Inspiration is something all creatives need.
As web designers we are highly creative individuals, but sometimes we just aren’t creative enough to tackle that project or finish that design composite.
It’s when we need a little boost of inspiration.
These are some of the best design books we’ve found for design inspiration. Whether you’re just beginning a design project or moving into your 5th (haha) revision stage, these reads are sure to keep you inspired.
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
By Austin Kleon
Spark your inspiration while Kleon gives top tips he’s learned through life as an artist. Originating from a speech he gave to a group of college students developed this book. The graphic layout makes an easy to read and exciting read with tips to boost your creativity.
Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills
By David Sherwin
As the title implies, this book gives you 80 different unique challenges to improve the quality of your design skills and develop new essential ones. Sharpen, sharpen, sharpen and as you’re doing so, you may just get inspired to begin again!
Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
By Steve Krug
Usability consultant Steve Krug shares his wisdom on the principles of UX navigation and information design for web and mobile. A sure good read to check you know your stuff and also to refresh those user skills.
100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
By Susan Weinschenk
Combining real science and research, Weinschenk provides a practical guide every designer needs. With it you’ll be able to design more intuitive and engaging work for print, websites, applications, and products that matches the way people think, work, and play.
The Creativity Challenge: Design, Experiment, Test, Innovate, Build, Create, Inspire, and Unleash Your Genius
By Tanner Christensen
Christensen demonstrates the best way to become more creative is to change the way you think. Oppose your normal thinking by exploring from more than 100 challenges and prompts that retire habitual concepts and maximize your artistic ability. This book is formatted with an excellent easy-to-follow layout that takes you through each creative challenge.
The Non-Designer’s Design Book
By Robin Williams
Written to benefit even the non-designer, this book is a great read for a review of basic design principles and where you can take them for the next level of type, color and layout.
Design for How People Learn (Voices That Matter)
By Julie Dirksen
As designers, we are in a sense teachers. We are imparting knowledge to others through our designs. The trick is to create a rewarding learning experience. Learn through this book key principles behind learning and how it affects you as a creative.
Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team
By Alina Wheeler
This is the best guide for building a brand identifying strategies and standards for designers and digital marketers alike.
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
By Nir Eyal
Our lives are built on habits. Often times, these are also what affect the general view of products and their design. Learn how to better understand and identify these habit-forming formula to design with quality and conversion assurance.
Choose Yourself!
By James Altucher
Sharing his own wisdom through this book and a positive message for success (internal and external), Altucher has inspired many with Choose Yourself for their life and design work.