Graphic design has become a major subject area at colleges and universities around the country. With more software packages and technology advancements, graphic design is a vital part of production methods these days, especially when it comes to content for online platforms like websites. In addition, graphic design still has a major focus on print materials, such as newspapers, magazines, flyers, and advertising of all sorts.
If you are a graphic design major in college, it’s important to have textbooks that clearly explain the various design methods involved in this area. TopTenTopTen.com has come up with a list of the top 10 college textbooks on graphic design. Here are those books:
1. Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips (2008 – Princeton Architectural Press)
2. Graphic Design Solutions (with Premium Website, eCritique Printed Access Card) by Robin Landa (2010 – Wadsworth Publishing)
3. Data Flow: Visualizing Information in Graphic Design by R. Klanten (2008 – Die Gestalten Verlag)
4. Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design by Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit (2011 – Rockport Publishers)
5. Typography Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Type in Graphic Design by Timothy Samara (2006 – Rockport Publishers)
6. Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual by Timothy Samara (2007 – Rockport Publishers)
7. White Space is Not Your Enemy: A Beginner’s Guide to Communicating Visually through Graphic, Web and Multimedia Design by Kim Golombisky and Rebecca Hagen (2010 – Focal Press)
8. Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design by Kristen Cullen (2007 – Rockport Publishers)
9. Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop by Timothy Samara (2005 – Rockport Publishers)
10. Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, Graphics, and Beyond by Jennifer Niederst Robbins and Aaron Gustafson (2007 – O’Reilly Media)
Based on this list, Timothy Samara is considered one of the top graphic design textbook authors. In fact, Samara is a professor at the School of Visual Arts and Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He has authored a number of books on graphic design, so if you’re lucky enough to be using one of his books for a class, you will be glad to know that you are in good hands because of Samara’s expertise in this field.
Always remember to use Textbooks.org for all of your textbooks needs. You can easily and quickly compare prices on the above books and any textbooks that may be required or recommended for your classes.