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Diagrams: Innovative Solutions for Graphic Designers
Commissioning bespoke diagrams is an expensive and time-consuming solution. This book offers a collection of exemplary, creative, and imaginative information design, shown in its original application and juxtaposed with the reference material used for each piece of work, along with a CD of images that designers can adopt and adapt to create their own diagrams. Every design included in the book is analyzed, and clip-art features, such as arrows, flows, and boxes are also included. Diagrams offers a unique approach to the organization of information and provides fresh thinking and imaginative solutions, making this an indispensable and inspirational reference book.
- GenresDesign
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
47 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Knight
30 books1 followerCarolyn Knight is a partner at the UK firm Bright Pink, which serves clients in industries including textile, healthcare, and nonprofit. She's co-author of The Graphic Designer's Guide to Effective Visual Communications (Rotovision, 2005). Carolyn currently lectures at the University of Wolverhampton School of Art and Design. She lives in Stafford, United Kingdom.
(Barnes and Noble)
(Barnes and Noble)
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 1, 2010
This book's title is really misleading. Diagrams: Innovative Solutions for Graphic Designers should actually be called something more like How Graphic Design is Influenced by Diagrams.
Apart from about 15 of its hundreds of examples, Diagrams is littered with so-so pieces of graphic design which happen to have some kind of loose connection to actual informational diagrams or statistical graphics. Any actual data used in these examples has unfortunately been mangled and obfuscated by the graphic designers creating the work. This is a far departure from the analytical, straightforward, and data-cherishing world of Edward Tufte, Donna Wong, or Kaiser Fung.
Beyond the iffy infographics, the most painful part of Diagrams is the writing. Each description reads like it was written for the blind, describing what the work looks like rather than why it was made, what it is trying to communicate, why it is interesting, etc.
For example, on a straightforward map of a museum: "This design uses various shades of gray to distinguish between exhibition spaces, amenities, and foyer areas." Which is something I could have noticed simply by looking at the map.
Or this one, about a university brochure: "The design, which uses florescent yellow inc to mimic the effect of a highlighter pen, appeals to both students and parents alike." Ah, yes — highlighters! The notorious common ground between students and parents.
The few-dozen good examples in this book made it worth picking up and flipping through, but this is certainly not a must-read.
Apart from about 15 of its hundreds of examples, Diagrams is littered with so-so pieces of graphic design which happen to have some kind of loose connection to actual informational diagrams or statistical graphics. Any actual data used in these examples has unfortunately been mangled and obfuscated by the graphic designers creating the work. This is a far departure from the analytical, straightforward, and data-cherishing world of Edward Tufte, Donna Wong, or Kaiser Fung.
Beyond the iffy infographics, the most painful part of Diagrams is the writing. Each description reads like it was written for the blind, describing what the work looks like rather than why it was made, what it is trying to communicate, why it is interesting, etc.
For example, on a straightforward map of a museum: "This design uses various shades of gray to distinguish between exhibition spaces, amenities, and foyer areas." Which is something I could have noticed simply by looking at the map.
Or this one, about a university brochure: "The design, which uses florescent yellow inc to mimic the effect of a highlighter pen, appeals to both students and parents alike." Ah, yes — highlighters! The notorious common ground between students and parents.
The few-dozen good examples in this book made it worth picking up and flipping through, but this is certainly not a must-read.
October 24, 2015
I'm shocked this book was published in 2009. The look is from 1990s. Most art that is trendy gets stale. The author would have been better off displaying good conceptual design that could be considered timeless. Nonetheless I found a few inspirations so I gave it 2 stars.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews