🚀 Introduction
From small-time gigs to booming creative industries, web, and graphic design have taken centre stage. Whether you’re a rookie or a design virtuoso, there’s always something new to learn.
So why not dive into our handpicked collection of 13 mind-blowing books?
Trust us, these books are worth every pixel of your time!
💡Importance of Continuous Learning in Design
In the design world, staying relevant is crucial. Continuous learning is the key to keeping up. And guess what? Books are a secret weapon!
They offer new knowledge and fresh ideas, like having a mentor by your side.
So, dive into a captivating design book and fuel your creativity. Stay ahead of the game and never stop learning!
Best Books for Web Designers!📚
📖The Principles of Beautiful Web Design: Designing Great Web Sites is Not Rocket Science! – Jason Beaird & James George
👉 Overview
“Designing Great Web Sites is Not Rocket Science!” is the go-to resource for web designers seeking a boost in their visual prowess. This book covers all the essentials, from colors and fonts to layout and usability, in a fun and light-hearted way.
With clear writing and stunning examples, this book points out 5 key principles: layout, color, typography, texture, and imagery. It’s like a creative toolkit that unlocks the secrets to designing stunning websites.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
This book covers everything you need to know about web design basics, from choosing the perfect colors and fonts to creating awesome layouts and ensuring usability.
It’s like having a trusty sidekick that walks you through the essential principles of web design, like layout, color, typography, texture, and imagery.
📖HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites – Jon Duckett
👉 Overview
This book teaches you everything you need to know about these essential coding languages for web design. With its engaging writing style and practical examples, you’ll be coding your own websites in no time!
This book takes a refreshing approach, making HTML and CSS accessible to everyone. It’s like a colorful adventure, filled with lifestyle photography and eye-catching infographics that bring the concepts to life.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
Imagine a book that holds the key to mastering website coding from scratch. HTML and CSS, the dynamic duo of web design, are demystified within its pages.
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, this book has it all—clear explanations, practical examples, and a visually engaging approach. It’s like a colorful art gallery, making coding accessible to everyone.
📖Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Web Graphics – Jeniffer Robbins
👉 Overview
This book is renowned as the go-to resource for learning the code behind captivating designs. Perfect for absolute beginners, it covers all the essentials: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web graphics.
You’ll learn about website setup, command-line wizardry, and content wrangling with clients. From formatting text, images, links, forms, and tables in HTML to building stunning stylesheets that bring colour, background, and layout magic, this book equips you with the skills to create visually appealing websites. Discover the basics of JavaScript and breathe life into your designs with interactive elements.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
This book is your ultimate guide, whether you’re new to the field or want to polish your skills. It teaches you the basics of coding from scratch and also shows you how to use popular design software like Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, and Dreamweaver.
It’s the key to unlocking your creativity and making your web design dreams a reality.
📖6 Practical WordPress Projects – Variety of Authors
👉 Overview
This book takes you on a journey through six exciting projects that will enhance your understanding of WordPress. From building a theme from scratch to creating custom endpoints for the REST API.
With the guidance of talented authors, you will explore diverse topics like building non-blog sites, preparing content for the future of extended reality (XR), and even crafting a WordPress plugin with the power of Vue.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
If you’re eager to dive into WordPress and learn by doing, this book is your perfect companion. It takes a hands-on approach, walking you through six practical projects that cover everything from building themes to creating custom admin pages.
It’s packed with creative thinking and clear explanations that will broaden your perspective and spark new ideas.
📖Building Progressive Web Apps: Bring the Power of Native to the Browser – Tal Ater
👉 Overview
This book unveils the realm of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), merging the best of web and native apps for a seamless browser experience. Learn the art of offline functionality with service workers, like a backup generator for spotty internet.
Stay connected with the magic of push notifications. Plus, embrace the instant start of the App Shell architecture, eliminating app loading time.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
Level up your web development skills with this book on building Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). From the basics to advanced concepts like service workers and push notifications, it’s your go-to guide for mastering the art of creating mobile-friendly web experiences.
📖Laws of UX: Using Psychology to Design Better Products & Services – Jon Yablonski
👉 Overview
The Laws of UX is your golden ticket to a world where design and psychology merge. This secret playbook reveals the hidden forces that influence user interaction with products and services.
Dive deep into UX heuristics, core psychology principles, and predictive models like Jakob’s, Fitts’s, and Hick’s laws. It offers practical tips for implementing psychological principles to enhance user experience. It also explores how aesthetically pleasing designs can create positive responses.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
If you want to understand how psychology impacts user experience design, then this book is a must-read.
It offers insights that can help you design more user-friendly products and services. With this book in your arsenal, you’ll create designs that leave lasting impressions.
📖 UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products that People Want – Jaime Levy
👉 Overview
Within her book, she reveals a trove of invaluable wisdom—a step-by-step manual to crafting digital wonders. Consider it a secret recipe for innovation, finely tailored to satisfy even the most discerning users’ desires.
