Top Design books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Design books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Design

Understanding the concepts of Design starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design Jill Butler

Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated is a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary encyclopedia covering 125 laws, guidelines, human biases, and general considerations important to successful design. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, it pairs clear explanations of every design concept with visual examples of the ideas applied in practice. From the 80/20 Rule to the Weakest Link,…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide

The User Experience Team of One prescribes a range of approaches that have big impact and take less time and fewer resources than the standard lineup of UX deliverables. Whether you want to cross over into user experience or you're a seasoned practitioner trying to drag your organization forward, this book gives you tools and insight for doing more with less.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Know Your Onions: Graphic Design

It is like having a graphic design mentor who will help you come up with ideas, develop your concepts, and implement them in a way that is engaging and humorous. It gives readers the experience and ability that normally comes from years of on-the-job training.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction

Take a tour through the horror paperback novels of two iconic decades . . . if you dare. Page through dozens and dozens of amazing book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, and knife-wielding killer crabs! Read shocking plot summaries that invoke devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate!
Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers …

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Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design

As the design industry reexamines its emphasis on Eurocentric ideologies and wrestles with its conventional practices, Centered advocates for highlighting and giving a voice to the people, places, methods, ideas, and beliefs that have been eclipsed or excluded by dominant design movements.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Branding Michael Johnson

In Branding, Johnson strips everyday brands down to their basic components, with case studies that enable us to understand why we select one product or service over another and allow us to comprehend how seemingly subtle influences can affect key life decisions.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional Design Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Design, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

The Design of Everyday Things

The Design of Everyday Things is a best-selling book by cognitive scientist and usability engineer Donald Norman about how design serves as the communication between object and user, and how to optimize that conduit of communication in order to make the experience of using the object pleasurable.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

How To Draw Everything in 3D: Fun Step-By-Step Guides with Instructions for Drawing Three Dimensions for Beginners

"How to Draw Everything in 3D" offers simple, step-by-step guides to help artists of all levels master the art of three-dimensional drawing. Learn how drawing in 3D can enhance your skills and enable you to create beautiful, realistic artwork.
Dive in and discover:
Tips for maximizing your pencil usage
Various shading techniques
Instructions on drawing fundamental 3D shapes
Esse…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities David Airey

In Logo Design Love, David shows you how to develop an iconic brand identity from start to finish, using client case studies from renowned designers. In the process, he reveals how designers create effective briefs, generate ideas, charge for their work, and collaborate with clients.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Design As Art

One of the last surviving members of the futurist generation, Bruno Munari's Design as Art is an illustrated journey into the artistic possibilities of modern design translated by Patrick Creagh published as part of the 'Penguin on Design' series in Penguin Modern Classics.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Christmas Coloring Book For Kids: Cute And Easy Christmas Stocking Stuffer Coloring Book For Kids With Santas, Christmas Trees, Reindeer, Snowmen, Toys And Ornaments (Xmas Coloring Book For Kids)

This fun and easy Christmas coloring book is designed for kids, toddlers and preschool girls and boys. It includes over 50 beautiful festive and cheerful designs with cute Christmas Santas, snowmen, Christmas trees, ornaments, gifts, toys and other seasonal images for kids fun and increase creativity.
In addition to being fun, coloring helps children identify colors, develop fine motor skil…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Thinking with Type

Thinking with Type is divided into three sections: letter, text, and grid. Each section begins with an easy-to-grasp essay that reviews historical, technological, and theoretical concepts, and is then followed by a set of practical exercises that bring the material covered to life.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

Augment your Design books

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I am a Senior Software Engineer at Booking.com, the largest travel company in the world. Before joining here, I was working as a Senior Software Engineer at Grab, the leading delivery, mobility, financial, and enterprise services company in Southeast Asia. In my career so far, I have always been working …

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I can help you: - Improve your resume and portfolio - Practice portfolio presentation, whiteboard challenge, app critique, behavioral interviews - Advance in your career - Improve your project work I'm a Senior Product Designer with 8 years of experience. Currently, at Klarna, Europe's Fintech unicorn. Previously, I worked at …

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As a senior user researcher with over 15 years of experience running international research projects for global companies such as PlayStation, Spotify, and in the finance industry, I have developed a keen eye for what makes a successful UX researcher. Through my experience as a mentor, I have helped many …

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Student or Junior UX Designer? I can help you refine your CV and portfolio, create new case studies to showcase your skills, and more generally help you grow as a designer. Additionally, I can share valuable insights and advice to help you navigate the workplace, whether you're just starting or …

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