Love Design Drawing? Readers share 100 books like Design Drawing...

By Francis D. K. Ching, Steven P. Juroszek,

Here are 100 books that Design Drawing fans have personally recommended if you like Design Drawing. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of In Praise of Shadows

Erik Mortenson Author Of Ambiguous Borderlands: Shadow Imagery in Cold War American Culture

From my list on staring into the shadows.

Why am I passionate about this?

Who hasnā€™t caught themselves staring at a shadow? I certainly have. I have always found shadows fascinating. They are both there and not there, present and absent, and this in-between, fleeting nature keeps me staring. Shadows open a space for contemplation, and the list presented here traces a range of responses to the enigma they represent. Transitory images that exist on a fleeting border between light and darkness, shadows seem to invite me to make sense of their vague and shifting outlines, leading to both the joy of imagination as well as to that unsettling but pleasurable feeling of the uncanny as I struggle to fill in their outlines.

Erik's book list on staring into the shadows

Erik Mortenson Why did Erik love this book?

I find this book's range amazing. This slim but engrossing volume reveals new and invigorating ways of ā€œreadingā€ shadow images as the author discusses topics as diverse as food, cosmetics, architecture, jade, and even toilets.

Tanizaki also tackles the sociological differences in shadow interpretation across cultural divides, lamenting the loss of a more traditional interest in the ambiguous shadow as darkness gives way to a Westernization of Japanese culture that brings illumination in its wake.

While I didnā€™t always agree with his conclusions, they were always interesting, and got me thinking about why I look at shadows the way I do.

By Junichirō Tanizaki,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked In Praise of Shadows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


An essay on aesthetics by the Japanese novelist, this book explores architecture, jade, food, and even toilets, combining an acute sense of the use of space in buildings. The book also includes descriptions of laquerware under candlelight and women in the darkness of the house of pleasure.


Book cover of The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses

Hannah Platts Author Of Multisensory Living in Ancient Rome: Power and Space in Roman Houses

From my list on multisensory history.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for ancient history and archaeology began in secondary school when I started learning Latin and we were taken on a field trip to Fishbourne Roman Palace. By the time I started my MA at Bristol, my obsession with ancient Roman housing was well and truly established, and it quickly became clear to me that this was the area that I wanted to study for my PhD. Now as an Associate Professor in Ancient History and Archaeology at Royal Holloway, University of London, I have been very lucky to study and teach a range of areas in ancient history and archaeology, including my beloved area of the Roman domestic realm. 

Hannah's book list on multisensory history

Hannah Platts Why did Hannah love this book?

Exploring how and why Romans built their houses to impact all bodily senses sits at the heart of my book.

Whilst interest in planning and building for such full body experiences in architecture today has declined, Pallasmaaā€™s The Eyes of the Skin presents a compelling argument for the importance of understanding the role of the multiple bodily senses in our experience of built spaces around us.

Divided into two main sections, the first of these examines the pre-eminence of sight in the West and its detrimental impact on architectural practise and our built environs.

The second part considers the role played our other bodily senses in experiencing architecture and proposes a new approach to building design and construction which seeks to integrate full sensory experience into the architectural process.

By Juhani Pallasmaa,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Eyes of the Skin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in 1996, The Eyes of the Skin has become a classic of architectural theory. For every new intake of students studying Pallasmaa s classic text, The Eyes of the Skin provides a totally fresh understanding of architecture and a new set of insights. This third edition is intended to meet students desire for a further understanding of the context of Pallasmaa s thinking by providing a new essay by architectural author and educator Peter MacKeith. This text combines both a biographical portrait of Pallasmaa and an outline of his architectural thinking. The new edition will includes a newā€¦


Book cover of Eileen Gray: Architect/Designer

Alan Hughes Author Of Interior Design Drawing

From my list on exploring interior design and our understanding.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child my heroes were designers and I thought designers could design across many disciplines, this was what I understood and aspired to. I'm fortunate to have been a designer, illustrator, and design teacher for many years. Passionate about the process I firmly believe if you can design in one area you can design in another. Understanding your material's potential is the key. As a tutor and author my job is to unwrap a studentā€™s talent, support and encourage that unique view through skills building and advice to help them. I believe good design can solve many of the worldā€™s problems and passing on that message is valuable.

Alan's book list on exploring interior design and our understanding

Alan Hughes Why did Alan love this book?

A captivating biography of one of my favourite designers. This book charts the life and experience of Eileen Gray and most importantly her fierce desire to understand the process of design and explore the integrity and flexibility of the material and techniques she used. 

