This is my Weekly Design Inspiration, this is a space where I share some design work that has either inspired me or caught my attention for its execution or concept. The things I feature on here can include (but not limited to) branding, web design, app design, illustration, typography, video games or anything that shows creativity in a unique way.
Nowadays it is very easy to get design inspiration from sources across the internet. Sites like Instagram, Behance, Dribbble and Awwwards are all amazing platforms for creatives to share their work and keep a portfolio of their creativity alive. While these websites are incredible it’s important not to forget about more traditional means of inspiration and information and that’s in the form of books. Yes, real physical books that you can leave on your coffee table to make you look smart.
While books don’t have the same ability as the internet in being continuously updated and interactive, they do have a more long lasting effect on the reader. Personally, I feel that information on the internet is much more disposable than that of a published book. A lot of time, effort, research, amends and general clarity goes into the creation of books, the same can’t be said for every piece of content on the internet. That is why books are an amazing source for inspiration, because the information shared in them has been curated and specifically selected to take up a page in that book, this gives them much more credibility than the internet (in most cases).
Also, a lot can be said for the physical act of reading a book, it’s much more engaging and rewarding than surfing the internet. So with all that said I thought I would share some inspiring design books I have read over the years.
Just My Type
Simon Garfield
This book is a must read for anyone interested in the modern history of Typography. This book packs in a bunch of chapters discussing specific typefaces and their inception, including the likes of the infamous Comic Sans and the juggernaut that is Helvetica. It also explores some popular examples of type in the media and the choices that have been made in typography design. This book is much more of an interesting read rather than inspiring, but it does give you a good understanding of why these fonts were created and some fascinating stories behind them.
Do Fly
Gavin Strange
Do Fly is part of a collection of books published by The Do Book Company and is written by Gavin Strange (who I have previously featured on this blog). This book is truly inspirational and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone looking to increase their creativity. Gavin explores the importance of side-projects and how he keeps motivated on a project. There are so many nuggets of information in this book that I have donned as a mantra for my design career and for that purpose alone I would recommend this book.
As well as being deeply inspirational, this book is perfectly presented with bright pop colours and beautiful bespoke illustration created by Gavin himself.
Show Your Work!
Austin Kleon
This is another book that is really inspiring and has taught me a lot about actually sharing art and design, something I thought I was doing well but was actually missing a lot of potential.
This book breaks down ‘10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered’ and it isn’t rocket science, it’s easily achieved and has an extremely friendly approach. Even if your goal is to be more confident in the work you share this book is a guide to achieve just that. This book is one of the things that inspired this blog in the first place. The main take-away for me is to share everything that inspires you and to be proud of your work.
Typography Sketchbooks
Steven Heller & Lita Talarico
This is more of a coffee table book in that it is a collection of typography experiments and sketches by designers and artists. This book is great for idea generation and is handy when tasked with an expressive typography brief. Much of the book is photos or scans of real sketchbooks and it’s really intriguing to see these designers processes and development stages. This is something we don’t see as much of online, more often than not we only see finished products, sometimes it’s nice to step back and review the stages that got you to the finished piece. This book does just that, it is a much more raw approach and because of that it sparks much more of your own imagination.
Make Your Own Luck
Kate Moross
I first got this book as a gift from my mum when I graduated uni, and it couldn’t have been more suited to the situation I was in. This book is aimed at inspiring freelancers and giving useful industry tips from an esteemed member of the design world, Kate Moross. Although this book is much more suited to people starting out on their road to a design career, there are still some useful nuggets of information for even the most seasoned designers.
As well as giving helpful tips there are some beautiful examples of Kate’s work from over the years, her typography work is so expressive and is conveyed perfectly through the tone of this book.
So next time you are starting a project or want to be inspired perhaps don’t jump straight online, maybe pick up a book and read something from industry experts and get an insight to the behind the scenes. Or you could just pile a bunch of books on your coffee table to look intelligent...
What Have I been Listening To This Week
Coheed And Combria - Unheavenly Creatures
Coheed are back to their concept album work and I couldn't be happier with the results. The classic space opera style ballads and diverse rock melodies are back and are as good as ever. The album comes together perfectly and is a real treat to long time Coheed fans
Honorable Mentions
As part of my Weekly Design Inspiration I also like to share some bits and pieces that I have seen which have inspired me in the last week. I have captioned each image with some info and relevant links so you can find out more.
The Colors of Motion is a really cool site that takes the main colour of each frame of a film and creates a single image from them. It's really cool to be able to see the tone of a film all in one image and to see how the directors have colour graded and chosen to light a film. I love the one for Avengers: Infinity War because it's clear that the story was really about Thanos due to the amount of purple in the image.
Oscar Barany is an extremely talented designer and animator with such an expressive style. You should really check out his website as this screenshot doesn't do it justice.
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