A book for fans of instant graphic gratification, Graphic Classics brings together 500 key touchstones in the history of contemporary information design, typography, logos, identities, fonts, posters and more. Assembled by Phaidon’s crack editorial team, Graphic Classics is nothing if not plural, featuring work from the 14th century onwards.
Pages from Graphic Classics, Phaidon, 2024
With a high quality of reproduction and top-notch picture research, this 500-plus-page hardback functions as a ready reference work and source of inspiration for anyone with a passing interest in the art of graphic design. Arranged chronologically, the first section is given over to detailed reproductions of key works with more in-depth texts in the second half.
Pages from Graphic Classics, Phaidon, 2024
At times, this book feels like a well-curated Instagram account brought to life, with the sheer diversity of work on display illustrating the magpie mind of modern visual culture. There’s a wealth of trivia and insight here alongside the story of acknowledged classics, with everything from the crossword puzzle to the copyright symbol sitting alongside Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, the Penguin paperback, the eye chart and many more.
Pages from Graphic Classics, Phaidon, 2024
Featured designers include Aleksandr Rodchenko, Paul Rand, Paula Scher, Otl Aicher, Alan Fletcher, GTF, Stefan Sagmeister, Jan Tschichold and many more. As an introduction to the pleasures of print and the importance of the physical over the digital, Graphic Classics is an excellent place to start.
Pages from Graphic Classics, Phaidon, 2024
Graphic Classics, Phaidon Editors, £69.95, ships 29 August 2024, available to pre-order at Phaidon.com and Amazon
The Man of Letters, or Pierrot’s Alphabet, 1794, Bowles & Carver, UK
Woolmark, 1964, Franco Grignani, International Wool Secretariat and Australian Wool Board, Australia
BUTT, 2022, Jop van Bennekom, Top Publishers, the Netherlands. Photograph: Clifford Prince King, Sonny and David, 2019, No. 30, Spring 2022
Oz, issue 7, 1967, Martin Sharp, Oz Publications Ink Ltd., UK
Spare Rib, 1973, Kate Hepburn, Sally Doust, Spare Rib Limited, UK
World Graphic Design Exhibition, 1959, Ikko Tanaka, World Design Conference Committee, Japan
-
Chef Ray Garcia brings Broken Spanish back to life on LA’s WestsideClosed during the pandemic, Broken Spanish lives again in spirit as Ray Garcia reopens the conversation with modern Mexican cooking and layered interiors
-
Inside a skyrise Mumbai apartment, where ancient Indian design principles adds a personal take on contemporary luxuryDesigned by Dieter Vander Velpen, Three Sixty Degree West in Mumbai is an elegant interplay of scale, texture and movement, against the backdrop of an urban vista
-
A bespoke studio space makes for a perfect architectural showcase in HampshireWinchester-based architects McLean Quinlan believe their new finely crafted bespoke studio provides the ultimate demonstration of their approach to design
-
Tour the world’s best libraries in this new bookAuthor Léa Teuscher takes us on a tour of some of the world's best libraries, from architect-designed temples of culture to local grassroots initiatives
-
Irma Boom on books and beyond – meet the Dutch graphic design legend in her studioA pioneering force in the world of print, Boom welcomes us to her Amsterdam studio to discuss the infinite possibilities of book design, curious heroines and holy encounters
-
Martino Gamper transforms Nilufar Depot into a live workshop for the gallery’s tenth anniversaryNina Yashar celebrates the first decade of Nilufar Depot with a week of live-making by Martino Gamper and a book chronicling the gallery’s extraordinary exhibitions
-
‘Alphabetical Playground’ is a new book about experimental graphics and abstract letterformsNigel Cottier’s new monograph ‘Alphabetical Playground’ explores the creative limits of contemporary typography, delving into tech-driven geometric abstraction
-
Explore the design and history of the humble camping tent in a new book‘The Camping Tent’ by Typologie reframes a familiar object, revealing its complexity and cultural weight – and invites us to look at it anew
-
Where writers write: 12 Booker Prize 2025 nominees share their writing spotsFrom kitchen tables to bare desks (and even a cemetery bench): 12 writers from the Booker Prize 2025 longlist on their favourite writing set-ups
-
When did we stop dreaming of a better future? A new book presents four hopeful scenariosIn her debut book, ‘Designing Hope’, Sarah Housley explores how design might help create more equitable, inclusive and radically liveable futures
-
A new book reframes interior design history through a feminist lensDr Jane Hall’s latest book 'Making Space' asserts the significance of interior design, celebrating women who shaped the spaces we live in
