About The Author

Luka Gray – Associate Creative Director at Leo Burnett.

I acquired my design fundamentals at Fort Hays State University, and then learned how brands truly behave by building them in the field. Since then, I've developed work for prominent clients such as Samsung, Kellogg, Bridgestone, Dunkin', Miller-Coors, Altria, Echo, and the United Nations, aligning consumer insights, business needs, and disciplined design practices.

For the past several years, I've lectured at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and traveled to colleges across the Midwest, challenging students to tie every creative decision to a clear strategic purpose. Whether the brief calls for packaging, short-form film, or an interactive prototype, the goal remains the same: to create work that earns its place by solving a real problem.

Why I Wrote This Book

Most design books lose me in one of two places; they either stall in theory or skip straight to shiny case studies. Neither helps when you are staring at a blank artboard and a hazy brief. I wrote this book to fill that space in the middle.

By the end, you should be able to crack any problem down to its human truth, frame it in plain language, and make design decisions that line up with that truth. No buzzwords, no hand-waving, just a process you can defend.

Treat these pages like studio time with a mentor, not a lecture hall. Read, try, question, repeat. This is how I see our field: take what works, leave what doesn't, and build your approach.

And before you hit export, pause. Ask who feels the impact, good or bad. Design is our way of pointing art and language at real people; let's use that power with purpose.

Essential Reading

FOUNDATIONS

• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman – User-centred design basics.
• Positioning by Al Ries & Jack Trout – Carving out market space.

CONCEPT & STRATEGY

• A Smile in the Mind by Beryl McAlhone & David Stuart – Idea generation that hits.
• Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler – Building and managing brand systems.
• Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath – Turning messages into stories that stay.

PROCESS & CRAFT

• Sprint by Jake Knapp – A five-day framework for solving product problems.
• Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf – Rapid, test-driven product design.
• The Field Study Handbook by Jan Chipchase – In-the-wild research playbook.

SYSTEMS, FUTURES & ETHICS

• Dark Matter & Trojan Horses by Dan Hill – Using design to shift policy and systems.
• The Politics of Design by Ruben Pater – Spotting bias in colour, type, and imagery.
• Design Justice by Sasha Costanza-Chock – Equity first design practice.