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

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

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

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

a great coffee table book

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

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

the cutest franchise :3

on pixar’s creative process and collaboration

color is contextual

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

can’t go wrong with bell hooks~

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

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

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

good inspo for iconography and logos

a classic if you want to understand grids

the go-to book about traditional grids

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

a playful and interactive book about graphic design principles

collection of essays about digital design~

my most recommend book on typography for beginners~

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

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

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~

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

super cute tiny book about the history of our favorite typeface

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

a pretty history of color charts

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.

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

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 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

conceptual design used to explore potential futures

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

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

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

ducks 🦆 and decorated sheds

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.

colors and their names

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

a showcase of women designers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

on accessibility & design

beginner-friendly book on tye

bruno munari’s notes on the role of design

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

i have not read this 🤭

a very smol book on the little things typography

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

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

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

one of my favorite type designers made a book!

a very straightforward introductory book on typography

a very thick book about graphic design history

how are the occult and bauhaus connected?

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

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

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

how does technology continue to reinforce racism?

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

how graphic design and capitalism are intertwined

very short essays on the political implications of visual design

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

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

patterns on patterns on patterns

examples of pretty data

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

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!

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