From exquisite lacquer work as surface decoration or tubular steel, leather, and canvas for furniture, to the smooth, modernist concrete for her most famous build, E1027, Gray mastered her materials. In doing so she recognised that when designing space, engineering and theory were not enough, and that instinct and the ā€˜choreography of the spaceā€™ are essential to how we recognise and understand our built environment. A wonderful exploration of a designerā€™s life, particularly relevant for a student of design to read.

By Peter Adam,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Eileen Gray as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a biography of Eileen Gray (1878-1976), an Anglo-Irish architect and designer who spent her early life in Paris and opened showrooms in 1922 with a strong Art Deco emphasis. Written by a longstanding friend who draws on his exclusive access to Gray's personal archives, the book aims to re-create her life and architectural projects. Two houses she designed in the south of France are now considered architectural landmarks of the 20th century. In addition to more than 300 photographs, designs and architectural plans, this new edition provides a revised catalogue raisonne of Gray's furniture, architecture and drawings.


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Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctorā€”and only womanā€”on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route upā€¦

Book cover of Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live

Alan Hughes Author Of Interior Design Drawing

From my list on exploring interior design and our understanding.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child my heroes were designers and I thought designers could design across many disciplines, this was what I understood and aspired to. I'm fortunate to have been a designer, illustrator, and design teacher for many years. Passionate about the process I firmly believe if you can design in one area you can design in another. Understanding your material's potential is the key. As a tutor and author my job is to unwrap a studentā€™s talent, support and encourage that unique view through skills building and advice to help them. I believe good design can solve many of the worldā€™s problems and passing on that message is valuable.

Alan's book list on exploring interior design and our understanding

Alan Hughes Why did Alan love this book?

Recommended to me by one of my students this is a witty exploration of the places in our homes, what we call them, kitchen, bedroom, dining room and how they often donā€™t live up to or exceed their names. A view of the rituals and complexities of the American home and what it houses as it explores memory, aspirations, and the real meaning of home. This book is a trigger to encourage the reader to look at their own spaces and the pattern of how they use those spaces through habit, muscular memory, and cultural norms, all playing a part in how we define our living spaces.

By Akiko Busch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Geography of Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The house is home to many things. Far more than four walls and a roof, it contains our private and public lives, our families, our memories and aspirations, and it reflects our attitudes toward society, culture, the environment, and our neighbours. In a literary tour of the spaces of our homes, this book reflects on how we define such elusive qualities as privacy, security, and comfort. It uncovers the hidden meanings of seemingly simple domestic spaces, in chapters ranging from "The Front Door" to "The Garage" and many others. These writings about the home touch on our culture's fundamental issues:ā€¦


Book cover of Archidoodle: An Architect's Activity Book

Stephanie Travis Author Of Sketching for Architecture + Interior Design: A Practical Guide on Sketching for Architecture and Interior Design Students

From my list on introducing architecture and interior design to everyone.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a design-obsessed George Washington University (Washington, DC) professor, author, architect, interior designer, sketcher, modernist, city lover, traveler, and University of Michigan alumni who writes about topics on architecture and interior design for people of all ages and backgrounds. Everyone lives in the built environment, but not everyone understands it. For example, sketching is one of the best ways to understand a piece of furniture, interior, or building. You will never see the object the same way after you draw it! All of the books on this list are approachable, interesting, fun, and most importantly inspiring. Enjoy!

Stephanie's book list on introducing architecture and interior design to everyone

Stephanie Travis Why did Stephanie love this book?

This is a fun sketching book to let your imagination run wild. More than just a coloring book, there are visual prompts that allow the user to modify or redesign an iconic building, or create one from scratch. It provides the framework; you provide the artistry. For kids and adults of all ages, this book will provoke creativity and encourage the architect in everyone.

By Steve Bowkett,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Archidoodle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This innovative book is the first to provide a fun, interactive way to learn about architecture. Filled with an array of beautiful and elegant drawings, it poses all manner of architectural challenges for the user: from designing your own skyscraper, to drawing an island house or creating a Constructivist monument, plus many others more.

Aimed at anyone who loves drawing buildings, it encourages the user to imagine their own creative solutions by sketching, drawing and painting in the pages of the book. In so doing, they will learn about a whole range of significant architectural issues, such as the importanceā€¦


Book cover of Analysing Architecture: the Universal Language of Place-Making

Antony Radford Author Of The Elements of Modern Architecture: Understanding Contemporary Buildings

From my list on analysing architecture.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion as a teacher and writer is to help students and others interpret, understand and enjoy architecture and the built environment, and to help them respond in their own designs to the complexities of place, people, and construction. I have chosen five well-established books on analysing architecture that are highly illustrated, avoid jargon, can be explored rather than needing to be read sequentially cover-to-cover, and have lasting value. They offer guidance for beginning students and a checklist for the experienced. They are books to be kept handy and repeatedly consulted. Of course, analysing existing architecture is invaluable in designing new architecture. I hope you enjoy them.

