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2024 was momentous for the Design Museum. We held a succession of acclaimed displays including Enzo Mari: Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist with Francesca Giacomelli, The World of Tim Burton and Barbie®: The Exhibition. This year, we're continuing the momentum of those exhibitions and looking forward to opening Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style, More than Human and Wes Anderson: The Exhibition.

In the spirit of newness and discovery, our first Book Club for 2025 offers up a nurturing selection on self-care. These titles encourage us to look at outdated habits, behaviours and goals and set refreshed intentions for the future that harness our potential and breed inquisitiveness, courageousness and passion.

Pick up words of affirmation from Paul Arden, dig into the diverse benefits of fungi with Michael Lim and Yun Shu, reestablish your artistic flow with James Otter, and enjoy an uplifting study of graphic design by Stefan Sagmeister. As always, you will find a bundle deal here with 10% off, free delivery and a gift on us. Read on below.

Paul Arden, published by Penguin Books ltd. (2006)

Our lives revolve around the periodic questions we ask ourselves. “What job should I go for?” - “Where should I go in the future?” - “Who should I be today?”. We then make a choice, which has a consequence and the experience shapes who we become. So, moving with intention is important as it ensures we are being authentic, but it is easy to get tangled in unproductive cycles that are hard to break. In 2003, renowned creative director Paul Arden released his self-help book It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be. This paperback was well-received and became a worldwide best-seller. Three years later, he released its coveted sequel Whatever You Think; Think the Opposite. Much like its predecessor, this title is a rebellious take on the guidance genre. Arden urges you to rethink your perspective for personal and professional decision-making. He delivers this through witty quips, motivational quotes and illustrative parables that challenge our sensibilities. It is an emboldening read that will make you approach life and work more unapologetically - are you ready to cut loose by taking the risk?

Michael Lim and Yun Shu, published by Thames & Hudson (2022)

In 2022, authors Michael Lim and Yun Shu published this mycology hardback. They unearth the uses of fungi and expose their importance to human and environmental livelihood. Their study splits into five networks: an overview of the fungi kingdom and its use in food, medicine, psychedelics and the environment. These chapters contain examinations from researchers, mycologists, dieticians, psychiatrists and ecologists. They explain how fungi can shape, feed, heal, free us and save our world. Four sections summarise with mushroom profiles and pluck out invaluable varieties like Milk Cap, Bearded Tooth, Potent Psilocybe and Lawyer’s Wig. Throughout, there are expansive illustrations from Joana Huguenin. It is ideal for those interested in ecology - you will finish feeling richly rejuvenated.

- Judith Butler

James Otter, published by the Do Book Company (2020)

We live in an ever-evolving Digital Age, where content is endlessly created, shared and viewed. Our reliance on technology and need for stimulation causes us to overlook the process of care, attention and time that goes into an outcome. This dynamic makes the role of a modern designer precarious and can lead to creative blocks. Experiencing an impasse can be disorienting, but there are means of escape. James Otter shares simple but effective directions in his design generation guidebook from 2020. In 2008, he established Otter Surfboards. Over the last 16 years, his business has garnered great success. He has hosted workshops, presented at TEDxBrighton, been broadcast on Countryfile and written about in the Guardian. In this book, Otter delves into the preparation, process and power of making. He convinces you to put down your devices and reconnect with your mind, body and soul by being thoughtful, active and social with the natural world.

Stefan Sagmeister, published by Phaidon Press (2023)

Stefan Sagmeister is a prolific graphic designer noted for his psychedelic, subversive style of visual communication. Sagmeister has exhibited work at many international art venues: in Zürich at the Museum of Design (2003), Vienna at the Museum of Applied Arts (2015) and New York at the Thomas Erben Gallery (2021). He has also collaborated on album covers for the music industry’s finest, most notably The Rolling Stones (1997), Aerosmith (1997) and Talking Heads (2003). Last year, Sagmeister released Now Is Better. This title is a social and visual study of the development of humanity, comparing conditions of the past to those of the present. He conveys this through outspoken conversations and multi-layered outcomes. These pieces interpret pressing social, economic, political, and environmental issues. They are used to argue in favour of our progress and call us to persevere in our pursuit of happiness. So, start your year off right with this reassuring report. Our version is a special limited edition that includes an autographed lenticular print.