Favorite Books, Publications and Music
The following is an ever-growing list of books, publications and music, all of which directly and indirectly helps me be a better creative. In come cases, I've written a small commentary about each. In others, I've copied a brief description/review if time was tight. If I was stranded on a desert island (or in a design studio over the weekend), these are the items I'd want with me. Most of these link to Amazon for you to learn more and/or purchase for your own.

I Am Almost Always hungry | August 18, 2004

LegendaryHarper's Bazaar art director Alexey Brodovitch had a favorite saying: "Why to eat bacon and eggs every day?" The designers at San Francisco-based design firm Cahan & Associates, in their hunger for fresh ideas, find inspiration in the most unexpected places, such as an oddly sculptural piece of discarded metal in the alley near their office, or a conversation with an elaborately tattooed bicycle messenger. From these eclectic ingredients the office serves up in-your-face graphics that are exceptional for their visceral impact yet still convey the strategic thinking behind each piece...More

eye Magazine | August 15, 2004

Possibley the best design magazine on the stands past, present and future. Not full of frivilous ads or competitions-just plenty of industry articles written under a heavy pen of critical thinking. eye Magazine is produced in Europe (like most good things) and is expensive for either a single copy of a subscription ($31/$125). Check it out and you’ll never return to the Hows, CAs or Prints (until compeition time...More

Boards of Canada / Geogaddi | August 14, 2004

This is the most intimate, fascinating and powerfully dreamy album i have ever heard. I agree with the person who said Geogaddi makes for a very good tonic, that it balances the scales. If you only buy one album this year, don’t buy this one! Buy something from New Order or Monaco. If you buy more than one album, buy (or steal) this album.Your record collection is not complete without this one... More

Dreamweaver MX 2004 Training | August 9, 2004

With its powerful combination of visual layout tools, application development features, and code editing support, Dreamweaver MX 2004 is sure to become the constant companion of many Web developers. Here to get you hands-on with it fast is the definitive project-based training on the topic from one of the master teachers at Lynda.com training. This is the only instructional book that has made me laugh outright while I learned something... More

Designing Web Usability | August 9, 2004

This book is a must for every web developer and designer, although it needs a rewrite in a bad way. What use to be an indispensible reference back in 1999 is more of good companion (it also looks good on your shelf). Back in '99, people cared more about download speeds, browser-safe paletts and low resolution monitors. However, it's still a good reference for some basic princiaples on proper page layout, use of navigation and overall web design... More

Meta Design | August 7, 2004

Erik Spiekermann, founder of Meta, is probably one of the most well known but still under appreciated creatives in the world This book demonstrates Meta's vision, process and most of all, their breadth of diverse projecst ranging from wayfinding systems, brochureware, websites, installationand environment design, product and packaging and yes, type. Quickly thumbing through the book will either give you a boost of inspiration or make you leap out of your seat in search for a new career..either way, you'll be moved... More

Knopf CityMap Guides | August 5, 2004

I do quite a bit of travelling and have seen most of the world. I don't usually spend too much time in one place (I went to Tokyo for a long weekend) so I like to have a book that is easy to carry and has a bunch of "quick hits" for fast moving travellers like myself. Any book (they call them guides) by Knopf are indispensible. They have the usual maps and reference material however what really makes them great is the way they present the information. First they cut the specific destination into sections of the city. Each section has it's own flap which gives an overview on that area with suggestions categorized by eating, drinking and shopping. Lift up the flap and you are presented with other more cultural activities accompanied with an easy-to-read map and lush photography. It's a UI dream but with paper. Don't leave home without it! More

Marks of Excellence | August 4, 2004

This book is an image fix for pop culture junkies, a visual reference for designers, and a crash course in semiotics.... A book that rigorously examines trademarks and their meaning is essential for the bookshelves of the visually inclined. It's also destined for the coffee tables of today's corporate wonks obsessed with branding. As a tasty book ready to be consumed, Marks of Excellence exemplifies the commodity value of visual identity... More

The Cluetrain Manifesto | August 4, 2004

Excerpt: Experienced technology users with a history of communicating over the Web, Levine (Sun Guide to Webstyle), Locke (who has worked for MCI and IBM and written for such publications as Forbes), Searls (a senior editor at Linux Journal) and Weinberger (a regular commentator on NPR) want nothing less than to change the way the world does business. Commerce, they argue, should not be about transactions, it should be about conversations, no matter what the medium. The artifice that frequently... More

Knopf CityMap Guides | August 3, 2004

Easily one of the best McSweeney quarterly's I've seen in the last two years (I'm still newby to these marvlous treasures). Just the fact that someone could have compiled all these comics from the greats including Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Daniel Clowes, Lynda Barry and more. The most fascinating aspect is the book jacket/packaging which is a series of folds, gold stamping and more folds. This is a designers paradise for ideas on color, concept and materials. If you are lucky enough to get one, check out Underworld-easily my favorite comis series... More

Tibor | August 01, 2004

From his introductory notes explaining the book's subtitle, Kalman demonstrates a clear contrariness to the common understanding of the role of graphic design. From window dresser and shopping bag designer of the nascent Barnes & Noble in the 1970s to founder and leader of the award-winning M & Co. design firm in the 1980s to his revolutionary anti-selling aesthetic as founding editor-in-chief at Benetton's Colors magazine, Kalman has sought out roles unfamiliar to him and done them in his own way... More

Knopf CityMap Guides | August 01, 2004

One of the more elusive design groups in the world, Tomato have had their hands on some of the best clients in the world including Nike, Levis, IBM and more. What's even more interesting is that several memebers also double as Underworld, the alternative chart smashing ambient collective. Synopsis: This publication from the London-based art collective, Tomato, is a collection of work ranging from writing to drawing and photography, created and compiled by its members - Steve Baker, Michael Horsham, Karl Hyde, Jason Kedgley, Rick Smith, Simon Taylor, Dirk Van Dooren, John Warwicker, and Graham Wood. Tomato has always made a point of finding spaces in which to publish its work. In the past seven years these spaces have included galleries and city streets all over the world... More