Independent publishing · Chicago
Culture. Craft. Connection.
Lead Hand Books is an independent publishing label for ideas on design, creative culture, and meaningful work. These are books by designer, author, and speaker Justin Dauer—with people at the heart of every page.
Doing our most successful work
In Fulfillment
The Designer’s Journey
An award-winning guide to finding fulfillment in a life of creative work. Personal stories and real-world tactics connect our values, our craft, and the choices that shape where, what, and why we create.
Featured in Communication Arts' 2024 Interactive Annual and winner of the 2024 Independent Press Award in the Career category, In Fulfillment invites designers to keep learning, challenge their assumptions, and build a meaningful connection to their work and the people it serves.
The expanded second edition
Creative Culture
Human-Centered Interaction, Design, & Inspiration
An expanded exploration of the connection between design and culture. This second edition brings the relationship between how we make and how we interact into sharper focus.
With a foreword by Steve Portigal, Creative Culture connects compassionate working environments with compassionate design practice, keeping people at the center of both the process and the work.
Finding + building an environment to thrive
Cultivating a Creative Culture
Foreword by Jeffrey Zeldman
A human-centered approach to the workplace, built on the belief that the empathy we bring to our design work should also shape how we treat one another.
Through examples, case studies, and practical tactics, Justin Dauer explores how humility, objectivity, and creativity can build a more supportive culture—and help us make better work together.
