every educator needs to read this! it’s influenced how i guide students in thinking about their work in a deeper way.

this is my favorite exhibit that the costume institute has every put out! it explored susan sontag’s notes on camp in relation to fashion

one of my favorite fashion designers who can be inspired by literally anything

i was introduced to natalie’s work through a riso printing class i took! she has such a unique way of working with color

this book is sooo pretty! i don’t know what the story is about, but every illustration is 😍

i recommend this to all designers interested in improving their visual storytelling skills

love this book so much~ munari’s thoughts on how designers creative fantasy

can’t go wrong with bell hooks~

i read this when i was first getting into design and thought it was a nice intro to type history

color is contextual

on pixar’s creative process and collaboration

the cutest franchise :3

jessica hische taught me so much about letters & typography! my copy is signed~ i met her at a designerfund event wayyy back

a great coffee table book

my most recommend book on typography for beginners~

a playful and interactive book about graphic design principles

collection of essays about digital design~

i haven’t read this yet! it has just been sitting on my shelf since the duke press sale.

the go-to book about traditional grids

a classic if you want to understand grids

good inspo for iconography and logos

the title says it all 😈, but actually, i learned about so many amazing artists through this book!

a pretty history of color charts

a follow up to his first book, this one features a series of lectures on design history from various contributors

super cute tiny book about the history of our favorite typeface

if you want an introduction to bell hooks, this is my pick~

i was introduced to tufte because my first design lead encouraged us to sign up for one of his workshops. his thoughts and ideas have impacted my work since! especially the idea to trust that the user can process all the information~

i was introduced to tufte because my first design lead encouraged us to sign up for one of his workshops. his thoughts and ideas have impacted my work since! especially the idea to trust that the user can process all the information~

i got this book because i was interested in learning about how central saint martins teaches their students to find inspiration.

this book is perfect for reading random chapters at a time! it’s a peek at various ~ patterns ~ you see in urban planning & architecture.

a collection of entries about cyberfeminism

i love looking at concept art for inspiration! this one surfaces a lot of the original disney animator concept art, specifically focused on composition.

this book has influenced so much of how i think about teaching in a community-led way~

conceptual design used to explore potential futures

i went to the exhibition in paris and fell in love with this collection! like the title suggests, this collection was originally considered ~scandalous~ and “hideous” because it was so different

i picked this book up at the mass moca in the berkshires! i love how it ties process and generative practices with graphic design.

i just got this and can’t wait to look through it and be inspired for course 2: break the rules

colors and their names

inspired by octavia butler’s “parable of the sower,” brown explores how we can shape the futures we want to live in. i reference this all the time in how i structure my courses and discussions.

ducks 🦆 and decorated sheds

playful guide to visual design principles. he’s most well known for designing the book cover for “jurassic park”

i thrifted this when i was a student at cal. the examples are all so beautiful and inspiring especially with the state of bland web typography today

a showcase of women designers

i was doing research on the CalArts educational practices and stumbled upon this book

this is the cutest, most wholesome children’s book ever with the best illustrations.

i got this in a work secret santa gift exchange and love it! it’s so mesmerizing to stare at all the generative patterns.

a very smol book on the little things typography

i have not read this 🤭

the queen of iconography: kare designed the iconography for the original macbook

bruno munari’s notes on the role of design

beginner-friendly book on tye

on accessibility & design

beautiful retrospective on kawakuobo organized by themes across her work. my favorite anecdote is that she once took a crumpled piece of paper and told her team to make a dress inspired by it.

issey is more than just pleats! one of my personal favorites is his A-POC garments where he creates a look from a-piece of cloth with as minimal waste as possible.

collection of essential essays about graphic design. i wish i’ve read them all, but i have not

this book is so overwhelming. i’ve barely read most of it! it contains a collection of visual explorations that encourage you to think a little differently

i love this book. many designers sport issey’s pleats, but most don’t know how much research and technology is behind them. my favorite sections of this book display his pleats in movement and in form

i was introduced to tufte because my first design lead encouraged us to sign up for one of his workshops. his thoughts and ideas have impacted my work since! especially the idea to trust that the user can process all the information~

improve your eye for the details when it comes to letterforms

if you’re looking to learn more about how to describe your work and analyze visual design

i got this book to learn more about how the bauhaus taught design & used exercises in their courses

this book informs how i teach students to break down every design into simple elements!

rand’s most famous works are the IBM and UPS logos

very short essays on the political implications of visual design

how graphic design and capitalism are intertwined

this book is a transcription of david reinfurt’s graphic design lectures at yale university

how does technology continue to reinforce racism?

i have mixed feelings about this book because of how often it’s recommended, but did you know my copy is signed 😈?

ok, i know this is technically a classic, but i find it too constraining for typography. i’ve never done math to create type scales and think eyeballing it leads to more heart

hidden histories of the bauhaus. bauhaus history is often focused on the same stories.

how are the occult and bauhaus connected?

a very thick book about graphic design history

a very straightforward introductory book on typography

one of my favorite type designers made a book!

my #1 rec for anyone trying to understand how to think like a designer

just added this one! it’s about radical design pedagogies

i visited this exhibition at the v&a in london right after graduation and it remains my favorite exhibition to this day

i have not read this yet, but i want to!

i have not read this yet, but i’m a huge fan of anni albers and her work

examples of pretty data

patterns on patterns on patterns

mcqueen is my favorite fashion designer of all time. he’s able to find beauty in everything~