A New Program for Graphic Design

by David Reinfurt, Adam Michaels (Preface), Ellen Lupton (Foreword)

A toolkit for visual literacy in the 21st century A New Program for Graphic Design is the first communication-design textbook expressly of and for the 21st century. Three courses―Typography, Gestalt and Interface―provide the foundation of this book.

Through a series of in-depth historical case studies (from Benjamin Franklin to the Macintosh computer) and assignments that progressively build in complexity, A New Program for Graphic Design serves as a practical guide both for designers and for undergraduate students coming from a range of other disciplines. Synthesizing the pragmatic with the experimental, and drawing on the work of Max Bill, Beatrice Warde, Muriel Cooper and Stewart Brand (among many others),, it builds upon mid- to late-20th-century pedagogical models to convey contemporary design principles in an understandable form for students of all levels―treating graphic design as a liberal art that informs the dissemination of knowledge across all disciplines. For those seeking to understand and shape our increasingly networked world of information, this guide to visual literacy is an indispensable tool.

David Reinfurt (born 1971), a graphic designer, writer and educator, reestablished the Typography Studio at Princeton University and introduced the study of graphic design. Previously, he held positions at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Rhode Island School of Design and Yale University School of Art. As a cofounder of O-R-G inc. (2000), Dexter Sinister (2006) and the Serving Library (2012), Reinfurt has been involved in several studios that have reimagined graphic design, publishing and archiving in the 21st century. He was the lead designer for the New York City MTA Metrocard vending machine interface, still in use today. His work is included in the collections of the Walker Art Center, Whitney Museum of American Art, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. He is the co-author of Muriel Cooper (MIT Press, 2017), a book about the pioneering designer.

Genres: Design, Art Design, Art, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Patrick Steadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, somewhat idiosyncratic introduction to design with a subtle message about the relationship between publishing, design, and power. Reinfurt notes that many students are hungry for graphic design rules, and this book makes a good case for a better alternative: a combination of historical examples and self-directed hands on exercises. The historical examples make for a quick, engaging read, and I look forward to spending months on the exercises. (As an example, the first assignment urges you to set an important typography text using a letterpress, which I'm sure will be a better way to learn the technicalities of font faces and spacing than reading about it).

I was unfamiliar with Reinfurt's professional work before reading this book, but the case studies he draws from his own practice are a valuable look into the reality of contemporary design practice. (The guy helped design the NYC MetroCard vending machine interface!)

This is definitely an introductory text (which is good for me because I'm just starting to get into graphic design), but I appreciate that it manages to cover ground outside the cliche late 20th century design idols. If anything, I just wish this book was longer with more fun explorations, I could easily read another few hundred pages.

[Lucas Terra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fundamentals and history of design through a lens that understands the political/social power and influence of craftsmanship. Great read, took my mind back to design school days and got me excited about it once again.

Originally I thought there was just a lot of hype over this one but it's totally worth it. Can't recommend it enough for both design students and seasoned professionals.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by the lead designer on my team, and framed as a book we often recommend to new designers who don’t have an academic graphic design background.

Giving it four stars because I think it’s fair to grade it on its own terms, and there’s some really great stuff in it, but I also have to admit it was a bit of a slog at times, and one of my takeaways is that I probably wouldn’t enjoy studying graphic design as an academic pursuit. The craft of it is fascinating to me, and like anything esoteric but global, there are lots of interesting anecdotes and little aha moments, but there’s also a lot of theory and post-modern musing over signs and symbols and meaning that don’t spark anything for me.

In summary: 4 stars on its own terms as a book for graphic design people, 3 stars as a reader who found it a bit serious and felt my attention and interest flagging at various points.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Reinfurt's A New Program for Graphic Design is indeed a great book, with lots of thought-provoking stories and case studies from the field of design and related areas. I really appreciated his division of the book in the three chapters, Typography, Gestalt and Interface, though the latter seemed a little bit rushed compared to the other two. I also really liked the way the images are integrated with the text, and it is really easy to follow his thought process.

Overall I enjoyed it a lot, but I really wish the book had been proofread with greater care. I don't know if it's just my edition, since I pre-ordered it, but the book has a lot of typos and sentences that could have been written in a more simplified way. I know the book originated from a set of talks the author gave, but I wish I could have shaken off the feeling that they just copied and pasted his presentation script into a book. I really hope future editions are a little bit better in this sense. :)

[Simon Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good review of certain design histories and designs given as a lecture split into 3 coherent parts. A fine read, and the assignments from the book seem great, but rather slow towards the end of I-N-T-E-R-F-A-C-E.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read! It gives a really interesting history to graphic design and features some super cool people I had no idea about. Challenges your thinking on design process as a whole.

[Cristiano Dalbem · Rating 5 out of 5]

And then I fell in love with Design, again.

[Vuk Trifkovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read and great overlap of history of the discipline, often from untold stories, with the practitioner's view. Loved the emphasis on Munari and on the Olivetti circle.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is unexpectedly the best piece of writing I've read on graphic design to date.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent refresher about how much intentionality designers of the past put in their work. There's so much noise now. Inspiring.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming and entertaining with some interesting stories but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take away from it. A lineage of graphics as interface? An argument for graphic design as visual culture? It's not didactic. It's not really provocative. It has a very utilitarian ethic. Coming from an architectural background and having taken ux courses, the focus on user experience is not exactly groundbreaking.

