Design Issues: How Graphic Design Informs Society [Paperback]

DK Holland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

Based on the popular "Design Issues" column in Communication Arts, this anthology of brilliantly-conceived mind-teasers explores how design communicates with, rubs itself against, and sometimes stumbles around the "real" world. Here are some of the column's most intriguing and provocative selections, taken from an unorthodox mix of over 20 contributors. Covering a range of subjects from designing a corporate identity to the philosophical dimensions of art, this guide takes a look at 21st century design in a critical, educational, ethical, historical, social, and often humorous way. Upbeat and entertaining, it's sure to capture the attention of artists, illustrators and designers

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Design That Is Firmly Grounded in Society / As Demand for Socially Responsible Design Writing Grows, Founders of Acclaimed "Design Issues" Column Reach Out to New Audiences

The "Design Issues" column in the respected Communications Arts Magazine is known for attracting some of the country's best design thinkers and practitioners—and for drawing an ever-growing crowd of design aficionados to magazine stands. Encouraged by the column's fourth year of unbroken popularity, Communications Arts and column editor DK Holland have decided to reach out to a broader, more general readership and have teamed up with publishing house Allworth Press to release thirty-three of the best articles. Provocative and with unpre-cedented candor, this unique collection of essays pushes design another step forward on its recent course from an elite craft to a socially conscious and relevant form of expression.

In DESIGN ISSUES, twenty contributors, ranging from hard-core designers, illustrators, and advertising strategists to artists, writers, and educators, look at contemporary design in a critical, ethical, historical, social, and often humorous context. The voices that come together in this thought-provoking volume are marked by an uncompromisingly critical perspective as they discuss issues such as: designing the shape of brands that are unscrupulously promoted on school grounds; the implications of the global branding warfare; design's role in the blurry outcome of the Presidential ballot; designers' uneasy relationship with reading and language; how graphic design can foster—or undermine—social developments in this world, and much more.

From the Inside Flap

"An abundant cornucopia of design opinions that examines a wide range of subjects by some of the profession's most thoughtful critics and practitioners." — Milton Glaser, Milton Glaser, Inc.

"One of the compelling needs of the design profession is to find ways to stimulate thinking about design—beyond simply the daily encounter with visual language. Design Issues fills the need with articulate, thought-provoking essays on matters from the mundane to the idiosyncratic, yet each intriguing in its own right." — Richard Grefé, Executive Director, AIGA

"DK brings an intelligence to design that enriches the profession and makes one proud to be a designer." — Aubrey Balkind, CEO, Frankfurt Balkind

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581152027
• ISBN-13: 978-1581152029
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.6 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #748,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, February 10, 2011

By 

AlterNeo "alterneo" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Design Issues: How Graphic Design Informs Society (Paperback)

I am a graphc design major and I had to buy this book a couple of years ago for the class. The book was never used or discussed in class. The book has nothing to do with the mechanics, software or production of art work or graphics. It's all about ideas or maybe how graphic designers and artist think. Maybe the instructor was getting a kick back or royalites from the sale of the book, I don't know, but I could have saved my money. The fact that I purchased the book in 2007 and I'm the second person to write a review - EVER, that's very telling.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "BEST BOOK" Award for 2002, December 26, 2002

By 

Fred Showker "DTG Magazine" (The Design Bookshelf) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Design Issues: How Graphic Design Informs Society (Paperback)

We at the Designer's Bookshelf have just awarded this book a "BEST BOOK" award for 2002. These awards are given by the editors and staff at the Design Bookshelf, DT&G Magazine, and the Graphic Design network as top choices for all those involved in the design, publishing and visual arts fields.