Please recommend graphically inspiring books and magazines

March 28, 2009 7:02 PM

I'm in a web design rut. Please recommend innovative non-web (magazine and book) layouts to help me get inspired!

For the past year, too many web layouts I've designed have looked very similar, very boxy, very blog-like and uninspired. For the most part, the clients have been happy with the designs, but I know I'm in a rut. Studying the online CSS/design galleries isn't cutting it anymore; they're too much of a design echo chamber.

I didn't go to art school and have no real formal training, but I've been designing sites for years and getting better. Still, I kind of wish I had the benefit of schooling so I could fall back on fundamentals when I want to, and then push myself to color outside the lines a bit.

I would love to subscribe to any magazines, or purchase any particularly beautifully designed books, that I could meditate on during these moments of self-doubt. My hope is that getting away from computers and discovering more classic/organic/ or innovative layouts will give new energy to my web designs. Anything from Tufte to Raygun mag is fair game.

Thanks!

posted by deern the headlice to media & arts (4 comments total)

I was just going to suggest Tufte. Charts, diagrams, and graph lines inspire me like nothing else.
posted by ttyn at 7:17 PM on March 28

You may enjoy looking through the
Book Cover Archive for some typography, color scheme, and layout inspiration.
posted by ttyn at 7:23 PM on March 28

You want a subscription to FPO Magazine. Top notch.
posted by jbickers at 8:01 AM on March 29

I like Before and After. While it isn't high brow, it gives you some tips and demonstrates them. It also gives you the colors, fonts, techniques, etc. that brought the look together.
posted by Foam Pants at 2:49 PM on March 30