The best logo books for designers
There are many logo books out there, but not all of them have the same level of quality or curate their content with the same care. During my career I have bought dozens of logo books and in this guide I have made a selection that covers very well everything you can look for in a logo book.
The best logo books are generally focused on teaching how to create logos or to inspire the reader with a multitude of examples classified according to the style, theme, or era defined by the author of the book.
The selection of logo books I present below covers both aspects, so you will find books to learn how to create logos in various styles, and also several reference books covering almost two centuries of logo history. And, of course, I will also give you some tips on how to choose your own books.
The 6 best logo books of 2024
1. Logo Design Love
Last price update on 2023-01-20. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Logo Design Love is possibly the most complete practical manual on logo creation. In addition to its theoretical and practical part on logo design, it is a book that contains numerous examples of current logos and visual identities, so it could also be considered a reference book.
Its author is David Airey, Northern Irish graphic designer and consultant, specialized in logos and visual identities, as well as author of several books on graphic design, such as Identity Designed and Work for Money, Design for Love, or the one I bring you here.
Throughout 12 chapters, the book covers everything related to the conceptualization and graphic design of logos that last over time. It also explains the different principles and related concepts and offers dozens of practical tips, both to improve as a professional and to stay motivated on a personal level.
In addition, the book is full of examples of well-known brands, with very different graphic styles, so you have a wide range of examples to learn, with great detail about the process of creating their logos and their application in different media and supports. Also, in each case, you will find several explanations that will help you understand why some logos work better than others.
This book is usually among my recommendations on the best graphic design books, because of its completeness and actuality, besides being very well explained. However, if you are looking for a book more focused on the creative process of logo design, Made by James, mentioned below, may be more what you are looking for.
Is the book “Logo Design Love” worth it?
If I could only buy one book about logos, it would be this one, because it is the most complete at a general level. It is also highly recommended if you are starting in the world of graphic design in general or logo design in particular, as it will give you a broader vision of the subject than the rest of the books in this guide…
View on Amazon2. LOGO Design. Global Brands
- Author: Julius Wiedemann
- Hardcover: 608 pages
- Language: English
Last price update on 2023-01-20. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
If you are looking for a reference book of current logos, LOGO Design. Global Brands is a wonderful compilation of more than 4500 logos from all over the world, perfectly ordered and referenced. If Logo Modernism and Logo Beginnings cover the end of the 19th century and 4/5 of the 20th century, this one could be said to cover the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st.
Its author is Julius Wiedemann, a graphic designer who has also worked as an art editor for several newspapers and design magazines. For more than 20 years he has worked for Taschen, where he published this book, and currently works at Domestika.
The value of this book lies in the advantage you can get from the perfect organization and classification of the logos it presents. As they are classified by types of industries and services, you can identify the design patterns that the brands of that sector have in common, such as colors, shapes, typographies, etc.
Besides, in many logos the author is identified, so you can look for more information and examples about that author on the Internet. It is a pity that not all logos have all this information; many times only the country where it was designed is referenced.
Is the book “LOGO Design. Global Brands” worth it?
For me, LOGO Design. Global Brands is a reference book that should not be missing in your bookshelf if you want to understand modern logo design. Moreover, it perfectly complements the Logo Beginnings and Logo Modernism books (see in this same guide), since between the three of them they cover almost two centuries of logo design, being this one the one that focuses on the most current logos.
View on Amazon3. Principles of Logo Design
- Author: George Bokhua
- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Language: English
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As its name suggests, in Principles of Logo Design you will find the 12 principles that are applied in the design of most memorable logos, from the “Golden ratio” or the “Bone effect” to visual paradoxes.
But that’s not the only thing this book teaches you. You will also learn to differentiate the nuances that differentiate the different types of logos and the process of creating a logo. The book goes through each of the phases, from conceptualization, mood boarding and the creation of the first sketches, to the final execution.
Its author, George Bokhua is an experienced graphic designer, specialized in logo creation. George has worked for major brands such as New Balance, Disney, NFL or Wired Magazine, but mostly works in brand development for startups.
George structures and writes the book’s explanations in a simple and concise way, so you won’t find it hard to understand his explanations, even if you are taking your first steps in logo design. In addition, he has a lot of very detailed illustrations and graphics that break down the designs to the point of showing you the nodes of the bezier curves, so you will know how to replicate them with your graphic design programs.
Unlike the Made by James book, which is focused on showing you how to learn to design more “indie” logos, in this book you will learn how to create logos that could be considered more commercial. Also the author’s style is different: James includes a lot of his personal history and experience, while George is more factual. For me, they are two different books that do not exclude each other, on the contrary, that’s why I include both in this guide.
Is the book “Principles of Logo Design” worthwhile?
This book is highly recommended because it teaches you the principles behind those hundreds of logos you see in reference books and then shows you how to create your own logos, with all the details on how to carry out the design.
View on Amazon4. Logo Modernism
- Author: Jens Müller
- Hardcover: 432 pages
- Language: English
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Logo Modernism is a unique resource for graphic designers, advertisers and branding experts. The book compiles some 6,000 logos created between 1940 and 1980 to explore how modern aesthetics influenced their corporate identities.