Antony's book list on analysing architecture

Antony Radford Why did Antony love this book?

If itā€™s good, this book should obviously be on my list - and it is good.

Simon Unwin explains how architectural themes (a mix including elements, geometries, types, and sensory experience) work together to create a particular place. It has thoughtful text illustrated with his own drawings.

Unwinā€™s Twenty-Five Buildings Every Architect Should Understand demonstrates his approach to analysis in more detailed examples.

By Simon Unwin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Analysing Architecture as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now in its fifth edition, Analysing Architecture has become internationally established as the best introduction to architecture. Aimed primarily at those studying architecture, it offers a clear and accessible insight into the workings of this rich and fascinating subject. With copious illustrations from his own notebooks, the author dissects examples from around the world and all periods of history to explain the underlying strategies in architectural design and show how drawing may be used as a medium for analysis.

In this new edition, Analysing Architecture has been revised and expanded. Notably, the chapter on 'How Analysis Can Help Design' hasā€¦


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Book cover of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier,

The coaching book that's for all of us, not just coaches.

It's the best-selling book on coaching this century, with 15k+ online reviews. BrenƩ Brown calls it "a classic". Dan Pink said it was "essential".

It is practical, funny, and short, and "unweirds" coaching. Whether you're a parent, a teacher,ā€¦

Book cover of Experiencing Architecture

Witold Rybczynski Author Of Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City

From my list on architecture for non-architects.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania. Although Iā€™ve written more than twenty books on a variety of subjects, I was trained as an architect and Iā€™ve designed and built houses, researched low cost housing, and taught budding architects for four decades. I was architecture critic for Wigwag and Slate and Iā€™ve written for numerous national magazines and newspapers. Perhaps more important, my wife and I built our own house, mixing concrete, sawing wood, and hammering nails. I wrote a book about that, too.

Witold's book list on architecture for non-architects

Witold Rybczynski Why did Witold love this book?

Many books about architecture are like cookbooks, that is, they are written for the cookā€”the architectā€”and are concerned with how to make the stuff. But for the lay person, the joy of architecture lies in the actual experience of buildings; good architecture makes you feel good. This classic, written in 1962 by a wise old Dane, is a wonderful guide to the many sensory ways in which we experience buildings, old and new.

By Steen Eiler Rasmussen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Experiencing Architecture as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A classic examination of superb design through the centuries.

Widely regarded as a classic in the field, Experiencing Architecture explores the history and promise of good design. Generously illustrated with historical examples of designing excellenceā€”ranging from teacups, riding boots, and golf balls to the villas of Palladio and the fish-feeding pavilion of Beijing's Winter Palaceā€”Rasmussen's accessible guide invites us to appreciate architecture not only as a profession, but as an art that shapes everyday experience.

In the past, Rasmussen argues, architecture was not just an individual pursuit, but a community undertaking. Dwellings were built with a natural feeling for place,ā€¦


Book cover of The Process of Creating Life: The Nature of Order, Book 2: An Essay of the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe

Shannon Taylor Scarlett Author Of Simple Rules: What the Oldtime Builders Knew

From my list on timeless architectural principles.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a practicing architect, and an avid readerā€”in a variety of subjects and genres, not just architectureā€”I love finding patterns and connections between seemingly dissimilar phenomena. Patterns conform to principles, and principles are the fountainhead of wisdom that never runs dry. I will be the first to admit that, even after forty years of absorbing these and other kindred principles, Iā€™m still far from consistent in applying them. And, like the others I cite, my own work suffers from that inconsistency. I commiserate with all architects who are similarly struggling to design buildings that exemplify even a few of the principles in these books. And that is why I chose them.

Shannon's book list on timeless architectural principles

Shannon Taylor Scarlett Why did Shannon love this book?

Over his lifetime, Alexanderā€™s controversial approach to architecture incited widespread criticism, yet it is precisely these unique and thought-provoking ideas that make The Nature of Order an essential read. Beyond his sometimes obscure writing style and lackluster built examples, Alexander's deep commitment to architecture as a complex layered system of patternsā€”an idea he first popularized in his hippy-architects bible, A Pattern Languageā€”is still palpable in this four-volume magnum opus. 

