The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd edition
by Edward R. Tufte
from Graphics Press
A timeless classic in how complex information should be presented graphically. The Strunk & White of visual design. Should occupy a place of honor--within arm's reach--of everyone attempting to understand or depict numerical data graphically. The design of the book is an exemplar of the principles it espouses: elegant typography and layout, and seamless integration of lucid text and perfectly chosen graphical examples. Very Highly Recommended.
The Design of Everyday Things
by Donald A. Norman
from Basic Books
With the many recent advances in technology, it seems, there has followed a diminution of quality. Electronic books have several advantages over their print counterparts, for instance. But for the time being, they're hard to use and unattractive to boot. Computers, which are supposed to make our lives easier, are commonly sources of frustration and wasted time. Movies are wondrously chock-a-block with special effects--but someone forgot the story. And so on.
Donald Norman, a retired professor of cognitive science, is bothered to no end by the fact that grappling with unfriendly objects now takes up so many of our hours. Over the course of several books, of which The Psychology of Everyday Things was the first, he has railed against bad design. He scrutinizes a range of artifacts that are supposed to make our daily living a little easier, and he finds most of them wanting. Why, he asks, does a door need instructions that say "push" or "pull"? A well-designed object, he argues, is self-explanatory. But well-designed objects are increasingly rare, for the present culture places a higher value on aesthetics than utility, even with such items as cordless screwdrivers, dresser drawers, and kitchen cabinets. In their concern for creating "art," many designers don't seem to consider what people actually do with things. Such disregard, Norman suggests, leads to few objects being standardized: think of all the different kinds of unsynchronized clocks that lurk in microwave ovens, VCRs, coffee makers, and the like--and of all the different kinds of batteries needed to drive them. Why, he wonders, must we reset all those clocks whenever the power goes off? Some designer somewhere, he ventures, ought to develop a master clock that communicates with all other electric clocks in a home--one that, when reset, synchronizes its slave units.
You don't need to be especially interested in technological matters to enjoy Norman's arguments. The book's underlying question is aimed at a global audience: will the design of everyday things improve? If this entertaining and, yes, well-designed book changes even a few minds, perhaps it will. --Gregory McNamee
Envisioning Information
by Edward R. Tufte
from Graphics Press
A remarkable range of examples for the idea of visual thinking, with beautifully printed pages. A real treat for all who reason and learn by means of images. -- Rudolf Arnheim
Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design
by Kristen Cullen
from Rockport Publishers
Layout Workbook is one of five volumes in Rockport's series of practical and inspirational workbooks that cover the fundamental areas of the graphic design business. In this edition, author Kristin Cullen tackles the often perplexing job of nailing down a layout that works.
More than a collection of great examples of layout, this book is an invaluable resource for students, designers, and creative professionals who seek design understanding and inspiration. The book illuminates the broad category of layout, communicating specifically what it takes to design with excellence. It also addresses the heart of design-the how and why of the creative process.
Cullen approaches layout with a series of step-by-step fundamental chapters (a "how-to" of layout) addressing topics such as The Function of Design, Inspiration, The Design Process, Intuition, Structure and Organization, The Interaction of Visual Elements, Typography, and Design Analysis. The book offers inspirational quotations and a unique, progressive design that truly reflects its content.
Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands
by Alina Wheeler
from Wiley
This innovative approach -- blending practicality and creativity -- is now in full-color!
From translating the vision of a CEO and conducting research, through designing a sustainable identity program and building online branding tools, Designing Brand Identity helps companies create stronger brands by offering real substance. With an easy-to-follow style, step-by-step considerations, and a proven, universal five-phase process for creating and implementing effective brand identity, the book offers the tools you need, whether a brand manager, marketer, or designer, when creating or managing a brand. This edition includes a wealth of full-color examples and updated case studies for world-class brands such as BP, Unilever, Citi, Tazo Tea, and Mini Cooper.
Alina Wheeler (Philadelphia, PA) applies her strategic imagination to help build brands, create new identities, and design brand-identity programs for Fortune 100 companies, entrepreneurial ventures, foundations, and cities.
Things I have learned in my life so far
by Stefan Sagmeister
from Abrams
Amazon Best of the Month, March 2008: Many consider Stefan Sagmeister to be our most important living designer, but he reaches beyond design circles in sharing 20 Things I have learned in my life so far, including the fact that "keeping a diary supports personal development." Proving his point, this book grew from a list in his diary during a year-long commercial hiatus. He returned to paid work with greater freedom from clients and himself, and created a series of projects spelling out personal truths--"worrying solves nothing," "trying to look good limits my life," and other simple, meaningful statements. Most are public and interactive (words spelled out on the backs of swimmers in the Hudson River, or displayed by enormous blow-up monkeys lounging around Scotland, or flaming in Singaporean bamboo scaffolding), while others are more private experiments with intriguing materials (sausages, cacti, sperm). All are presented--along with personal anecdotes supporting his assertions and notes on the practicalities of creating each project--in an alluringly interactive format: a "box" of 15 booklets with unique covers that can be switched to transform the look of the case from creepy to lovely. --Mari Malcolm
With the support of his clients, Sagmeister transformed these sentences into typographic works, from billboards in France to sign-toting inflatable monkeys on the streets of Scotland. Accompanied by essays from design historian Steven Heller, Guggenheim chief curator Nancy Spector, and UK psychologist Daniel Nettle, as well as Sagmeister's own words, the series is revealed as a complex blend of personal revelation, art, and design--an eclectic mix of visual audacity and sound advice.
