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The Typography Idea Book: Inspiration from 50 Masters
"This book is a short read, perfectly pitched at those looking to take their first step into the world of typography" CreativeBloq
"Geared towards helping you evolve different typographic styles, the book […] is packed with practical techniques and iconic examples" – Creative Boom
Playing with typographic puzzle pieces is one of the joys of graphic design and typographers have many entertaining, esoteric, and eccentric options at their disposal. The Typography Idea Book presents 50 of the most inspiring approaches used by masters of the field from across the world, visible in all areas of popular culture. Beautifully illustrated, this book presents images from leading designers who use fonts, lettering, illustrations and digital media in all fields of the visual arts, including web design, logo design and branding.
Geared towards helping you evolve different typographic styles, The Typography Idea Book contains none of the technical jargon or tired old rules found in traditional tutorials but is packed with practical techniques and iconic examples. From type transformation to abstraction, via overlapping, hand–lettering, vectorizing, novelty typefaces, and puns, discover all the brilliant ideas you could be bringing to your own designs.
From the
"Not every designer is a good, much less a great, typographer. Actually, to be a great typographer you have to be a highly skilled graphic designer in the first place. Typography is, arguably, the most important component of graphic design. It requires a distinct ability to make readable messages while expressing, emoting and projecting concepts to audiences, large and small.
Typography can be copied and, therefore, it can be taught. Like the classical painting student learning to perfect the rendering of human form by repeatedly drawing from the same plaster cast, the best way to learn typography is to do it over and over again. Theory is fine, but practice is necessary in order to develop a visceral feeling about the way letters sit on a page or screen. You must know if they are in harmony, or unsuited to marriage. Playing with typographic puzzle pieces is one of the joys of typography. While the end result must be understandable – though please note that doesn't necessarily mean legible, for illegibility is relative and what is illegible can often be deciphered – the process can be intuitive. What you see is more than what you playing with type is an opportunity to create typographic personalities both for yourself and for your clients.
This book is geared towards helping you evolve different typographic characters or styles, or perhaps even your specific design signature. What this book is not is a tutorial in typographic basics – kerning, spacing, selecting, and so on. There are many excellent existing volumes that will give you that essential knowledge. Our intention here is to lay out many of the fun, esoteric and eccentric options a typographer has at his or her disposal. These 'commonly uncommon' approaches include type transformation and mutation, as well as puns and metaphors, and typographic pastiche and quotation.
In other words if typographic basics are the 'main course' in your typographic feeding frenzy, the ideas herein are the dessert. It's time to indulge yourself in what is offered on the menu of typographic confections." – Steven Heller and Gail Anderson
"Geared towards helping you evolve different typographic styles, the book […] is packed with practical techniques and iconic examples" – Creative Boom
Playing with typographic puzzle pieces is one of the joys of graphic design and typographers have many entertaining, esoteric, and eccentric options at their disposal. The Typography Idea Book presents 50 of the most inspiring approaches used by masters of the field from across the world, visible in all areas of popular culture. Beautifully illustrated, this book presents images from leading designers who use fonts, lettering, illustrations and digital media in all fields of the visual arts, including web design, logo design and branding.
Geared towards helping you evolve different typographic styles, The Typography Idea Book contains none of the technical jargon or tired old rules found in traditional tutorials but is packed with practical techniques and iconic examples. From type transformation to abstraction, via overlapping, hand–lettering, vectorizing, novelty typefaces, and puns, discover all the brilliant ideas you could be bringing to your own designs.
From the
"Not every designer is a good, much less a great, typographer. Actually, to be a great typographer you have to be a highly skilled graphic designer in the first place. Typography is, arguably, the most important component of graphic design. It requires a distinct ability to make readable messages while expressing, emoting and projecting concepts to audiences, large and small.
Typography can be copied and, therefore, it can be taught. Like the classical painting student learning to perfect the rendering of human form by repeatedly drawing from the same plaster cast, the best way to learn typography is to do it over and over again. Theory is fine, but practice is necessary in order to develop a visceral feeling about the way letters sit on a page or screen. You must know if they are in harmony, or unsuited to marriage. Playing with typographic puzzle pieces is one of the joys of typography. While the end result must be understandable – though please note that doesn't necessarily mean legible, for illegibility is relative and what is illegible can often be deciphered – the process can be intuitive. What you see is more than what you playing with type is an opportunity to create typographic personalities both for yourself and for your clients.
