Designers & Books Blog

 

856 blog entries
By Alexander Haldemann December 13, 2013

What inspires me about Swiss painter Johann Heinrich Füssli is that he had an international consciousness—expressed in his art—in the 18th century, decades before direct flights and the Internet would make that an easy thing to do. He did it when it was hard.

July 19, 2016

A historic graphic repertoire for designers to build upon.

By Alice Rawsthorn November 26, 2013

Shows off not only Banham’s wryly conversational writing style but also his intellectual depth and passion for design.

By Alice Rawsthorn November 3, 2014

Irascible though he was, Papanek was also thoughtful, sensitive, gutsy, and perceptive. He wrote Design for the Real World a little over 40 years ago, and most of its principles are as relevant now as they were then, if not more so. Countless books have since been published on sustainable and inclusive design, but every designer should still read this one.

By Alissa Walker December 6, 2013

Messy, scandalous, and racy, but so was L.A. in the ‘60s. And visual culture was never the same.

By Amanda Dameron December 30, 2013

Whether he’s dealing with the visual pollution clogging our daily lives, the necessity of avoiding “the monstrosity of sprawl,” or the proper way to “read” a painting or a sign, Nelson is a patient but forthright teacher for training oneself to embrace the right kind of sight.

By Marion Fasel July 21, 2014

Talented but little-known American jewelry designers of the early 20th century are given their due in this gloriously illustrated book.

By André Leon Talley December 24, 2013

This is one of my favorite books, I always read it as a young boy at Christmas and loved the simple narrative. It so reminded me of my home, and my life with my grandmother: the prepping of fruit cake for the holidays, the intimate bonding of a young child to an older adult—friends between the generational divide. It’s a great, great masterpiece.

By André Leon Talley September 9, 2013

Tolstoy’s sense of visual extravagance is without parallel.