Customer Reviews

The Anatomy of Design: Uncovering the Influences and Inspirations in Modern Graphic Design

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Honestly, I haven't had the time to actually read this book yet. But the hundreds of examples they give for specific styles of design make this book amazing in itself. I've never owned a book that has so many examples of quality design. The cool part is that the examples actually pertain to specific pieces; there supposed to be the works that specific graphic designers drew inspiration from to create a certain their work. Basicly, you flip the page and there's an example of a good piece of graphic design. Then you unfold the page to see what works that piece drew inspiration from. It's really interesting. Every single page opens up, giving you twice the amount of content, so your getting a good deal. *There's a section that has some rather explicit graphics in it so this isn't a kids book.* Overload of quality design; couldn't ask for more in a book.

This is a visual equivalent of Bartlett's Quotations - with an ingenious analytical presentation. It is full of interesting ideas and enough content to last for a lifetime. Aside from being tremendously enjoyable to anyone like myself who is interested in the graphic arts, it looks like it gives a full course in graphic design and the history of visual art. The generous, non-stop foldouts are ingenious and every one of them is filled with fascinating images and commentary. It wouldn't surprise me if this work, aimed apparently at graphic designers, became a best seller simply as a new kind of art book.

This is a great book, especially for referencing. Beautifully designed! As for the title I truely believe "The Evolution of Design" would've been more appropriate, especially while referencing to the earliest documents containing that particular object, artifact or style and its transcendence to what the subjects' conceived graphic design has "evolved" to.

True as stated in the preface, "These are not necessarily the best-known or celebrated objects of graphic design, though many contain the genetic codes or canonical works. Instead, they represent some visible and a few obscure relatively contemporary artifacts that are well conceived...", there could've been other, more successful pieces on the table for dissection, yet the specimens selected are exceptional!

This book is very thorough about the spectrum of design. As a senior graphic design student, it is the greatest resource I've ever had. I can't put it down. I love it!

Part graphic design art history, part pop-cultural discourse, and part `look book'--this book defies definition. It is unique in both form and content. Each fold-out spread explores and catalogs the diverse visual and conceptual influences (consciously used or not) in a particular design. It was fun and educational to see how many influences I recognized as well as how many I didn't. This book really brings home the idea that graphic design is shaped by and in turn shapes our culture.

Ninety nine point nine percent of the time you see an interesting or provocative design, there is little or no context. This is the first, and perhaps only, book that undertakes to analyze in depth the multiple underlying influences (and direct steals) from pre-existing sources and elements. It is a mammoth undertaking, in a unique, all-gatefold format.
It is a real treasure, and it does a great service for the graphic design community.

I bought this for a class and I think I'll actually keep it when the class is over. Love the way its laid and all the colors. Very useful!

Sometimes graphic designers find themselves stuck in their same old style, this book can make them break their paradigms a bit.

Unlike Steven Heller's other book, Graphic Design Time Line (to which I gave a 1-star grade), Anatomy of Design is more the kind of book that suits my practice.

Take a relatively current design piece dissected into its graphical components, then observe those components as they've been applied to other design projects, some as early as the 1920s. It's a treasure-trove of inspiration, even much better than those design yearbooks and showcases. While the latter displays works in an inert fashion, Anatomy of Design allows the reader to see how different elements come into play, and thus allowing designers to try different approaches and treatments to whatever current project they're handling.

Plus, each entry gets a few paragraphs of commentary. Very valuable, indeed!

It's a great companion for graphic design students and professionals.

This book is great for seeing a designer's though process. It opens up endless doors for creative minds. We need to start pushing the envelope!

That's all well and good, but it lacks a textual narrative. The fold-out pages are a nice novelty for 'docovering' the apparent lineage of the feaured images, but do grow tiresome - and crease very quickly without undue care. Good for inspiration but not great.