This book is geared towards helping you evolve different typographic characters or styles, or perhaps even your specific design signature. What this book is not is a tutorial in typographic basics – kerning, spacing, selecting, and so on. There are many excellent existing volumes that will give you that essential knowledge. Our intention here is to lay out many of the fun, esoteric and eccentric options a typographer has at his or her disposal. These 'commonly uncommon' approaches include type transformation and mutation, as well as puns and metaphors, and typographic pastiche and quotation.
In other words if typographic basics are the 'main course' in your typographic feeding frenzy, the ideas herein are the dessert. It's time to indulge yourself in what is offered on the menu of typographic confections." – Steven Heller and Gail Anderson
128 pages, Paperback
Published August 23, 2016
18 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
About the author
Steven Heller
325 books205 followersSteven Heller writes a monthly column on graphic design books for The New York Times Book Review and is co-chair of MFA Design at the School of Visual Arts. He has written more than 100 books on graphic design, illustration and political art, including Paul Rand, Merz to Emigre and Beyond: Avant Garde Magazine Design of the Twentieth Century, Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design Second Edition, Handwritten: Expressive Lettering in the Digital Age, Graphic Design History, Citizen Designer, Seymour Chwast: The Left Handed Designer, The Push Pin Graphic: Twenty Five Years of Design and Illustration, Stylepedia: A Guide to Graphic Design Mannerisms, Quirks, and Conceits, The Anatomy of Design: Uncovering the Influences and Inspirations in Modern Graphic Design. He edits VOICE: The AIGA Online Journal of Graphic Design, and writes for Baseline, Design Observer, Eye, Grafik, I.D., Metropolis, Print, and Step. Steven is the recipient of the Art Directors Club Special Educators Award, the AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement, and the School of Visual Arts' Masters Series Award.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 26, 2017
Visually this book is spectacular. On one page there is a photo of the design (mostly posters) and on the opposite page a short description of the design, the problems the typographer solved and really interesting information on the work and design in general.
What I liked: I found myself picking this book up to read a page or two throughout the day. It is incredibly inspiring and gave me a ton of ideas for my own work. The layout of this book is beautiful and functional yet not in your face. It just works.
What I didn't like: There were a few pages where I really wish the designs were larger as I wanted to look at more details in the work (page 30, Terra by Kevin Cantrell).
I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating.
What I liked: I found myself picking this book up to read a page or two throughout the day. It is incredibly inspiring and gave me a ton of ideas for my own work. The layout of this book is beautiful and functional yet not in your face. It just works.
What I didn't like: There were a few pages where I really wish the designs were larger as I wanted to look at more details in the work (page 30, Terra by Kevin Cantrell).
I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating.
July 11, 2023
Useful to flip through as a casual resource.
May 20, 2017
Typography and design often go hand in hand, and never before have words like typography, lettering, fonts, hand-drawn or script lettering been more popular in Google searches or more widely known by non-designers. Thanks to creative blogs, websites, Pinterest and apps like Instagram, heightened interest in typography has led to many more books on the subject. This is another one worth taking notice.
The followup to "The Graphic Design Idea Book,” (the yellow one) Steven Heller & Gail Anderson have put together another great inspirational guide (the red one) to help creative blocks or bolster smart conceptual thinking. Similar in format, design (cover by Pentagram) and page count, it’s also full of brilliant examples demonstrating the power and diversity of typography in action.
Rather than wall-to-wall imagery à la Pinterest, this book constructively explains basic graphic design precepts and history in a way that sticks. Connecting a conceptual premise with an proven visual example by one of 50 celebrated creative thinkers known for their mastery in typographic design (including Herb Lubalin, Paula Scher & Zuzana Licko) on each spread, the authors demonstrate an effective idea in action.
