Design Theory Books

Showing 1-50 of 528
The Design of Everyday Things The Design of Everyday Things (Paperback)
by (shelved 15 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.15 — 46,894 ratings — published 1988
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Universal Principles of Design Universal Principles of Design (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.16 — 5,864 ratings — published 2003
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Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change (Paperback)
by (shelved 8 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.24 — 1,737 ratings — published 1972
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Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.89 — 10,948 ratings — published 2009
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Designing Design Designing Design (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.50 — 966 ratings — published 2003
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Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.13 — 960 ratings — published 2013
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The Elements of Typographic Style The Elements of Typographic Style (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.26 — 9,038 ratings — published 1992
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Interaction of Color Interaction of Color (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.93 — 14,548 ratings — published 1971
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Design, When Everybody Designs: An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation (Design Thinking, Design Theory) Design, When Everybody Designs: An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation (Design Thinking, Design Theory)
by (shelved 4 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.06 — 184 ratings — published 2015
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Thoughts on Design Thoughts on Design (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.99 — 1,113 ratings — published 1947
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A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series) A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series)
by (shelved 4 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.42 — 5,364 ratings — published 1977
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Understanding Design (revised edition) Understanding Design (revised edition)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.98 — 60 ratings — published 2006
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Designing for People Designing for People (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.12 — 228 ratings — published 1967
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100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.10 — 6,209 ratings — published 2011
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The Sciences of the Artificial The Sciences of the Artificial (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.30 — 650 ratings — published 1969
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Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.01 — 846 ratings — published 2011
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Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.04 — 1,912 ratings — published 2007
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The Vignelli Canon The Vignelli Canon (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.41 — 875 ratings — published 2010
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The Design Way: Intentional Change in an Unpredictable World The Design Way: Intentional Change in an Unpredictable World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.21 — 114 ratings — published 2003
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The Laws of Simplicity The Laws of Simplicity (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.89 — 6,983 ratings — published 2006
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Living With Complexity Living With Complexity (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.85 — 955 ratings — published 2010
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The Poetics of Space The Poetics of Space (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.18 — 11,009 ratings — published 1957
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Shaping Things (Mediaworks Pamphlets) Shaping Things (Mediaworks Pamphlets)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.92 — 554 ratings — published 2005
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Design Is Storytelling Design Is Storytelling (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.97 — 1,669 ratings — published 2017
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ABC's of the Bauhaus: The Bauhaus and Design Theory ABC's of the Bauhaus: The Bauhaus and Design Theory (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.70 — 174 ratings — published 1993
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The Secret Lives of Color The Secret Lives of Color (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.02 — 20,393 ratings — published 2016
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Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.00 — 7,777 ratings — published 1994
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How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.98 — 5,009 ratings — published 2005
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Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.09 — 1,464 ratings — published 2018
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The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.61 — 1,168 ratings — published 2008
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Discursive Design: Critical, Speculative, and Alternative Things (Design Thinking, Design Theory) Discursive Design: Critical, Speculative, and Alternative Things (Design Thinking, Design Theory)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.36 — 22 ratings — published
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Designerly Ways of Knowing (Board of International Research in Design) Designerly Ways of Knowing (Board of International Research in Design)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.06 — 71 ratings — published 2003
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Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.17 — 528 ratings — published 2020
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The Art of Looking Sideways The Art of Looking Sideways (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.11 — 6,624 ratings — published 2001
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Are We Human? Notes on an Archaeology of Design Are We Human? Notes on an Archaeology of Design (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.36 — 411 ratings — published
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The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.38 — 4,272 ratings — published 1996
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This is Service Design Thinking: Basics – Tools – Cases This is Service Design Thinking: Basics – Tools – Cases (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.98 — 1,928 ratings — published 2010
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The Shape of Things The Shape of Things (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.04 — 235 ratings — published 1993
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In Praise of Shadows In Praise of Shadows (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.01 — 29,289 ratings — published 1933
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Ruined by Design: How Designers Destroyed the World, and What We Can Do to Fix It Ruined by Design: How Designers Destroyed the World, and What We Can Do to Fix It (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.11 — 2,103 ratings — published
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Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.09 — 12,448 ratings — published 2002
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Frame Innovation: Create New Thinking by Design (Design Thinking, Design Theory) Frame Innovation: Create New Thinking by Design (Design Thinking, Design Theory)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.07 — 97 ratings — published 2015
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Now You See It and Other Essays on Design Now You See It and Other Essays on Design (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.15 — 357 ratings — published
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The Nature and Aesthetics of Design The Nature and Aesthetics of Design (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.22 — 40 ratings — published
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Design, Form, and Chaos Design, Form, and Chaos (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.20 — 263 ratings — published 1993
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The Thinking Hand: Existential and Embodied Wisdom in Architecture The Thinking Hand: Existential and Embodied Wisdom in Architecture (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.37 — 734 ratings — published 2009
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The Architecture of Happiness The Architecture of Happiness (Hardcover)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.86 — 14,334 ratings — published 2006
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Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 3.95 — 5,433 ratings — published 2003
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Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as design-theory)
avg rating 4.01 — 190 ratings — published 2001
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Tom  Turner
“Garden design theory explains, or should explain, the 'What, Where, Why and How' of making gardens.”
Tom Turner, European Gardens: History, Philosophy and Design

“Think of it this way: if you wandered into a cave and saw scratched into the wall some markings which on closer inspection read "Gary woz ere", how would you think that they got there? Would you guess that a river had run through and eroded the wall into a shape? Would you think that perhaps a bear had been sharpening his claws on the rough surface? Or would you be sensible and immediately recognise that someone called Gary, who was probably a bit of a yob, had been through and wanted to leave a message for the world?”
Lewis N. Roe, From A To Theta: Taking The Tricky Subject Of Religion And Explaining Why It Makes Sense In A Way We Can All Understand

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