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Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual

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Publisher: Rockport Publishers
Author(s): Timothy Samara

Average Customer Rating:

(based on 15 reviews)

Product Description:

Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 686.22
EAN: 9781592532612
ISBN: 1592532616
Label: Rockport Publishers
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2007-04-01
Publisher: Rockport Publishers
Studio: Rockport Publishers

Editorial Review:

The graphic design equivalent to Strunk & White's The Elements of Style

This book is simply the most compact and lucid handbook available outlining the basic principles of layout, typography, color usage, and space.

Being a creative designer is often about coming up with unique design solutions. Unfortunately, when the basic rules of design are ignored in an effort to be distinctive, design becomes useless. In language, a departure from the rules is only appreciated as great literature if recognition of the rules underlies the text. Graphic design is a "visual language," and brilliance is recognized in designers whose work seems to break all the rules, yet communicates its messages clearly.

This book is a fun and accessible handbook that presents the fundamentals of design in lists, tips, brief text, and examples. Chapters include Graphic Design: What It Is; What Are They and What Do They Do?; 20 Basic Rules of Good Design; Form and Space-The Basics; Color Fundamentals; Choosing and Using Type; The World of Imagery; Putting it All Together?Essential Layout Concepts; The Right Design Choices: 20 Reminders for Working Designers; and Breaking the Rules: When and Why to Challenge all the Rules of this Book.

Customer Reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great Design Guide
Comment: For the novice, even the technologist who is not a graphical designer, this is an excellent text on graphical style. It is probably the only guide you'll ever need. Very complete, very detailed and inspires good use of graphics, text and even space. Excellent.

Customer Rating:

Summary: GREAT BOOK!!!
Comment: I have purchased a lot of books from Amazon; this is the first time I have actually taken the time to write a review. I have decided to take a minute to write this review simply because I am so impressed with this book.

I have been creating various media that involve graphic design; including web design, print material, graphics for video, etc., for about three years now. Like many other people, I am 100% self taught. I have never been to graphic design school or taken classes in the field. So I don't know the basic fundamentals of Graphic Design & color treatment, and often find myself struggling with creativity and coming up with ideas.

This book lays out the fundamentals really well. One of the nice things about this book is this; all of the examples are modern illustrations that you see in the real world today that reflect really good design. Not some hokie, boring examples that you see in a lot of other books. I have a lot more that I want to say but I will keep it short. I will say this; if you are like me a self taught web designer, print developer, or work with graphic design in any other capacity and struggle with ideas and creativity, YOU GOTTA GET THIS BOOK!!! This book is definitely opening new doors of creativity for me.

Joseph K.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great refresher and excellent as a teaching assistant
Comment: The first day I started reading this book, I realized it would be perfect for my Type students. They loved the front content (20 rules for good design). This book is a must have in the library.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great book; too bad you won't be able to read it
Comment: It is a shame to see such a Herculean effort rendered unreadable by a low-contrast and minuscule font. I have 20-20 vision, but simply could not get even half way through this book before giving up. I feel for the author and hope that he will try again with this same material.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Well written and fun!
Comment: Amazing book by Timothy. It's perfect for young designers, unlike myself, who need to learn basics in graphic design. As a more experienced professional I had fun reading the book and I'm gonna keep it in my office for use of all new interns so they find out a little more by themselves. The only downside I see is the small grey texts, but fortunately my eyes are still in perfect conditions.