For example, New York illustrator & designer Seymour Chwast was tasked with designing a logo for Artone ink label and box in 1964. Hand drawn as a stylized lowercase A in solid black, the simple curves match well with the Art Nouveau-inspired forms that can be created with the flow of ink. However, as classic design is apt to do via timeless concepts, the visual twist of having the counter (or negative space) of the A shaped as a drop of ink functions as a pleasant surprise. The idea of hidden imagery inside the negative space of logotypes has been a graphic device that still resonates over the years and continues today, regardless of style, subject matter or medium. The thinking behind these examples are primarily print, but it doesn’t mean the precepts end there. Many of the ideas covered can carry over into web, app, product, or even interior design disciplines. They also transcend overused design trends, visuals or typography in pursuit of the core visual device.
An easy guide of ideas using letters of all languages (not limited to English alone) is well-delivered in a short and sweet book that encourages the reader to spend time with it thoughtfully. Described as “Inspiration from 50 Masters,” much is covered here; fundamental design themes of dimension, transformation and layering to more complex ones like abstraction, collage & expressive reduction. Part typographic design history lesson, part mentor in a book, part light inspirational reading, this is worthy as a creative resource regardless of whether you are a longtime professional or just getting started.
The followup to "The Graphic Design Idea Book,” (the yellow one) Steven Heller & Gail Anderson have put together another great inspirational guide (the red one) to help creative blocks or bolster smart conceptual thinking. Similar in format, design (cover by Pentagram) and page count, it’s also full of brilliant examples demonstrating the power and diversity of typography in action.
Rather than wall-to-wall imagery à la Pinterest, this book constructively explains basic graphic design precepts and history in a way that sticks. Connecting a conceptual premise with an proven visual example by one of 50 celebrated creative thinkers known for their mastery in typographic design (including Herb Lubalin, Paula Scher & Zuzana Licko) on each spread, the authors demonstrate an effective idea in action.
For example, New York illustrator & designer Seymour Chwast was tasked with designing a logo for Artone ink label and box in 1964. Hand drawn as a stylized lowercase A in solid black, the simple curves match well with the Art Nouveau-inspired forms that can be created with the flow of ink. However, as classic design is apt to do via timeless concepts, the visual twist of having the counter (or negative space) of the A shaped as a drop of ink functions as a pleasant surprise. The idea of hidden imagery inside the negative space of logotypes has been a graphic device that still resonates over the years and continues today, regardless of style, subject matter or medium. The thinking behind these examples are primarily print, but it doesn’t mean the precepts end there. Many of the ideas covered can carry over into web, app, product, or even interior design disciplines. They also transcend overused design trends, visuals or typography in pursuit of the core visual device.
An easy guide of ideas using letters of all languages (not limited to English alone) is well-delivered in a short and sweet book that encourages the reader to spend time with it thoughtfully. Described as “Inspiration from 50 Masters,” much is covered here; fundamental design themes of dimension, transformation and layering to more complex ones like abstraction, collage & expressive reduction. Part typographic design history lesson, part mentor in a book, part light inspirational reading, this is worthy as a creative resource regardless of whether you are a longtime professional or just getting started.
May 18, 2025
I wish there were more words, which is not something I say a lot about art books! I thought the examples used were really great and inspirational (except the Ye one, YUCK).
I did a teaching presentation on this to my advanced type class so had to become super familiar with it. I do still like it even after rereading through it several times.
A really good book if you find yourself unable to get new type ideas. Type can be fun too!!!!!
I did a teaching presentation on this to my advanced type class so had to become super familiar with it. I do still like it even after rereading through it several times.
A really good book if you find yourself unable to get new type ideas. Type can be fun too!!!!!
November 16, 2025
Yazarlar neye odaklanacaklarını biraz şaşırmış gibiler bu kitabı oluştururken. Başlıkların konuyla bağlantısını çözmek için gerçekten çabalamak gerekiyor içerikten fazla bağımsızlar. Genel çeviri problemleri var okurken sürekli aynı şeyleri biraz daha farklı cümlelerle okuyor gibi hissettim. Bu kadar görsel içerikli bir kitapta tasarımcıların tarzlarını anlamak için tek görsel kullanmak ne kadar yeterli bilemedim.
November 3, 2025
Some pretty interesting examples of different styles of typography, but I found the text accompanying the art to be quite boring, it didn’t really add much to the example that I couldn’t already see with my own eyes. Would have been better as just a picture book😂
October 3, 2020
A nice little typography idea starter. I appreciate.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews