Basics of Design: Layout and Typography for Beginners

by Lisa Graham

Read the Prose. Study the illustrations. And apply what you have learned to design your own pages. It's easy with Basics of Design; Typography and Layout for Beginners! This heavily illustrated, compact guide is ideal for readers with no graphic design or art education background who need to create first-rate visual page designs. Entrepreneurs challenged with designing their own business cards, and administrative assistants suddenly put in charge of producing newsletters and fax cover pages, are just two examples of readers who benefit from the information in this primer. Its uniquely conversational tone - combined with numerous "before" and "after" illustrations- provides everything needed to design pages as effective as those of professional designers. Part One introduces readers to important design principles, as well as how to use color and images to add impact to designs. Part Two concentrates on the basics of typography. Part Three features a number of common design projects of the variety frequently assigned to non-designers (.., company business cards, fax cover letters, graphical and statistical reports, and more). To further aid readers, each project is accompanied by a brief listing of some of the special considerations involved in that type of visual page design. The final chapter of the book lists useful design books and resources for readers interested in advancing their typography and layout skills.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Reference

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2001

Reviews

[James Ng · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read introducing the basics in designing items from business stationery sets to banners and posters. It gives clear explanations on the origins and usages of fonts and visual elements such as images. Included are numerous examples and exercises to review and appreciate the topics. The author also provide point-by-point guidelines for novice designers; especially useful for not-so-creative content creators to start.

[Quyen Do · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely helpful

[Heather Still · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book and a few others on typography in my local library, but this was by far the most helpful. I took six pages of notes!

[Jay Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas, a well-planned, well executed read from someone with a lot of experience in design and teaching design. Some of the information is a bit dated, like this advice on designing stationery sets (letterheads, envelopes, business cards): "Depending on the company, the business card may also contain some or all of the following information: The individuals voice mail, cell phone and and/ or beeper number." That made me guffaw as I tried to remember the last person I knew who had a beeper. It's a good book and worthy of your time if you are a beginning design student.

[Sebah Al-Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Using emphasis in your pages simplifies the reader's task and helps him or her pick out the essentials in your message faster than having to wade through nonemphasized info."


"The principle of emphasis states that the most important element on the page should be most prominent."

[Katherine]

I bought this book two years ago and am now just getting to it. I am wanting to learn more about layout and design. This book looked easy to understand yet full of great examples and information.

[Davey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The examples are mediocre, but the elements are timeless and helpful. I was informed the author also had to design everything, which is why it is not the best quality. Still, good for the price.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, solid, basic introduction to design.