Book of Ideas is just that: an outpouring of what one creative director and designer has discovered from many years working in the strange and endlessly fascinating world of the creative industry.
Sharing advice on everything from inspiration to inbox control, facing your fears, finding happiness in your work, the art of self-promotion and beating creative block. It is also illustrated with some of the most important and resonant portfolio projects. Book of Ideas is an invaluable tool to any creative at any stage in their career.
Radim Malinic is a creative director and designer living and working in South West London. He runs Brand Nu, a multidisciplinary award winning studio.
Before finding his calling in the creative industry, Czech born Malinic was an ice hockey player, a bassist in death metal bands, an indie DJ, music journalist and student of Economics and Business management. At the break of the new millennium, Malinic moved to the UK to explore the expansive music scene, only to find even a greater interest in art and graphic design. Since then his eclectic interests have seen him working with some of the biggest brands, companies and bands in the world. Clients include Harry Potter, London Film Museum, SyCo, Sprite, WWF and USAID amongst many others.
Aside from his studio work, Radim designs products for his brand ‘November Universe’, he releases music and tours globally with his talk designed to inspire and support self-development in the creative industry.
In March 2016, Malinic released his latest publication, Book of Ideas. The #1 Amazon bestseller has helped novices and professionals across the world to find a new way of approaching their creative work.
First of all, it's important to say I'm a biased reader. The author, Radim Malinic, is a friend. Still, I think (and hope) this is a fairly objective review.
Many designers release books focused on their work. A few designers release books focused on their lives. Book of Ideas blends both forms, while also adding a third—advice to the young designer.
Billing it as "a memo from the diary I never had", Malinic shares his view on the issues that he and many creative professionals must deal with. From self-promotion to work-life balance, via "bad" clients and creative block, you'll find words on just about every topic, all interspersed with selections from the vast body of work under the Brand Nu portfolio.
The book—like Radim's work in general—is a study in colour. Tidy, balanced type offsets the vibrant hues on each page. If you're familiar with the work, you'll enjoy seeing it presented in a new way here. If you aren't, you're in for a treat.
Okay I'm going with what I think is a fair 3.5. I'm new to the creative industry and I wanted a book with great visuals to lean on, and helpful advice. This definitely delivers in that sense. However, this book was published by Brand Nu (Malinic's company), and it's littered with typos, spelling errors, and straight up mistakes. There are sentences in this I read multiple times only to realise that they just weren't finished or had been backspaced and adjusted without reading the whole thing. If this was proofread at all, whoever proof read it should be embarrassed. Additionally, I'm sure this book has no visual problems as an e-book. The photos/pdfs of this look stellar. But in print, the colours are weird, white text is set against white or very over exposed photos making it unreadable. It feels ironic for a book about design. Overall I really liked this, I feel like I'll be going back to it for tips and for visual inspiration, but wow what a shocking printing job. It really docked points for me. I hope the second one is better.
The book is visually stunning and feels great in your hands. The attention to detail and the craftsmanship of the book is so good. The content inside is inspiring and has something for all types of designers.
Känner alltid aversion mot böcker som kallar sig 'volume 1', men efter denna initiala irritation visar sig boken faktiskt vara exakt vad den säger att den är. Samtidigt en lika skamlös som förståelig "titta vad jag kan-portfolio" med snygga designarbeten. Hade gärna läst mer om tillkomstprocessen bakom dessa verk. Inte minst "rejected book cover"-storyn bakom kulisserna till One Day-uppföljaren blir ju vi i #boblmaf nyfikna på.
Innehåller levnads- och karriärråd från det banala (andas! sluta med nattarbete och självtvivel! följ inte flocken! var nyfiken på allt! do your thing!) till lite djupare tankar om vad inspiration i grunden är och vad det kan innebära för den kreativa inputen och outputen att som vuxen flytta till London med all mångfald och alla människor och möjligheter som finns här. Samtidigt poängterar han att skapande människor mer åt artisthållet än designerhållet typiskt söker "peaceful creative solitude" och hans brand November Universe är talande.
As a source of inspiration, this book is awesome and would fully be worth buying for that alone – but that's just where it starts. There's a stupid amount of incredibly crafted and varied work in here (I assume he doesn't sleep), something to get you fired up for almost every type of project BUT the crucial thing is...that's all just bonus. Its true worth is in the insights and creative philosophies gleaned from a long career and its many inherent challenges. That's the kind of valuable and, more importantly, applicable knowledge that takes years to figure out on your own. Those lessons are the gold-dust that everyone else seems to shy away from in these kind of books, much to my frustration. Full respect to Radim for being so open and generous. Get involved!
هذا الكتاب مناسب لمن يبحثون عن التغذية البصرية والإستلهام في عالم التصميم الجرافيكي والفن عموماً. يحوي الكتاب تأملات و نصائح قصيرة تشمل أفكار ونقاط مختصرة ترشدك لتطوير الجانب الذهني والإبداعي من عملك كمصمم أو مدير فني! الكتاب مناسب للمبتدئين على وجه الخصوص، كما ينفع الحريفين أيضا. Certainly! Here's a corrected version of the paragraph:
"This book is suitable for those seeking visual inspiration in graphic design and art. Its chapters contain insights and concise advice that guide you on improving the mental and creative aspects of a designer's job. It is a must-read for beginners and will also benefit masters in the field."
His books motivates me to stay creative, find the silver lining in the downs, and celebrate the ups. It encourages continuous experimentation, sharing, and illustrating, regardless of the outcome. Radim not only explains his own projects but also shares his experiences and tips, inspiring me to learn how to navigate both client work and personal growth. If you're seeking inspiration or motivation, I highly recommend these fantastic books by the creative designer!
This is such a great little book with short reads. Well written and so engaging. Can't wait for the second. My only wish is that the artwork featured throughout the book could have been explained - there's no explanations as to where concepts came from, programmes used or journeys taken.
This book was exactly what I needed to start my freelancing design journey. A great source of inspiration for my design work, a good model to follow to create case studies and an overall great read. I highly recommend this book!
Stunning visuals! This book taught me that there’s endless possibilities, inspiring me to take action not just in the digital sense but produce work in alternative formats.
Cuenta muy bien su historia como diseñador y aprovecha para dar consejos a diseñadores. Al mimos tiempo, muestra trabajos y los explica de principio a fin, lo que ayuda en la inspiración
Informative and powerful book. Very handy tips for anyone getting into the creative professions. Short but sweet book that has the power to change people's approach to creativity, work and life