5 Design Books Every Creative Should Read: Honest Reviews and Recommendations
Five of my favourite design books from my collection
Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, there’s always something new to learn from a great design book.
The right book can inspire your next big idea, give you practical tools to improve your work, or help you understand the stories behind the design trends we see today.
In this post, I’ve rounded up five design books that deserve a spot on your shelf. They range from creative self-help to visual histories, each with its own unique value.
These are honest takes—no fluff, no overhype—just what you can expect from each one and who they’re best for.
Let’s dive in!
1. Mindful Creative: How to Understand and Deal with the Highs and Lows of Creative Life, Career, and Business
Creativity isn’t all sunshine and perfectly brewed coffees—it’s messy, unpredictable, and sometimes a bit crushing. Mindful Creative takes a real, no-nonsense look at the emotional rollercoaster that is a creative career.
It’s not trying to sugar-coat the lows, nor does it overpromise quick fixes. Instead, it provides strategies for staying grounded when imposter syndrome sneaks in or when burnout looms large.
What sets this book apart is its relatable tone—less preachy guru, more someone who’s been through it and wants to share what worked. Perfect for anyone who’s ever stared at a blank screen or sketchpad and thought, “What am I doing with my life?”
Mindful Creative
What if you could take control of both your life and your creative career, avoid recurring cycles of stress and burnout, and create the optimal conditions for your potential to flourish? The good news is you can, and Mindful Creative will show you how to cultivate mindful presence and develop resilience.
2. Book of Ideas – A Journal of Creative Direction and Graphic Design – Volume 1
This one feels like flipping through a scrapbook of creative inspiration from someone who actually gets what design is all about. It’s not your typical “how-to” manual—it’s more like a creative nudge.
Designer Radim Malinic shares his thoughts, projects, and a behind-the-scenes peek at his process, which makes it feel personal and refreshingly unpolished.
You won’t find step-by-step instructions here, but that’s not the point. It’s about sparking your next big idea or reminding you why you started designing in the first place. Keep this one nearby when you need a boost or when Pinterest isn’t doing the trick.
Book of Ideas
Book of Ideas is just that: an outpouring of what one creative director and designer has discovered from many years working in the strange and endlessly fascinating world of the creative industry.
3. Design is Storytelling
This book asks a simple question: what’s the story your design is telling? Ellen Lupton dives deep into how design choices—colour, typography, layout—create emotional responses and shape user experiences.
It’s like a crash course in human psychology, wrapped up in a designer’s toolkit.
The book excels at breaking down complex concepts into approachable examples, which is its real strength. Whether you’re working on UX, branding, or even print design, it’s a reminder that design isn’t just visuals—it’s how people feel when they interact with your work.
Design is Storytelling
Design is Storytelling is a guide to thinking and making created for contemporary students and practitioners working across the fields of graphic design, product design, service design, and user experience.
4. Design: The Definitive Visual History (DK Definitive Cultural Histories)
Think of this as a coffee table book with substance. Packed with timelines, images, and insights, this one is less about deep reading and more about flipping through the history of design to understand where modern trends come from.
It covers everything—from Art Nouveau to the Bauhaus movement to contemporary minimalist aesthetics.
It’s not a book you’ll necessarily read cover to cover, but it’s one you’ll keep coming back to for reference or inspiration. Ideal for visual learners who want a broad sweep of design history without diving into dry academic jargon.
Design: The Definitive Visual History
Discover the history of design with this gorgeous visual celebration of key pieces, movements, and designers, from the Arts and Craft movement to the digital age.
5. Design of the 20th Century
The 20th century was a wild ride for design—modernism, postmodernism, brutalism, you name it.
This book captures the evolution of design across those decades, showing how historical context shaped everything from furniture to posters to everyday products.
Taschen, as always, delivers a beautifully designed book, but this one is more than just a pretty face.
It’s informative, with short, sharp insights that won’t overwhelm you. A great choice for anyone who wants to understand how design reflects culture and where it might be headed next.
Design of the 20th Century
Poised at the start of the 21st century, we can see clearly that the previous century was marked by momentous changes in the field of design. Aesthetics entered into everyday life with often staggering results. Our homes and workplaces turned into veritable galleries of style and innovation.
That’s my take on these design gems.
Which one’s calling your name? If you’ve already read one, let me know what you think. Happy designing, and cheers for reading!
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