Most Anticipated Design Books of Autumn 2020
My favorite thing to do is browse the internet for books, especially ones I’ve never seen before. As the seasons change, I anticipate lots of new books to be released. After browsing all of the publisher catalogs, online forums, and online shops I compiled a shortlist of books every graphic designer should keep their eyes out for in the next coming months. Here’s my most anticipated list of books for graphic designers coming out this autumn:
DAVID KING: DESIGNER, ACTIVIST, VISUAL HISTORIAN
Author: Rick Poynor
Publisher: Yale University Press
Release Date: September 29
This book is a collection of David King’s work throughout his career in journalism and design. It is also a collection of King’s graphic art and photographs from revolutionary Russia he collected as a visual historian. I’m interested in this book for two reasons: the first being I’m interested in learning more about King as a visual historian, and second, I’m interested in learning about King's anti-apartheid and anti-nazi graphic design work. King also created a wide variety of book covers, album covers typography for left-wing institutions. I think this book will showcase a lot of interesting work that will have a lot of contextual significance in today’s political climate.
THE BIG LEAP
Author: Martina Flor
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Release Date: September 29
Written by letterer and designer, Martina Flor, the Big Leap is a book for creative professionals looking to start their own business. Although this book looks similar to many other books for freelancers and creative businesses, I’m interested in this one because Flor discusses her journey to becoming an influential designer. This book covers the first steps of leaving a 9-5 job and becoming self-employed through a series of topics like social media, day-to-day administration, finding work, and sustainable growth. This book is also extremely visual. It reminds me of Lisa Congdon’s Art Inc. which was an incredible book regarding similar content.
BUTTON POWER: 125 YEARS OF SAYING IT WITH BUTTONS
Authors: Christen Carter & Ted Hake
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Release Date: October 13
Button Power is a collection of American buttons as well as the stories of their creation. This collection features content from various historical moments like the first solo flight by Charles Lindbergh and the Black Panther movement. I’m excited about this book because I haven’t seen anything similar. Buttons are an important form of communication in American history and it’s nice they are finally receiving their moment to shine.
A BOOK ON BOOKS: NEW AESTHETICS IN BOOK DESIGN
Publisher: Victionary
Release Date: October 13
I predict this book will be similar to other books published by Victionary. I imagine A Book on Books will be a visual collection of book design from designers and studios from around the world. According to the description of this book on Amazon, the work featured here celebrates the designer’s contribution to reading culture. It also states that it includes some information from “influencers” from various factions of the book world like publishers, book-fair organizers, book-store owners, and printmakers. This last part is what ultimately sold this book for me.
JAPANESE DESIGN SINCE 1945
Author: Naomi Pollock
Publisher: Abrams
Release Date: November 3
Japanese Design Since 1945 is a comprehensive survey of visual history, designers, artisans, and manufacturers of post-war Japan. This book features a wide collection of designs from industrial, graphic, and fashion. The author, Naomi Pollock, used her access to archives, experts, and designers to create this humongous sourcebook. I’m so excited to purchase this book to discover work that is new to me!
Although my list consists of only five books for the entirety of autumn there are plenty of other design books being released. I highly recommend checking out the publishers list on the resources page and browsing the catalogs to see if you find anything that sparks interest in you. If you find anything comment down below and get the conversation started!