Hello and welcome to this beginner's
guide series to graphic design.
From what graphic design is, skills to be a graphic 
designer, design theory, education you need,
equipment you need to the graphic design 
portfolio and interview advice.
This series is for anyone at any level.
So if you're interested in graphic design and 
considering becoming a graphic designer
join me as I discuss a series 
of graphic design topics.
So if you're interested to learn
more about graphic design
the history of graphic design, design theory,
typography, good design practice 
and inspiration
there are a number of graphic design
books I would recommend you invest in.
Now there are many books I would
recommend you read here,
unfortunately too many to talk about in
one episode. So to make it easy
I have created a list which you can find
in the PDF document that accompanies this series.
Link is in the description. Here I
have listed a range of books with web
links to find out more online. For this
video I'm going to list my top ten books
for beginners and give the reasons why I
would recommend you read them. Now I own
all of these books and have found them
very insightful, a nice mix of design
theory and inspiration in this
collection.
So before I begin I must stress that I
have not been sponsored for this video
by any company or brand or publisher.
All the following books
I'm about to list are what I use 
and would recommend.
So the first book I would recommend is:
Graphic design a concise history,
by Richard Hollis.
So this is the best introduction to the
history of graphic design I have read.
This was one of the recommended books on
my reading list at university. Now I
would say that this book is by no means
a casual read. This book covers a lot of ground
going into quite some depth of the
cultural and technological developments
of graphic design across various parts
of the world. If you're interested in the
history of design I recommend this book
because after reading you will get a good
understanding of the evolution of design,
the various design movements that
occurred in history and an appreciation
of what design has become today.
This book is well organised by country
and date and it's full of amazing visual
examples to observe and reflect on.
So the next book is: Graphic design
school -  A foundation course for graphic
designers, working in print moving image
and digital media,
by David Dabner and Sandra Stewart.
So this is a great introduction and
guide to the principles and practice of
graphic design.
This book is organised into two main
sections. Principles and practice.
The first section deals with the
fundamentals of design such as
composition, hierarchy, 
layout, typography
grid structure, 
colour and so on.
The second section put these basics into
practice and gives information about
studio techniques and production issues
relevant to a number of different
graphic design disciplines. At the end of
this book it even goes as far as to
provide an overview of some of the
different career choices
open to students entering into the
graphic design field. So I would really
recommend this book if you're a beginner
or student aspiring to be a graphic designer.
This book is packed with vital
information.
After reading this book you will have a
good working knowledge of design with a
broader view of the field 
of graphic design.
So my next book is: Graphic design rules,
365 essential design dos and don't,
by Stefan G. Bucher. So this is a great
book for beginners packed with practical
advice with accurate and 
information rules
365 to be exac. I recommend
this one because it's in an easy to read
format. A good read of this book will
quickly bring you up to speed with some
common applications of graphic design.
You can pick this one up and put it down
quickly and refer back to it easily.
So my next book is: Color design work
book, a real world guide to using colour
in graphic design, by Adams Morioka.
So this is a great book for
beginners to think about and explore
colour and get a good introduction to
colour theory.
Besides being a very well designed book
it's full of reference and inspiration
with lots of case studies supported 
with in depth commentary.
This book has lots to offer. So my next
book is: Making and breaking the grid,
by Timothy Samara.
This book is an analysis of the
construction and deconstruction of grid
based design. For a beginner
this is an interesting look at two
concepts that will make you think about
structure and how to break the rules. As
quoted on the back the book, in order to
effectively break the rules of grid
based design, one must first understand
those rules and see them applied to
real world projects. This book introduces
you to the idea of the grid and how to
use it with lots of examples across
several decades with detailed
information. Later in the book
you're introduced to the notion or
freedom in design without the grid.
So my next book is: Thinking with type, a
critical guide for designers, second
revised edition, by Ellen Lupton. This is
a great book for beginners and students
who are interested in learning more
about practical uses a typography across
web and print. This book showcases many
typographic layouts from both modern
and classical designs which provide
helpful lessons. I would recommend this
one because it's an easy read.
You will learn a little about the
history of letter forms and there are
many examples illustrating some
essential dos and don'ts.
So my next book is: 
Logo design love, by David Airey.
This is a great book for beginners who
are interested in logo creation and
brand development. This book showcases in depth design process with to the point
practical tips and contains plenty of
example logos with some analysis of how
they were made. This book will make you
think more about the smaller details
when creating your logos and observing
those made by others.
I found this one an interesting and
inspirational read. So my next book is:
The graphic design exercise book,
creative briefs to enhance your skills
and develop your portfolio, 
by Carolyn Knight and Jessica Glaser.
If you are looking to build your
portfolio with some interesting projects
I would highly recommend this book. 
This book provides a series of challenging
design briefs that encourage your
creativity across a range of genres
including logos, packaging, branding,
identity, promotion, publication design,
music graphics and web design. Each brief lists 
the required materials and equipment
so you can pick and choose. This book
offers useful information packed with
examples and things to take into
consideration when working on a brief.
So a great book here to get you started
creating your own work.
So my next book is: 
It's not how good you are,
It's how good you want to be, 
by Paul Arden.
So this book is not really about graphic
design it's about creative thinking and
challenges the orthodox approach to work
and established ideas. Written by Paul
Arden who has been an advertising
executive for decades, in this book he
offers up some really interesting
creative insights and motivational ideas
and ways of thinking. I recommend this
book because it's a shot of inspiration.
This is a great little book you will
find yourself reading over and over again.
A must for any 
creative collection.
So the next book is: 
Hegarty on creativity, there are no rules,
by John Hegarty. So my last 
book is again not a graphic design
book but another source of motivation
inspiration and creative wisdom.
The writer, another great mind in advertising 
states that creativity isn't an occupation
it's a preoccupation. It is at the very
core of what makes us human.
In this book John talks about the ideas
that lie at the heart of creative thinking.
His message is always crystal clear and
promotes the benefits of simplifying,
thinking boldly and being undaunted by
challenges.
This book is a sharp and insightful
reference about being creative,
definitely worth a read. So those are just
a few of the books I would recommend you read.
They definitely helped me get a good
grasp of design and inspired me creatively.
In fact I've only read some of those
books quite recently. As a designer you
can never stop learning 
about your craft.
If you'd like to take a closer look at
the list discussed in this video along
with the URLs you can find out more in
the PDF document that accompanies this
video series. Download
link is in the description.
So what books would you recommend? Do you
have any favorites that are not on my list?
Be sure to share your comments below.
Well I hope you enjoyed this video if
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So in the next video I'm going to go
into more depth about education and
discuss what education you
need to be a graphic designer.
So see you in next video!
