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The Non-Designer's Design Book
<H3>Fatbrain Review</H3> Most experienced designers agree: though HTML offers unlimited opportunities to present information, it is a lousy place to learn design techniques, and all too often publishers let HTML limitations dictate pages that are ugly, boring and difficult to use. Don't be boxed in by HTML -- set your creativity free by learning basic design pr...more
Paperback, 3rd edition, 215 pages
Published
February 1st 2008
by Peachpit Press
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I read this book about a year ago and I’m going to complain about it first, and then rave about it.
Complaints:
Some of the text inside is too faint – it is actually quite difficult to read.
Some of her ‘examples’ look quite unattractive even when they are ‘finished’.
Raves:
This is a very clever book. If you are visually hopeless, like myself, it talks you through what to look for in step by step, no assumptions. This is a book that expla...more
Complaints:
Some of the text inside is too faint – it is actually quite difficult to read.
Some of her ‘examples’ look quite unattractive even when they are ‘finished’.
Raves:
This is a very clever book. If you are visually hopeless, like myself, it talks you through what to look for in step by step, no assumptions. This is a book that expla...more
view all 6 comments
This is quite possibly the best graphic design book I have read. The first part teaches you the four basic principles of design, CRAP. Or contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. It gives a clear overview of each concept and then provides examples of when it is working and when it is failing. It also asks you to actively get involved, not by pointing out all the errors, but by asking you to look for them yourself. Once the four basic principles have been detailed, it moves on to an e...more
Wow! This book is very easy to read and full of good ideas for considering the effects of visual choices (font size/style, color, organization, etc.) on communication. I found myself much more aware of options in the texts I viewed after I read it--and more willing to consider choices in the texts I create. I will definitely bring this into lessons that deal with written communication since even a traditionally-styled piece of writing says something with its font choices, white space, etc. In to...more
This book succeeds in fulfilling its promise: educating visual novices about design and typographic principles. It's remarkable to me that this book works so well when I've seen others fall flat (I'm looking at you, Nancy Duarte!) in educating a beginner audience about design principles. It's especially impressive when you figure in the fact that this book is not very long or slickly produced. Hell, it's not even in color! But I think this is a part of Williams' success. The book's me...more
Delivers on the promise of its title, showing a non-designer how proper use of Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity can make pages easier to read and understand. All carefully explained, and lavishly illustrated with examples,
A few more of the many useful things I learned from reading this:
The difference between conflict and contrast.
Just Say No to Times, Helvetica and Arial.
For best readability in body copy, use a classic oldstyle serif f...more
A few more of the many useful things I learned from reading this:
The difference between conflict and contrast.
Just Say No to Times, Helvetica and Arial.
For best readability in body copy, use a classic oldstyle serif f...more
Good, clear, simple book on design basics.
Notes:
Proximity: put related things together. Separate unrelated things.
Alignment: align stuff along a strong line whenever possible--left or right. Don't randomly stick stuff in corners or indent unless to show hierarchy.
Repetition: add cohesion by repeating elements (ex. bullets, typefaces, lines, colors, graphics)
Contrast: be bold
Do things in concord (the same) or contrast (very different), not conflict...more
Notes:
Proximity: put related things together. Separate unrelated things.
Alignment: align stuff along a strong line whenever possible--left or right. Don't randomly stick stuff in corners or indent unless to show hierarchy.
Repetition: add cohesion by repeating elements (ex. bullets, typefaces, lines, colors, graphics)
Contrast: be bold
Do things in concord (the same) or contrast (very different), not conflict...more
AN easy to read little Design book: the style of the writing is approachable, reading it is almost like listening to a friend...
Here are some my favourite quotes:
'...Don't be afraid to create your Design (or your life) with plenty of blank space - it's rest for the eyes (and the soul).
Don't be afraid to be asymmetrical, to uncentre your format - if often makes the effect stronger. It's OK to be the unexpected...
There is one more general guiding pr...more
Here are some my favourite quotes:
'...Don't be afraid to create your Design (or your life) with plenty of blank space - it's rest for the eyes (and the soul).
Don't be afraid to be asymmetrical, to uncentre your format - if often makes the effect stronger. It's OK to be the unexpected...