Also given that it was a 3 day lecture series it's weird he repeats content as much as he does. Also it doesn't feel like all the slides are included. Like more visual examples would've been nice.

Idk I liked reading it but as I neared the end I felt let down that it didn't add up to much. Of the inventory press books I've read recently, I'd recommend Room for Thought over this

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

the exercises require a little bit of gear (for instance, a photocopier) so it's not quite an instant DIY graphic design seminar (that's asking a lot for $20), but it's about as close as you can get. the read is a little dense, but full of some rich history. the further you get the more, the less welcoming it feels, but i think that's inevitable. i gotta clear out some sundays to mess around with homebrew typesetting. not for nothing this book LOOKS rad. like it just instantly classed up a few linear feet of bookshelf through its flyness. the inside matches the outside.

[Luke Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good primer for folks interested in a career in design. The book gives the reader a foundation of typography, gestalt, and interaction principles (from a graphic design perspective), and digs into how contemporary designers and thinkers from the mid-century and beyond innovated how we understand and talk about what we see.

Akin to Design as Art, but less smug.

[Vitória · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning of my Master degree in Graphic Design, I heard about this book from a classmate, suggested by one of the teachers. It had been just released, and it was a promising title, that incited my curiosity at first glance.

A *New* Program for Graphic Design is a broad overview of graphic design's history and status quo, a mix of the author's personal references and relevant aspects to the field. It challenges the current design education system, questioning the need for certain practices or formalities. The book is highly engaging, as Reinfurt's text is explicitly democratic, yet simultaneously carefully crafted. The three chapters, Typography, Gestalt and Interface provide an insightful collection of references that build up connections and questions. The topics also develop into "assignments". Those are too incredibly involving and exciting, inviting the reader for blunt exercises on graphic design practice and research.

This document is a summary of consistent connections within the graphic design field and art, research, science and history. It is a basic introduction to the area of graphic design, extremely pleasant to read and full of interesting inquiries and dialogues. Reinfurt also suggests other books and texts for further reading, as well as some of his own websites with more readings and information over the discussed topics.

Another interesting aspect is the correlation of the author's personal practice and interests with the approached issues. His intriguing work in relation to time and time-based media is a common thread throughout the book. Reinfurt often alludes to clocks, calendars and other time-related aspects in relation to the current section of the text.

This book instantly became one of my personal favourites, and I recommend it to any creative with interest in graphic design or artistic research, as well as to anyone yearning to begin to understand or get in touch with the broad field of design.

[Besart Ç. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and comprehensive look into the beginnings of modern graphic design in typography, hardware, industrial design and more with plenty of illustrations. I also love how it introduced me to some new design influential figures, like Muriel Cooper or Stewart Brand, through memorable and personal stories that reflect their larger design themes.

[Wake Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot!

It’s full of interesting little anecdotes about graphic design, and doesn’t just transcribe the journey from Gutenberg to iPhones. Also highlights the immense contribution of women to the field.

I’ll be thinking about this book for a while. Maybe some day I’ll actually do one of the exercises.

[Jamz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reinfurt provided a very thorough and engaging history of typography, gestalt, and interface. It was a bit hard to see the ways in which each example connected with the other in relation to the larger topic, but being that the book was a compilation of numerous lectures it makes sense. A great read for any interested in the history of graphic design and design in general!

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read through a brief history of visual communication. The book is essentially three 6 hour lectures transcribed and edited, which makes everything feel like a crash course. I think general readers and experienced professionals will learn something new from this book. There’s a delightful diversion toward the end on the process of designing MTA’s fare machines.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite book on graphic design.

It's broken down into three categories: Typography, Gestalt, and Interface. It takes a high-level view of each section, diving into history and some interesting key moments, and then pairs what you've learned with some in-depth exercises.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in design.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically a textbook but reads like an actual book. Fav quote: “Machines and humans are hostile to each other. Using a machine is essentially dehumanizing. Design is a medium for reconciling … technology and people. Design can broker our relationships with machines and the careful consideration of design will let us work with speed and convenience … while not losing our essential humanity.”

[Liad Shadmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and thoughtfully curated book that presents a unique perspective on the history of graphic design. By selecting somewhat specific and unconventional examples, it weaves an engaging narrative about graphic design. One of its key themes is staying curious and keep asking questioning. Well written and refreshingly down-to-earth style.

[Doan Trang · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a joy. i almost missed a few train stations because of how absorbing it is. reading this + "How to" by Michael Bieruit at the same time = best theoretical + application education experience. made me take notes or look at memes differently.

[Ieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Stuart Macalpine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't love it - but I really liked some of the content - really enjoyed the Munari sections, and found some lovely design ideas for Hesscairn, and had a good think about others.

[Sam Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure history of graphic design

[KMT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really what I was expecting (not much practical information on graphic design) but an entertaining and interesting read nonetheless, and I can imagine a good introduction to that domain.

[Kelsey Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Big Swagger Designer performs the sprezzatura of lecturing for a week about how teaching design rules is a bit moot, but doggone it, it works.

[Anna Carolina Nicoletti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utile per quelli del settore

[David Ruggeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that revitalized my perspective of design after working in the industry for a few years. Validating, refreshing and invigorating.