Customer Reviews

Design!: A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists & Craftspeople

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True! Design is everywhere you look but if you don't understand what you are staring at then design is useless. Fortunately, Steven Aimone's Design! will open up your mind and guide you to see the purpose of design. What are descriptive, narrative, emotive, utilitarian, and decorative of designs? What are the elements of design (lines, shapes, textures, colors, etc.)? Why are a certain elements arranged they way they are? Why is design space important? If you're unclear about the answers to these questions, this book will help you straightened out.


As someone who gets involved with web design as a passion, I had no prior training on design. While my classes at La Salle were too busy shoving down Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and other software programs, the fundamentals of design were not part of the curriculum. One of our art professors realized the important of the missing part and tried to cover it but the class was not as successful as it should be. The hands on assignments she gave us (the black squares exercises) were definitely on the right track but most of my classmates thought they were kindergarten because the theories were missing. If she had this book to accommodate her assignments, the class would have been a huge success; therefore, Design! should be a required textbook for any Art 101 or Introduction to Visual Design classes at colleges and universities.


Design! is not only an invaluable design inspiration but an enjoyable reading as well because of its easy to read approach and clear visual examples. I recommend this book enthusiastically to anyone who designs for a living or pleasure and to anyone who simply enjoys and appreciates the aesthetic qualities from the work of art.

What I noticed first in DESIGN! were the many beautiful color photos of art on virtually every page. As a fiber artist (with works in the book), I especially appreciate how comprehensive the book is in representing all arts and crafts media. The text is thorough, readable, and complete with design exercises. I recommend DESIGN! wholeheartedly to artists, teachers, and any readers who enjoy the visual arts.

This book was so inspiring. It got me thinking of how design plays a part in so many aspects of my life. Now when I set a table or plant additional flowers in my garden or paint an abstract painting, I have lots of helpful ideas about what would make these projects successful. I think this book is for everyone, not just artists or designers.

This book is a great resource. It is packed with exciting, richly varied visuals and clear, informative exercises that will enrich daily appreciation and application of principles of good design all around us. As a professional artist and teacher, I enjoy this book for myself as well as share it with my students. Design! is a great resource for the student or professional.

this book not only looks great, it is beautifully written, full of real information and amazing examples all types of design. I would recomend it highly and have learned much more that I would have imagined. The visuals really cover the gamet, from architecture to haircuts and tons of art and fine craft.

I'm afraid this gorgoeous book has replaced my daily morning devotionals! I look forward to my time with this visually stimulating "work of art." I am taking it very slowly as not to have these images and the dialogue run out too quickly.
I'll be ready for a sequel very soon!

I found this book to be a great resource that is clear and easy to understand. I even learned a few new things...and I've been an art director for almost 10 years.

The book is well-written and the examples include some stunning and unusual pieces of art and craft (including painting, photography, pottery, needlework, quilting and more). It is an excellent introduction to design for beginners (artists, craftsmen and art-lovers) but even intermediate readers will find it useful.

As a beginning student of design, I've been looking at a number of texts. This is the best I've come across so far. The concepts are presented concisely and in a well-organized format. The illustrations are superb, drawing from a number of crafts, media, and styles. The tone is friendly and encouraging. Recommended highly!

This book is informative and inspirational. Each page was like a light bulb experience. Steven is generous with his knowledge and talent. This book is a great reference for all artists. One of the best books I have bought!