Top 10 Design Theory Books for Artists

Remember college years when the first day of class meant digging deep into the credit cards to purchase the required reading for each course? We easily dropped $400-500 just to cover one semester’s classes. Well, for an artist, this thirst for knowledge doesn’t end with the cap and gown ritual. Like building a home, Design Theory is the foundation of our studies and key to evolving our sensibilities as our careers grow.

From Menagerie’s vast library, we offer you our Top 10 Design theory books collected from teacher recommendations and Cheryl’s monthly retreats to the neighborhood bookstore.

Enjoy!


1) The Graphic Design Reader by Steven Heller
2) Logo Design Workbook by Noreen Morioka
3) Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell
4) Making and Breaking the Grid by Timothy Samara
5) Typography: Macro + Microaesthetics by Willi Kunz
6) Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters by Terence Coyle
7) Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth
8) Great Production by Design by Constance J. Sidles
9) Creativity for Graphic Designers by Mark Oldach
10) Branding: From Brief to Finished Solution by Mono

Did we leave out a book you love? We want to hear from you!

If you want to see more reading recommendations, be sure to see our Top 10 Typography books.