This book consists of 15 unbound signatures in a laser-cut slipcase. Shuffling the sequence of the signatures will produce 15 different covers.
Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual
by Timothy Samara
from Rockport Publishers
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.
Meggs' History of Graphic Design
by Philip B. Meggs
from Wiley
Now in its Fourth Edition, this unrivaled, seminal work continues its long tradition of providing balanced insight and thorough historical background. Under the new authorial leadership of Alston Purvis, this authoritative book offers more than 450 new images, along with expansive coverage of such topics as Italian, Russian, and Dutch design. It reveals a saga of creative innovators, breakthrough technologies, and important design innovations.
Fingerprint: The Art of Using Hand-Made Elements in Graphic Design
by Chen Design Associates
from How
Make Your Mark
Design is at a turning point. Our infatuation with--and the backlash against--technology is over. Today's best designers have learned to embrace its advantages and think beyond its limitations by combining the power of the computer with the tactile qualities of handmade elements.
Inside you'll find examples of work that showcase a variety of design methods, including mixed media, illustration, letterpress, screenprinting and collage. You'll find inspiration in examples from outstanding designers and see how traditional elements can make a more powerful statement than anesthesized computer-only work. Fingerprint also includes insightful essays on the power of the handmade by Debbie Millman, Jean Orlebeke, Jim Sherraden, Martin Venezky and Ross Macdonald.
The projects in this book are beautiful, technical, simple, layered and powerful. Each project communicates its intended message with eloquence.
You can be part of this exciting design revolution. Leave your own fingerprint on the world by exploring the fusion of the digital with the hand-wrought.
Chen Design Associates is a visual communications firm based in San Francisco. Firm Principal Joshua Chen is a frequent guest speaker for professional conferences, workshops, studio tours and educational institutions. The firm self-published the award-winning Peace: 100 Ideas.
Universal Principles of Design
by William Lidwell
from Rockport Publishers
Universal Principles of Design is the first cross-disciplinary reference of design. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this book pairs clear explanations of the design concepts featured with visual examples of those concepts applied in practice. From the 80/20 rule to chunking, from baby-face bias to Ockham's razor, and from self-similarity to storytelling, 100 design concepts are defined and illustrated for readers to expand their knowledge.
This landmark reference will become the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their design expertise.
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Sculpture House Hydrocal White 25 lb. box white
For strong casts, Hydrocal works as easily as plaster. Use it where strength counts--for patterns, figurines, commercial casts, sculpture.
Sculpture House Hydrocal White 5 lb. box white
For strong casts, Hydrocal works as easily as plaster. Use it where strength counts--for patterns, figurines, commercial casts, sculpture.
Dixon Redimark Set set of 8
The durable plastic barreled RediMark offers the first commercial quality marking system that is safe and certified non-toxic for home, school and business use.
Grafix Matte Acetate Sheet 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. 100 sheets .005 thick
A high clarity film used in many commercial art applications. An excellent general purpose film which is an industry standard for overlays, color separations, and layouts. Matte finish. Package of 100 - 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. sheets.
Grafix Matte (Frosted) Acetate 24 in. x 36 in. .015 thick
This high clarity, general purpose film is perfect for many commercial art applications. The film is an industry standard for overlays, color separations and layouts. Matte (frosted) on one side, this acetate is preferred when glare is a problem.
Grafix Matte (Frosted) Acetate 40 in. x 12 ft. .005 thick
This high clarity, general purpose film is perfect for many commercial art applications. The film is an industry standard for overlays, color separations and layouts. Matte (frosted) on one side, this acetate is preferred when glare is a problem.
Grafix Matte (Frosted) Acetate 25 in. x 12 ft. .003 thick
This high clarity, general purpose film is perfect for many commercial art applications. The film is an industry standard for overlays, color separations and layouts. Matte (frosted) on one side, this acetate is preferred when glare is a problem.
Grafix Matte (Frosted) Acetate 50 in. x 12 ft. .003 thick
This high clarity, general purpose film is perfect for many commercial art applications. The film is an industry standard for overlays, color separations and layouts. Matte (frosted) on one side, this acetate is preferred when glare is a problem.
Grafix Matte Acetate Sheet 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. 100 sheets .003 thick
A high clarity film used in many commercial art applications. An excellent general purpose film which is an industry standard for overlays, color separations, and layouts. Matte finish. Package of 100 - 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. sheets.
Pelikan Graphic White 1 3/4 oz. jar graphic white
Adheres well to all surfaces with excellent coverage, even over black drawing ink. Perfectly opaque. Bleed-proof with one application. Can be used with pen and airbrush when properly diluted. Has many applications for the art class or commercial studio.
