Shillington Book Club: The Graphic Design Idea Book by Steven Heller & Gail Anderson

Fiona Martin, Full-time Teacher, London
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The Graphic Design Idea Book
Author/Publisher: Steven Heller & Gail Anderson

Steven Heller has always been one of my favourite design commentators. His design writing and criticism is both deeply fascinating but extremely accessible at the same time. He is the author of a whopping 170 books on design and popular culture—talk about prolific!

Heller has managed to completely chronicle the past hundred years of graphic design to such an extent and depth that his influence cannot help but be felt by every design student and practitioner across the world. The book itself takes inspiration from 50 design masters ranging from Stefan Sagmeister, Jan Tschichold to Neville Brody.

The Graphic Design Idea Book serves as an introduction to the key elements of good design. Broken into sections covering the fundamental elements of design, key works by acclaimed designers serve to illustrate technical points and encourage readers to try out new ideas. Themes covered include narrative, colour, illusion, ornament, simplicity, and wit and humour. The result is an instantly accessible and easy to understand guide to graphic design using professional techniques.

It’s helpful for both the established designer who might be set in their ways and needs a fresh approach when it comes to generating ideas and also the new design student looking for inspiration.

“A great designer is one whose imagination transcends the existing tools to create opportunities for innovation”

On a side note, I’d highly recommend The Daily Heller. It’s updated every day with design news and insights, and best of all you can subscribe for free…. perfect for design nerds like myself! 

Buy a copy!

What do you think of The Graphic Design Idea Book? We’d love to hear which books keep you coming back for more. Let us know in the comments below or tag us on our Twitter and Instagram.