Designers are a funny breed, we tend to hoard things and walk around looking at the world from a different perspective to most people and find inspiration from many things. This month we showcase a selection of printed items currently inspiring us in
the studio.
I’ve got thousands of bookmarks and visit some of the amazing design blogs such as Visuelle, September Industry, Aisleone, Thisiscollate every day but for me you still can’t beat a good old reference book or magazine and not just because of the smell of the print either (that’s just a bonus). The internet is an amazingly fast and accessible resource but having a tangible object that you can hold in your hands and look at anywhere, at anytime, still has the edge for me.
Below are a few books that are doing the rounds in the studio this month.
Firstly Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-drawn Patterns. I picked this up recently as it had such a wide range of styles shown within its pages. The hand-drawn trend in design comes and goes in phases but this book offers much more than that as it provides inspiration for colour palettes, patterns and even shapes that could be used for a visual or brand identity. A really good book to have in any studio library.
Next we have the second edition of the great Australian publication Process Journal. This quarterly journal is a showcase for design worldwide but with a healthy bias towards Australian design. Not only is it beautifully designed and printed but it’s a
great resource for cutting edge design work. The informative question/answer format also gives you an insight into how other agencies, illustrators and artists tick, which is
always fascinating.
Lastly this month we have Colourmania from Viction:ary. The theme of this book is… yes you’ve guessed it… colour, but it actually makes a refreshing change to see work organised by colour. It shows how powerful design can be by simply using one or two colours.
With 200 projects featured you are taken on a journey through a kaleidoscope of colour taking in everything from a flat print to a whole campaign or interior. The pop out tabs are a really nice feature and there are even a range of different coloured covers…naturally.
So that’s it for this month, tune in next month for another round-up of what’s getting thumbed and dog-eared in the studio.