Resources to Grow Your Knowledge of Design

When we care about something we like to keep our knowledge up to date on the subject, but sometimes life makes it’s hard to know what to read/follow/listen to/watch and keep up on it.

Raise your hand if you know what I’m talking about. 

I thought about it and realized I had a great resource right in front of me through Zoom. So I asked my interviewees what resources they would recommend to designers looking to grow their knowledge and be a great inspiration. Because the more you learn, the more you can empathize, create, understand, and solve.

Here is a compiled list of the recommendations by categories. 

“By the time you’re sitting in an interview, these people want to know what is Elizabeth like. How does her brain work, what is she thinking about, and how is she going to fit and be a culture add to the team that exists here. ”

— Justin Mezzell

Books

1. Making of a Manager by Julie Zoo (a book about running but demonstrates how teams are being built)

2. The Culture Code

3. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

4. Rework by Jason Free

5. Books by Eric Spiekermann

6. Books by Michel Bay Rue

7. Books by Louise Feely

8. Books by Stephen Heller

9. Books by Gail Anderson and Stephen Heller

10. Creativity for Sale by Jason Surfapp

11. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

Podcasts

1. New Layer—About product design

2. Design Details—About design culture and process

3. Debbie Milman—Creative director in the ad world

4. Overtime—Dribble’s podcast, hosted by Meg Lewis

People/Organizations to Follow

1. AIGA Eye on Design
   Find them on Facebook and Instagram

2. Pablo Stanley—This is a newsletter, the interviewee believes this to still be available via Twitter.

3. David Carson

4. Stefan Sagmeister

5. Jessica Walsh

6. Jessica Hische

7. Paula Scher

8. Aries Moross

Software to Use

1. Adobe Suite

2. Invision

3. Asana