My Favorite Design Books #2

The turn of the year was the perfect excuse to organize my book library which made me remember this series I started but never continued.

Here are some design books that I like to go through once in a while. Some of them are great to find inspiration while others are filled with incredible wisdom nuggets and information. Same as last time: I provided Book Depository links which is from where I buy them most of the times. They might take a couple of weeks to get to you but the shipping is free! This list is in no particular order.

Classic Penguin: Cover to Cover

By Paul Buckley

Penguin is one of those book publishers that every designer dreams to collaborate with. The love and effort they put into designing and illustrating book covers clearly shines through. This book is a visual celebration of some of some of their best work and collaborations with artists from all over the world. I specially love that every project has a commentary by the illustrator telling how the project came to be and describing the process. If you love book covers this one is for you!

Buy

Things I have learned in my life so far (Revised and Updated)

By Stefan Sagmeister

This book started from a list from Sagmeister’s diary that turned into a series of typographical experiences. Stefan is one of the world’s most renowned designers and this book gives us a look into is mind through a series of incredibly designed mini booklets. Each one shows various thoughts Stefan’s learned throughout his life and how he interpreted them visually. Got this one directly from his studio in NYC which makes it even more special.

Buy

Brand by Hand

By Jon Contino

This was my latest purchase so I haven’t had the chance to dive deep into it but I had to include it here because Jon Contino is one of my favourite designers and illustrators. This book is a collection of his journey as a designer and goes through numerous projects of him showing us his inspirations and process. Jon was one of my biggest inspirations when I finished college and I still look up to him so it’s very special to have a book celebrating all the incredible work he’s been putting out. It’s one of those books that every page is a joy to look at - definitely recommend!

Buy

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, 15th Edition

By Graphic Artists Guild

I’ve been holding on buying this book for a while because I was waiting for this latest edition and I couldn’t be happier with the purchase. This book is the ultimate bible for everyone who’s working in any graphic field. It’s an incredible resource that goes through pricing, contracts, salaries and other advice. Pricing your work is always hard and this book is a great starting point to understand the value your work could have.

Buy

House Industries: The Process Is The Inspiration

By House Industries

House Industries is an incredible design studio that works on projects from fonts and branding to fashion. This book showcases an extensive body of work they’ve created throughout the years. Not only it is beautifully designed and printed but it also goes in deep and shares the stories of their people and shows the sketches and process that were the birth of the final product.

Buy

Hope you guys enjoyed this list. I still have so many more books to share and buy so feel free to share your recommendations!

October 15, 2021

Questions You Should Ask Before Starting a Design Project

There's always an excitement associated with having a new potential client reach out to you with new work. Sometimes you'll receive a very detailed brief and other times a very simple paragraph, but I can't remember a single time when I received a proposal and wasn't immediately filled with questions. The process of debriefing involves raising questions that the client hasn't even thought of, and that will help you save a lot of time; avoid disappointments and also make sure you're meeting the client's expectations. You're not supposed to be a magician who guesses what's going through other people's minds, so you shouldn't be afraid to ask questions no matter how obvious they look. This will in fact make you look professional because after all you're trying to understand your client's business in order to solve their problem as successfully as you can.

June 24, 2021

Identifying & Handling Freelance Client Red Flags

In this post I’ll share some insights and tips on how to navigate situations where your work ethic and worth may be put to test. Please keep in mind that spotting red flags doesn’t automatically mean someone is a bad client and you shouldn’t work for them. A lot of the time clients are not fully aware of the work process and value a creative person can add to a project, so some of these sentences can simply come out of ignorance.

December 16, 2020

Tutorial - How to create a Neon Sign illustration using Procreate & Photoshop

I’ve been obsessed with neon signs for as long as I can remember. They were very popular between the 20s and the 60s but unfortunately are very hard to spot nowadays because there a lot more cheaper and easier solutions. Even though there are plenty of alternatives, nothing comes close to the look of a neon sign. In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create your own fake neon sign using Procreate / Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

January 9, 2020

Tutorial - Animating your letters using Procreate

For this tutorial I’ll teach you how to animate a simple script word from beginning to end using an iPad with Procreate and a bit of patience. The apple pencil is not required but highly recommended.

August 23, 2019

Composition 101: How to create balanced layouts for your lettering pieces

Whether if you’re just starting out your adventure in the lettering world or if you’re a seasoned expert, composition can always be an intimidating topic. Even though general people might not understand the importance of a good layout, it’s our job to make it work so well that it becomes unnoticeable.

February 26, 2019

How to Create Vintage Inspired Packaging Illustrations

Two years ago I started a personal project about vintage matchboxes which was a way for me to experiment with new styles and techniques. In this tutorial I’ll talk about my process and give you some tips on how to create vintage inspired packaging illustrations.

January 17, 2019

5 Lessons I Wish I Had Learned Before Starting Freelancing

When I started freelancing I had no idea what I was doing. I studied design in college and had a couple of years of experience but I never learned how to survive by myself in the real world. Today, after almost 5 years working as a freelancer (whew, has it been that long?!), I’m still learning new things everyday but this journey taught me a few lessons that I wish I’d known from the very start.

These are a couple of things I learned working as a freelancer that can hopefully help you avoid some mistakes I’ve done in the past.

January 9, 2019

My Favorite Design Books #2

The turn of the year was the perfect excuse to organize my book library which made me remember this series I started but never continued. Here are some design books that I like to go through once in a while. Some of them are great to find inspiration while others are filled with incredible wisdom nuggets and information

April 12, 2018

My Favorite Design Books #1

I love books. There's something very special about flicking through the pages of a brand new book and smelling the paper. Even though I'm not much of a reader, design books always had a special place in my heart. Not only they provide a lot of value as they're great places to look for inspiration and references.

January 10, 2018

My Design Journey - From my First Job to Freelancing

Why did I start drawing letters?

I've been thinking it could be interesting to share my story and why I started shifting my focus in "traditional" graphic design to lettering and illustration and how I made that work for me.