50 + Designers, Agencies, Books, Websites, Blogs and Conferences!


At the end of 2016, as I draw closer to my final week with CTTC Design, I had been handing over as much information as I could to my then design team, to which I extend you all on this list now. I know that many have often laughed at me being such a design groupie… I promise that it comes from my love of what I do! To this end, before I left, I had decided to note down a few of the things that have helped to bring great joy, learning and passion to my design life over the years, and now wondered if you would also be interested to see what I had written. 

Its really a “for what it’s worth” list of designers, books, websites and blogs. I do hope that it is of some interest to you, and also that it maybe even helps to bring some creative passion and inspiration to your lives… I also don’t mind if it’s banished to the 'read later' part of your blog readers - you know the one I mean... AKA the bin ;-).

Below is what I had sent to the team at CTTC Design, a couple of days before leaving the business...

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Hello team,

So as we all prepare to go forth and conquer in our new design challenges, I hope that the list below will be of some help and will inject energy into all of your creative passion buckets!

As with our supply base of printers and manufacturers, this list of designers, design books, agencies, and blogs has taken my career thus far, to get to know and love. In your creative journey you will also come across your own personal stimuli and I always get a great deal from sharing a good book or a website, where Ive seen an inspirational article or presentation. Please continue to build on this list and let me know! I am always hungry to learn...

This is a very small list. Believe me I could go on, just ask the design team, but I feel that this is a good place to start building your knowledge of design.

I hope that this list will also help you grow and build your passion for great design and designers. Its one of my deep loves and I hope that you get out of it what I do! Don’t forget, everything around us, everything we use, is at some point been designed… Keep asking why and looking in the opposite direction to everyone else. 

Do what you love and love what you do. Enjoy!

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Design Books… Books, books glorious books!!!
I read a lot of design books. It really helps to get a good grip of the pioneers of design and to learn some of their principles. I often get asked about which fonts to use or how to get inspiration. Many of these book will help you get a good understanding of this and so much more. There are far too many books to list, so I have featured below some of my favourites. Let me know if you get through these and I will give you more!

Important design books:
Thoughts on Design By Paul Rand - The best book ever written on design!!!
Michael Bierut 79 short essays on design
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann (A must read!)
The Vignelli Cannon by Massimo Vignelli (You will never need to ever ask again, "which font do I use!”)
How to be a graphic designer without loosing your soul by Adrian Shaughnessy
A Designers Art by Paul Rand
A smile in the mind by Beryl McAlhone and David Stuart
The art of looking sideways by Alan Fletcher (A must read!)
Beware wet Paint by Alan Fletcher
100 Ideas that changes design by Steven Heller
Damn Good Advice For People With Talent by George Lois
Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton
Symbol by Steven Bateman and Angus Hyland
Design Your Life by Vince Frost
The Design Method by Eric Karjaluoto
Creativity Inc - Ed Catmull (Amazing - a must read!)
Hegarty on Creativity by Sir John Hegarty
Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design
Steve Jobs By Walter Isaacson
Design To Grow By David Butler - Just read this and it’s an eye opener for any package designer
… Let me know if you want more, believe me I can go on… and on etc!


Design Agencies to know and reference often
Pearlfisher
JKR (Jones Knowles Richie)
Design Bridge
Bulletproof
Landor
Why Not Associates
Form Design
Frost Design
Pentagram
Interbrand
Big Fish
Bloom
Brand on Shelf
Brand Opus
Brand Union
Coley Porter Bell
Dragon Rouge
Elmwood
Homes & Marchant
Identica
Path
R Design
Stranger & Stranger
Turner Duckworth
1HQ
Research Studios


Design / Brand & Packaging Blogs
The Dileine
Band New
David Airey
Design Observer by Michael Bierut
Packaging of the World
Lovely Package
Aisle One
AceJet 170
Colossal
Daniel Gray
Creative Review
Design Work Life
FormFiftyFive
Graphic Journey
Ideas on Ideas by Eric Karjaluoto
Noisy Decent Graphics
Russell Davies
Subtraction
Design Intellect - This is a great website, where you can continue to reference links to the top 50, global branding and packaging design studios. The website is also ran by my old mate Matt, so it’s also great to support him… Originally, I don’t even realise that it was his site!!!
#Note any blog by David Airey (he has 3) or Eric Karjaluoto is worth a read!


Designers to know:
Paul Rand
Saul Bass
Michael Bierut
Paula Scher (she truly is amazing)
Massimo Vignelli
Neville Brody
David Carson (Check out his TED talk… It will blow your mind!))
Alan Fletcher
Margaret Calvert (obe)
Sir John Hegarty
Michael Wolff (One of the nicest and most inspiring men I have ever had the pleasure to meet)
Dan Wieden
Lindon Leader

Conferences
The Design Indaba - Cape Town, South Africa - (Worlds best design conference)
100% Design - Began in London UK but also in Johannesburg SA now.
Cosmosprof - Bologna, Italy
Mason & Objet - Paris, France
Brand New Conference - under consideration - USA
The Dieline - Conference - USA
The Global Leadership Summit - USA
New Designers - UK

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I hope you get a lot out of this and enjoy the industry as much as I do!!!

Love and design, Todd

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