Design School Wisdom Make First, Stay Awake, and Other Essential Lessons for Work and Life

Learn to see the world with the smarts and visual acumen of a great designer. This treasure trove of pithy aphorisms, longer-form essays, and first-person interviews compiles years of design school education into one comprehensive yet compact book. Here are lessons in life and work, learned both in the classroom and on the job, from design teachers, students, and gurus, covering everything from practical know-how to big-picture brilliance. A strikingly designed object in itself, Design School Wisdom provides a well of inspiration for aspiring designers, visual thinkers, students, grads, and professional creatives looking to reinvigorate their practice.

Brooke Johnson is a designer and lecturer at California College of the Arts. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jennifer Tolo Pierce is a San Francisco–based design director.