Jacob Jacobowitz
Designers across all types, styles and mediums need to constantly work to improve their skills. From learning new techniques to investing in useful equipment, keeping on top of industry developments is vital in the world of design. The books listed below will inspire designers into new ways of working and keep them ahead of trends in a competitive industry.
Navigate the article
#1 Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
I am not a designer. I’m a web marketer. Although my clients spend a lot of money on beautiful sites, sometimes I have to break these designs to do simple marketing. That’s usually because the designer did not read Don’t Make Me Think. In this book, Steve Krug argues that good design and the action you want a customer to take are not mutually exclusive. Good design accomplishes a purpose. If you’re a designer, please read this book and incorporate it into your designs. As a result, I won’t have to break your design to help accomplish my clients’ marketing goals.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#2 Photoons by Vic Keppel
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
Vic Keppel, of Kiwi-USA origins, is cartoonist & writer with a Biology/Physics background. PHOTOONS, his latest creation, combines camera & computer graphics with an eclectic view reflecting life’s situational absurdities. Everything comes alive, and since we talk to alarm clocks and misplaced mobile-phones, why can’t they talk to each other? In Vic’s world….they DO!
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#3 A New Approach To Miniature Paintings In Watercolour by Amin Chughtai
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
This book was once a dream, which has now become a reality. It has taken more than twenty-five years to write and illustrate it. I do hope that the readers will admire the interpretation of the illustrations and enjoy the beautiful pictures of my paintings. I want to fascinate the reader with short tales, cultural aspects and the diversity of my traditional background. My aim is to lure the reader into the exotic world of beauty and harmony, and to make them a part of the romantic notions I have set in my paintings.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#4 The Art of Earth and Fire by Andrew Sinclair
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
The Art of Earth & Fire is the first book by Andrew Sinclair ARBS, recognised as a master of world-class figurative sculpture. It is based on Andrew’s ground-breaking Sinclair Method, which completely transforms the building and creation of Contemporary Realist sculpture. This method is revolutionising the approach to sculpture, also acting as a powerful source of knowledge, enabling students searching for excellence to become professional masters of their art.
The Art of Earth & Fire deals with the foundations of good figurative sculpture and offers a profound understanding of measurement, anatomy, design and composition in an easy-to-understand format that will shock and inspire established sculptors and beginners alike. So, if you want to raise your game and lift your sculpture talents to a professional level – this book is dynamite! Consider it food for the sculptural soul.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#5 Bury Them Cheap by John Jones
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
The book describes how to make various shrouds and coffins both cheaply and easily. None of the shrouds and coffins described in the book require any great expertise or tools. All of them can be made, quite literally, on the kitchen floor. The book has been written for the many people who would like to be able to have a funeral which is personal to both them and the deceased.
Included in the book is information on how to deal with the body, what legal matters have to be dealt with after a death and how to arrange a funeral using just family and friends. If you favour the idea of a green burial, all of the shrouds and coffins shown are bio-degradable and alternatives to the use of screws and nails are given in the text. As such, they are all in accord with the ideology of green burials.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#6 Nautical Science – Past, Present, Future by John Furnes
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
Nautical Science – Past, Present, Future is a fascinating, in-depth history of nautical science which will appeal to those with a serious interest in the field. Furness and Dragnes’s substantial work spans the period from the Magna Carta up to a meticulous examination of the modern science integral to human activity at the sea every day. Lined with hundreds of informative and intriguing illustrations, Nautical Science belies a lifelong interest and involvement in the field.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#7 Streets Ahead by Kenneth Louis Shepherd
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
The author is a ‘Townie’ who has, throughout his life, chosen to avoid rural situations. In his interest in ART, he has felt that less attention has been paid to works related to city areas than they deserve. This book is an attempt to rectify this situation.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#8 Potty About Pots: Arts And Crafts For Home And School by Grace Selous Bull
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
Throughout human history, art has been central to all aspects of life: from birth to death, and everything in between. Potty About Pots looks at ceramics throughout the time, exploring both the cultures and artistic legacy of people from the ancient Egyptians to modern Europeans. Potty About Pots will take you on a journey through time and geography, with fun activities, suitable for all ages, to share with loved ones or pupils.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#9 How To Photograph Garden Plants and Wildlife Through Four Seasons by Arnold Wilson
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
Arnold Wilson is a professional biologist and an award-winning photographer, and both these skills are shown to their best advantage in How to Photograph Garden Plants and Wildlife through Four Seasons. As the title suggests, this book is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of garden photography throughout the year.
Its early chapters discuss the technical intricacies of the camera and the many models currently available, before giving an impressively practical overview of the vital, but often misunderstood, subject of photographic composition. The next four chapters cover each of the seasons in turn, explaining what techniques to use to get the best out of flowers and other plants and how to produce appealing and unusual action shots of garden wildlife.
Throughout, Arnold Wilson very much practises what he preaches. The book is illustrated with over 200 of his magnificent photographs – becoming, in effect, a showcase for the glories to be found in a British garden. How to Photograph Garden Plants and Wildlife through Four Seasons is an indispensable guide for every nature photographer, from aspiring to accomplished.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#10 Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
Reading this book will give you more of a soft or creative approach to design as opposed to a technical outlook. This is mainly due to the fact that it has a primary focus on the creation of content rather than a specific focus of design. Nevertheless, this book explains that you shouldn’t be discouraged just because other’s have had an idea or have produced a piece of content. The book’s author; Austin Kleon says that you can simply put your own spin on the idea.
This relates nicely because designers are often under pressure to produce something new and unique. The problem with this mindset is that everything has been done, whether it’s a layout that converts well for a website or even a floor plan for a building. So, don’t be afraid to do something that has already been done!
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#11 The Pocket Decorator by Pamela Banker
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
As a designer, my suggestion for a must-read is Pocket Decorator by Pamela Baker.
When I need a refresher on technical design lingo or historic furniture pieces, this mini-encyclopedia is my personal professor.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
#12 The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher
 |
Get this book or read more reviews of it by using the links below |
This is a colorful explanation of design and all its aspects. It’s comprehensive, but also enjoyable to read. It’s both visual and narrative, explaining details in an engaging way that helps pull the reader in. It’s very stream of consciousnesa, but it also covers everything about design.
Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:
Janine Hornsby from Austin Macauley Publishers
Charlie Worrall from Imaginaire Digital
Betsy Helmuth from Affordable Interior Design
Mike Falahee from Marygrove Awning Co.