There is one more general guiding pr...more
excellent simplification of graphic design principles for the newbie. written in an engaging style, and loaded with tons of examples. the second half is all about typography (font structure) which i thought i would find too boring and just skip it, but by the time i finished the first half, i found myself interested in typography and read the whole thing! this focuses mostly on print materials, though the basic design principles can be applied to web design. will likely pick of the web-spe...more
الكتاب يوضح لكل مبتدئ أساسيات التصميم الأربعه التي تجذب المشاهد ولا تشتت انتباهه وهي:
التباين، التكرار، المحاذاة، التقارب.
وهي مفيدة في أمور كثيرة من ملفات الوورد والباوربوينت، إلى التصميم الاحترافي بالبرامج المتخصصه من فوتوشوب وغيره
الكتاب مدعوم بالصور التوضيحية وبلغة انجليزية سهله يستطيع تتبّعها كل من لا يتقن اللغة الانجليزية.
أعجبني تسليط الكاتبة الضوء على أنواع الخطوط المختلفه التي من الممكن أن تثري التصميم وتزيد من جماليته وجذبه للمشاهد.
بصفة عامة الكتاب ممتاز،...more
التباين، التكرار، المحاذاة، التقارب.
وهي مفيدة في أمور كثيرة من ملفات الوورد والباوربوينت، إلى التصميم الاحترافي بالبرامج المتخصصه من فوتوشوب وغيره
الكتاب مدعوم بالصور التوضيحية وبلغة انجليزية سهله يستطيع تتبّعها كل من لا يتقن اللغة الانجليزية.
أعجبني تسليط الكاتبة الضوء على أنواع الخطوط المختلفه التي من الممكن أن تثري التصميم وتزيد من جماليته وجذبه للمشاهد.
بصفة عامة الكتاب ممتاز،...more
Straighforward, an easy read, a fantastic reference for document design. Desktop design.
May sound obsolete for the web designers, but the rules in this book still apply in a ton of scenarions - and yes, even in web design if you wish.
Definitely keep it handy in your office or in a shared space - a lot of non-designers have still a lot to learn about to lay out a Word document or how to design an office kitchen/cafeteria ad in order to convey the right message and attract the in...more
May sound obsolete for the web designers, but the rules in this book still apply in a ton of scenarions - and yes, even in web design if you wish.
Definitely keep it handy in your office or in a shared space - a lot of non-designers have still a lot to learn about to lay out a Word document or how to design an office kitchen/cafeteria ad in order to convey the right message and attract the in...more
original review:
http://www.reemer.com/archives/2005/03/0...
I have no idea why I picked this up well over a year ago, but I'm glad I finally found the time (read: about an hour) to read it. It gives an overview of basic design principles, easily remembered using the mnemonic C.R.A.P. (for Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity). What I found most interesting, however, were the chapters on typography.
I'm consistently amazed by the designers that I work wi...more
http://www.reemer.com/archives/2005/03/0...
I have no idea why I picked this up well over a year ago, but I'm glad I finally found the time (read: about an hour) to read it. It gives an overview of basic design principles, easily remembered using the mnemonic C.R.A.P. (for Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity). What I found most interesting, however, were the chapters on typography.
I'm consistently amazed by the designers that I work wi...more
I bought the second edition of this book when I saw it listed on Joel Spolsky's Fog Creek MBA reading list. I never regretted it, and this new edition is a very welcome improvement over the old one, especially thanks to the use of color.
It's still the go-to book on design for people, like me, who tend to see the world in 16 colors and use Helvetica. If you're not a professional designer who wants to be a little bit less clueless (more clueful?) about design, run get this book.
It's still the go-to book on design for people, like me, who tend to see the world in 16 colors and use Helvetica. If you're not a professional designer who wants to be a little bit less clueless (more clueful?) about design, run get this book.
This is an excellent reference work for those who want or need to design something, but who do not have the luxury of going to design school. The information is presented clearly and concisely, and there are many examples of the principles being discussed found throughout the book.
I first got this book for one of my college editing courses, and I still reference it regularly. It's helped to give me more tools to use in explaining why something does or doesn't work from a design stand...more
I first got this book for one of my college editing courses, and I still reference it regularly. It's helped to give me more tools to use in explaining why something does or doesn't work from a design stand...more
This book is full of crap. Well, make that, C.R.A.P. Okay, I'm almost certainly not the first to make that particular joke, but I couldn't resist.
This book is a legend in design circles (which I observe only from the periphery). It simplified design to a few basic principles (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity) and made those principles accessible to everyone, even people who have no design experience or even talent. That is what makes this book exceptional.