Prepare to explore a wide range of topics, including the strategic framework of UX, conducting user and competitive research, concept validation, the art of storyboarding, competitive analysis, optimizing conversion rates, and the art of prototyping.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
This book is your ultimate guide to crafting irresistible digital experiences.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, startup founder, product manager, or UX designer, this book will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to create user-friendly products that people will love.
Best Books for Graphic Designers! 📚
📖Color Studies – Edith Anderson Feisner
👉 Overview
This book delves into the fascinating world of color in web and graphic design. Just like colors can evoke emotions in our daily lives, they can have a powerful impact on how people feel when interacting with a website or design.
This book covers color systems and wheels, how we perceive color, digital technologies, color composition, symbolism, and different dimensions of color, including hue, intensity, value, and temperature.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
Unleash your inner artist with this book on color theory for designers. Learn how to wield colors like a seasoned painter, creating visually captivating websites that evoke emotions and leave a lasting impression.
It’s the ultimate guide to help you master the art of color in your designs.
📖Design Systems – Alla Kholmatova
👉 Overview
This book is your ultimate guide, unveiling the boundless power of design systems. Journey through each step, from laying a solid foundation to harnessing its full potential.
Consider it your design system guru, igniting your creativity and streamlining your process. Explore the creation of reusable components, the art of maintaining your system, the essential elements to include, the value of a shared language for seamless teamwork, & how to navigate potential risks.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
Hey there, if you’re someone who’s ever found themselves lost in a sea of design elements, this book will be your compass!
The book covers design systems in depth and explains how to set them up and use them.
It’s a great tool to help lone sailors or big crews navigate their design projects smoothly.
📖Grid systems in graphic design: A visual communication manual for graphic designers, typographers, and three-dimensional designers – Josef Müller-Brockmann
👉 Overview
Since its publication in 1996, this book has remained an unrivalled companion, guiding designers through the jungle of design chaos with the power of grid systems.
From 8 to 32 grid fields, this book unveils the guidelines and rules that govern grid systems, applicable to a multitude of projects. It even delves into the realm of three-dimensional grids, providing precise instructions and showcasing conceptual examples.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
If you’re serious about bringing order and organization to your designs, this book is an absolute must-have in your design toolkit.
With this tool in hand, you can confidently navigate intricate layouts, ensuring visual harmony at every turn.
📖Logo Modernism – Jens Müller & R. Roger Remington
👉 Overview
This book takes you on a journey through the history of logo design, showcasing its evolution from the 1940s to today. It’s like a treasure trove of categorized and analyzed logos that will expand your understanding of this vital aspect of our visual culture.
But it’s not just a history lesson; it’s a practical guide too. You’ll uncover the secrets of creating unique and memorable logos that leave a lasting impact. From classic to contemporary, this book has it all.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
If you want to understand the history and evolution of logo design, this book is a must-read. It covers everything from the early days of logo design in the 1940s to modern-day logos.
You’ll gain valuable insights into how logos have developed and evolved over the years, making it an essential read for anyone in the field.
📖Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don’t teach you in design school, but should – Michael Janda
👉 Overview
This book delves into essential topics such as thinking creatively, standing out from the competition, networking, team management, project bidding, and building strong client relationships.
It offers practical insights and strategies to help you excel in these areas, empowering you to thrive in the world of business. The book will navigate the industry, help avoid common pitfalls, and succeed on your terms.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
Michael Janda’s book is like a secret weapon for designers, filled with hilarious stories and priceless advice from his successes and failures.
It’s packed with practical tips and advice that aren’t usually taught in design school. You’re sure to learn something valuable from the author’s successes and failures.
📖Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen – Donald Miller
👉 Overview
With relatable examples and simple language, the book guides you through the process of crafting a brand narrative that truly resonates.
This book empowers businesses to fortify their brand presence. Discover the art of crafting a resonant message, the essence of a captivating brand narrative, the magic of storytelling and emotions in precise marketing, the palette of visual tools that amplify brand storytelling, and the secret to seamless integration across marketing channels.
👉 Why You Should Read It?
This book is your key to creating a brand story that will capture the hearts and minds of your customers. The straightforward approach and relatable examples make it easy for anyone to craft a compelling narrative that resonates with their audience.
Plus, you’ll get insider tips on how to use storytelling and emotions to supercharge your marketing efforts.
✅ Conclusion
Keeping up with the latest techniques and trends is crucial to staying ahead of the game. Luckily, reading books is a great way to do just that.
Our list of recommended books on web and graphic design is sure to help you improve your skills, learn new techniques, and get inspired.
At PixelStreet, we believe in the magic of books. Our office boasts a captivating library, where we inspire our employees to immerse themselves in boundless knowledge. Because, ultimately, knowledge is power!
Happy reading and designing!
