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(2025)
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9 Inspiring Design Books
(October 2023)
1/ Gary Simmons: Public Enemy
by Thelma Golden, Arthur Jafa, and Gary Simmons, 2023
Gary Simmons’ work blends art, architecture, and social commentary with a level of intentionality that’s both confrontational and poetic. This book captures the depth of his practice, but seeing his exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago added an entirely new dimension for me. His handmade sculptural speaker sets remain my favorite—objects that blur the line between sound, memory, and identity.
2 / The Carhartt WIP Archives
by Michel Lebugle and Anna Sinofzik, 2016
This book is remarkable not only for its stunning visuals but for its ability to maintain a cohesive narrative while functioning as a photography-forward coffee table piece. The inclusion of internal Carhartt memos—documenting the creation of the WIP division—offers rare insight into the brand’s early strategic thinking, cultural positioning, and internal debates. It’s a masterclass in how heritage brands evolve while maintaining authenticity.
3 / Morphosis: Modeled Works
by Thom Mayne, 2023
This archival monograph spans fifty years of Thom Mayne’s architectural output, highlighting work that consistently pushes the boundaries of form and fabrication. Mayne describes his practice as “rooted in rigorous research and innovation,” and this book visualizes that philosophy through process models, drawings, and speculative studies. It’s essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of experimental design and real-world complexity.
4 / the new luxury
by gestalten and Highsnobiety, 2019
A cultural analysis of how fashion has redefined the meaning of luxury, this book examines emerging consumer behavior, streetwear’s influence, and the shifting hierarchies of taste. As a clothing brand owner, the book felt especially relevant—offering a framework for understanding how brands build aspiration, scarcity, and authenticity in a hyper-saturated market.
5 / Cy Twombly: Making Past Present
[by Christine Kondoleon, Kate Nesin, Cy Twombly, 2020]
Cy Twombly is one of my favorite artists, and seeing his work at MoMA was a genuinely transformative experience. His pieces can appear childlike or chaotic at first glance, but that looseness is precisely what makes them compelling. This book dives into his process, influences, and visual language—context that makes the eight-figure price tags feel a little less unbelievable.
6 / Palette Mini Series
by Victionary, 2020
This ten-part series explores how specific color palettes—black & white, transparent, nature, monotone, nude, and more—are deployed across branding, product, and environmental design. I own the black & white, transparent, and nature volumes, and they’re excellent sources of inspiration when I want to zoom into a specific color-driven design world. Perfect for quick reference or visual exploration.
7 / Contemporary Japanese Posters
[by Giancarlo Calza, 2021]
What I love most about this book is its curation. It brings together obscure, niche Japanese poster designs that would be nearly impossible to discover on your own. The collection reveals the cultural and aesthetic underpinnings of Japanese graphic design—playful experimentation, typographic mastery, and a uniquely expressive relationship between image and text.
8 / edge of order
[by Daniel Libeskind, 2018]
Part monograph, part graphic experiment, this book documents Daniel Libeskind’s architectural work while using graphic design to reinforce the conceptual themes behind it. Flipping through it feels more like interacting with an artifact than a traditional architecture book—the pacing, typography, and layout all contribute to a cohesive visual identity.
9 / Home Futures: Living in Yesterday's Tomorrow
[by Justin McGuirk, Florian Idenburg, Edwin Heathcote, 2019]
This book explores the radical visions of domestic life imagined throughout the 20th century. Many of the predictions are thoroughly absurd (and hilariously so), but they reveal how designers have historically projected their hopes, fears, and technological fantasies onto the home. It’s both entertaining and insightful—a look at how design futures often tell us more about a moment in time than about the future itself.
© 2035 CARSON ALFORD
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