I ...more
This book is a legend in design circles (which I observe only from the periphery). It simplified design to a few basic principles (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity) and made those principles accessible to everyone, even people who have no design experience or even talent. That is what makes this book exceptional.
I ...more
This books proves that you don't know what you don't know until you know it! :)
I will never look at a page of print with the same eyes again.
This easy to read and humorous book taught me enough to just be dangerous with fonts and contrast and colors.
But seriously a few hours reading has immensely improved the look of the documents that I prepare for work, school and my personal stuff.
I will never look at a page of print with the same eyes again.
This easy to read and humorous book taught me enough to just be dangerous with fonts and contrast and colors.
But seriously a few hours reading has immensely improved the look of the documents that I prepare for work, school and my personal stuff.
My brother has this as a college textbook and I picked it up to flip through. It was really pretty interesting, once you get past the first half of the book going over some basics (alignment, contrast, etc.) it gets into the meat of typeface and creative juices. I can't say I'm a novice at any of it, but I liked playing "Guess that font!" and picked up a few ideas for beautifying my resume.
Design demystified: Writers who want to improve the look of whatever they write will find some excellent information here. This book will also suit anyone who wants to understand the basics of graphic design. Williams' engaging writing style makes this both an entertaining and useful read. Make sure you do the exercises and quizzes - they're fun and extremely helpful.
Since we are bombarded by design all the time, we may not stop to think why we like some things and don't like others. This book spells out the aspects of design (for print and digital publications) that we can use to create beautiful and effective products. Even my 10-yr-old was interested in the ideas and illustrations (there are even quizzes) in this book.
I recently re-read this book and was reminded how fabulous it is. Along with Williams' other works, including The PC is Not a Typewriter, this is essential reading for anyone who works on newsletters and other print materials but is not professionally trained. It's one of the most clearly-written, helpful, practical, and informative books I've ever read.
If you like to play around with desktop publishing software, but you don't know anything about design, this is a great book. It'll show you how to incorporate basic design elements into your projects so they look more professional. The author's writing style is accessible and fun. This is not your typical dry, boring technical manual.
This was a quick read (2 hours), which was just what I was looking for. Some quick tips on layout of rich text documents. Quick read, at least through the first half of the book, as the bulk of the material is before/after examples. Probably wouldn't buy it, but definitely worth checking out of the library.
I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who has to do anything remotely connected to design, from creating websites to writing resumes. The book is exceptionally readable and is accessible for people without any design or art training, but is still useful for others that have this training as well.
This is a very good book for Design Newbies. Helps understand basics for Design / Color Theory / Typography. My only problem with my particular edition of this book was, color theory chapter was actually in black & white ink. So check it out before buying it. I'll also suggest not to buy mobi for the same reason.
Great book for novice (or non) designers. I loved her acronym: CRAP, which is what your page will look like if you don't use contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. I created a power point that I use with my students to teach Williams principles.
Martha
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
editors/writers who do design/layout tasks for newsletters, web sites, house ads, etc.
Shelves:
design,
web-site-usability
The cover design is a little blah, but don't let that put you off. This is a great book for any nondesigner who find him or herself required to do graphic-design tasks, whether it's because their job description is expanding into areas that require a bit of design knowledge or they have volunteered to lay out their local PTA newsletter. You probably won't become a professional graphic designer as a result of reading this book but it quickly gets you up to speed on important basics that will impr...more
This won't magically transform you into the next Chip Kidd, but it will help you avoid embarrassing yourself. Lots of sensible advice for novices. Should be required reading for librarians creating fliers or signage.
I found this book invaluable when I wanted to improve the quality of the brochures and signs I create at work. I started with a copy from the library, but liked it so much I bought a personal copy.
This is the most basic design book I could find, after reviewing a large pile of them. For students in any field, this book explains design with clarity, humor, and easy-to-understand examples.
I read this when I was just starting to learn about graphic design. It is a really good book that breaks down the basic "rules" of design. Plus the author's sense of humor makes this extra fun.
A helpful book giving the basics of design. It does just what it says it will do, serves as a design book for non-designers. Found it especially useful as a technical writer.
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Robin P. Williams is an American writer of computer-related books. She is particularly known for her manuals of style The Mac is Not a Typewriter and The Non-Designer's Design Book, as well as numerous manuals for various Mac OS operating systems and applications, including The Little Mac Book.
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