Author Jens Müller is a designer and founder of the design studio Optik. In addition to teaching at several German universities, he is the author and editor of several popular graphic design books, such as the A5 series (on German design), or The History of Graphic Design, which is one of the best coffee-table books on Graphic Design.
In Logo Modernism, Jens provides an introduction to the history of logos and how Constructivism, Art Deco, Minimalism and other artistic movements influenced their design. It also includes a study by R. Roger Remington on modern art and graphic design.
The author also includes eight case studies of iconic logos, such as Fiat, The Daiei Inc or the 1968 Mexico Olympics, and reflects on the elements that make certain logos still iconic decades later.
As I mention elsewhere in this guide, this book complements very well with LOGO Design. Global Brands and Logo Beginnings, if you want to have a compilation of the best logos of the last two centuries.
Is the book “Logo Modernism” worth it?
Whether you already have experience in logo design or not, Logo Modernism is an excellent reference book that should not be missing in your bookshelf. Both for the amount of examples of logos it contains, and for the quality of the selection and explanations.
View on Amazon5. Made by James: The Honest Guide to Creativity and Logo Design
- Author: James Martin
- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Language: English
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If you are just starting out in logo design and are looking for an honest, inspiring and practical book to learn how to think and design modern logos, then Made by James: The Honest Guide to Creativity and Logo Design is the book you are looking for.
Its author, James Martin is a graphic designer from the UK, co-founder of the agency Baby Giant Design Co. The best thing about James is that he seems to be an honest guy, who holds nothing back and shows all his experience and know-how in this book. From the creative process to the smallest details to be considered during the sketching, design and presentation of the logo to the client, James leaves nothing unexplained.
Unlike other books to learn how to design logos, such as Logo Design or Principles of Logo Design (both reviewed in this guide), James’ examples tend to be more “indie”, so to speak.
Something you will quickly understand when you see the case studies of the logos he has created for brands such as Pizza Rebelion, Unincorporated Coffee Roasters, Vexquisit, Future Brewing, Gogo Galactic or Plastic Freedom.
Is the book “Made by James” worth it?
This book is equivalent to a course to learn how to design and present logos. In addition, it is written from James’ personal experience, so he often warns you about mistakes or teaches you tricks that have helped him to improve, which do not usually appear in more academic manuals.
View on Amazon6. Logo Beginnings
- Author: Jens Müller
- Hardcover: 432 pages
- Idioma: English
Last price update on 2023-01-20. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Logo Beginnings can be considered a complement of Logo Modernism, by Jens Müller, a book you will find in this guide. If the latter deals with logos created between 1940 and 1980, Logo Beginnings focuses on the most iconic logos, created between 1870 and 1940.
The formula of the book is the same as Logo Modernism, so you will find more than 6000 examples of logos from that period, among which you will find gems such as the Rolex, BMW, Mercedes, Shell, Luis Vuitton, Bayer or New York Yankees logos.
All of them are classified according to whether they are considered figurative, shape, effect or typographic. In turn, these categories are subdivided according to the design elements contained in the logo.
Is the book “Logo Beginnings” worthwhile?
This book came out several years after Logo Modernism, but now it is difficult to think of having one without the other, since in this book you can see the evolution and know the history of some of the best known logos in the world.
View on AmazonTop 5 best-selling logo books of 2024.
Last price update on 2023-01-20. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
How to choose the best logo book for you
Consider your goal for reading the book
Broadly speaking, there are two types of logo books. The first ones are those that teach you the process of creating a logo and the principles that govern such creation. The second ones are those that compile a multitude of logos classified according to a criterion previously defined by the author, and which I call “reference books”, because they inspire you to create your own designs.
Consequently, you must be clear about your purpose before buying one book or another. In my opinion, reference books can be enjoyed from the beginning, but they are more useful when you already know the principles of logo design and, therefore, you can understand how they have been applied.
Consequently, I would recommend starting with a book like Logo Design Love or Principles of logo design before, or at the same time, as other reference books.
The quality of design and printing
A quality printed book helps you to better perceive the design of the logos. Besides, printed books help you to better perceive the physical application of that logo. You may find cheap versions or e-books of some of these books, but having made the mistake of buying any of them, I don’t recommend it to anyone, as they totally destroy the layout of the book and, consequently, the reading experience.
The author’s experience
Personally, I like to know who the author is, since his experience, his works, and his background usually determine his decisions regarding what kind of logos he will teach you to create or what selection of logos he will consider that may inspire you.
Just make sure you choose a book whose author matches your tastes and interests regarding logo design. In this guide, for example, I include two books on logo creation that follow totally different aesthetic and stylistic paths, such as Made by James and Principles of logo design.
The price of the book
The price of the book may be a constraint for some people. However, keep in mind that all these books can serve as references throughout your professional career. In any case, in LayoutMag you will always find them at the best price, either here or in our Graphic Design book deals page.
