received. This book provides an insightful look into creativity both within and outside the corporation. I’ve referred many people to it.
A look at pretty-good companies that have been in existence for decades, and (suddenly) became great. Personal discussions about the many companies I consult with conjure up various principles discussed in Jim Collins’s book.
First published in 1957 and written for psychologists, it’s a bit difficult to get through. But it’s a great look at early (and still relevant) methods of measuring and understanding perceptions and emotions.
A look into the importance of details in creating exceptional design experiences—details that, in many cases, companies (or designers) typically overlook (which is surprising since various takes on the quote “Design is in the details” seem to be ubiquitous within the profession). In this case, the focus is on interaction design. Its principles, however, apply to every touch point we have with interfaces, products, services, and virtually everything in our lives.
A nice look at the way working musicians get around the complexity and limitations of traditional music notation—which is a god-awful example of information design.
This is a significantly sized textbook on food history and science. Brilliantly written, it contains a wealth of interesting facts about the things we cook and eat. While it delves deeply at times into food chemistry, it is extremely easy to follow. I find myself quoting its many factoids in lots of daily conversations (maybe because I know a lot of people who talk a lot about food).
I’m a big fan of wheel charts. Jessica Helfand’s book contains brilliant examples.
Not a new book, but a thought-provoking introspection of Eastern thinking, and its relevance to science.
The printed page can be a beautiful thing. But it often isn’t. Ellen Lupton’s book discusses fonts and page layouts, and has many examples. And of course the book itself is nicely designed.
This (and Edward Tufte’s subsequent publications) should be required reading for everyone, everywhere. The ability to both think and communicate visually is critical to understanding in all fields.
This, and other books by Malcolm Gladwell, are great not just because of the interviews and topics covered but also because of the writing style, which makes you feel like you’re standing side-by-side with the author and interviewees during their conversations.
A fascinating look into the origins of the number system, and how math emanated from a desire to understand nature. It discusses how culture evolved accordingly. Also addressed is how the fear of zero (along with a fear of too much science), through the religious beliefs of the Catholic Church in Europe, curtailed the advancement of civilization. The book evokes thoughts about how a fear of math today—or at least an avoidance of quantitative techniques in the field of design—may be having similar effects.
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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