I found the second volume, where he offers a guide for how to ā€œcreate lifeā€ through patterns, most pertinent to this list. Here he distills his earlier work down to fifteen essential patterns that lead to architecture as a living structure. There is gold to be mined here, for those in search of some semblance of order in the chaotic current of modern architecture. 

By Christopher Alexander,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Process of Creating Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Christopher Alexander's masterwork, the result of 27 years of research, considers three vital perspectives: a scientific perspective; a perspective based on beauty and grace; a commonsense perspective based on our intuitions and everyday life.


Book cover of Computer Age Statistical Inference, Algorithms, Evidence, and Data Science

Ron S. Kenett Author Of The Real Work of Data Science: Turning Data into Information, Better Decisions, and Stronger Organizations

From my list on how numbers turn into information.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was trained as a mathematician but have always been motivated by problem-solving challenges. Statistics and analytics combine mathematical models with statistical thinking. My career has always focused on this combination and, as a statistician, you can apply it in a wide range of domains. The advent of big data and machine learning algorithms has opened up new opportunities for applied statisticians. This perspective complements computer science views on how to address data science. The Real Work of Data Science, covers 18 areas (18 chapters) that need to be pushed forward in order to turning data into information, better decisions, and stronger organizations

Ron's book list on how numbers turn into information

Ron S. Kenett Why did Ron love this book?

The text covers classic statistical inference, early computer-age methods, and twenty-century topics. This puts a unique perspective on current analytic technologies labeled machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statical learning. The examples used provide a powerful description of the methods covered and the compare and contrast sections highlight the evolution of analytics. This book by Efron and Hastie is a natural follow-up source for readers interested in more details.

By Bradley Efron, Trevor Hastie,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Computer Age Statistical Inference, Algorithms, Evidence, and Data Science as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The twenty-first century has seen a breathtaking expansion of statistical methodology, both in scope and influence. 'Data science' and 'machine learning' have become familiar terms in the news, as statistical methods are brought to bear upon the enormous data sets of modern science and commerce. How did we get here? And where are we going? How does it all fit together? Now in paperback and fortified with exercises, this book delivers a concentrated course in modern statistical thinking. Beginning with classical inferential theories - Bayesian, frequentist, Fisherian - individual chapters take up a series of influential topics: survival analysis, logisticā€¦


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Book cover of Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret St. Augustine by Elizabeth Randall,

A look at the wild, unknown, wacky world of overlooked symbols, emblems, sites, and events in America's oldest ancient city.

Book cover of All-in On AI: How Smart Companies Win Big with Artificial Intelligence

Roger W. Hoerl Author Of Statistical Thinking: Improving Business Performance

From my list on AI and data science that are actually readable.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional statistician, I am naturally interested in AI and data science. However, in our current information age, everyone, in all segments of society, needs to understand the basics of AI and data science. These basics include such things as what these disciplines are, what they can contribute to society, and perhaps most importantly, what can go wrong. However, I have found that much of the literature on these topics is highly technical and beyond the reach of most readers. These books are specifically selected because they are readable by virtually everyone, and yet convey the key concepts needed to be data-literate in the 21st century. Enjoy!

Roger's book list on AI and data science that are actually readable

Roger W. Hoerl Why did Roger love this book?

Books on AI often go to extremes, either promoting it as the solution to all the worldā€™s problems, or depicting it as an evil that will destroy humanity.

This book is much more practical, and based on experience using AI in actual business applications. It is the result of considerable research, involving investigation of applications not only in silicon-valley, but from various business sectors, such as Airbus, Ping, Progressive Insurance, and Capital One Bank.

Donā€™t let the title fool you; this book is not simply a promotion of AI, but addresses the practical issues that have to be considered if success is to be achieved. For example, they argue that ā€œthe most important aspect in AI success is not machinery, but human leadership, behavior, and change.ā€

By Thomas H. Davenport, Nitin Mittal,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked All-in On AI as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Wall Street Journal bestseller

A Publisher's Weekly bestseller

A fascinating look at the trailblazing companies using artificial intelligence to create new competitive advantage, from the author of the business classic, Competing on Analytics, and the head of Deloitte's US AI practice.

Though most organizations are placing modest bets on artificial intelligence, there is a world-class group of companies that are going all-in on the technology and radically transforming their products, processes, strategies, customer relationships, and cultures.

Though these organizations represent less than 1 percent of large companies, they are all high performers in their industries. They have better businessā€¦


Book cover of In Praise of Shadows
Book cover of The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses
Book cover of Eileen Gray: Architect/Designer

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in data processing, interior design, and drawing?

Data Processing 28 books
Interior Design 33 books
Drawing 70 books