Customer Reviews

Designing Identity: Graphic Design as a Business Strategy

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

 

 

Case studies are great, but we need hard facts and tips about what goes into good identity and what a designer should look for. I expected to see a few case studies with an analysis detailing why the choices were effective, but it's just a pretty book that gives you nothing but samples of successful identity designs. (I suppose, I wouldn't know...)

Not to mention that the page layout makes it incredibly hard to read! I was very surprised that this came from a graphic designer. The text is written in a tiny font (I don't wear glasses and I had trouble) in the margins of the pages over a background with some thin blue lines. The lines aren't such a big deal, but they do really distract from reading, and it's hard enough to read the book as it is. The design samples weren't easy to see in every case either. They weren't just laid out as is, the author chose to make the layout "design-ey". I know, I know, you can't be great at everything (meaning he's a fine designer, but I don't think textbooks are his thing,) so cut the guy some slack. But don't waste my time and money and describe this book as something it's not.

As a reference book, big thumbs down. As a coffee table book, hmm, I've seen plenty better. If you want this book, borrow it from a friend first.

Perhaps my review is a bit jaded because I went into this book looking speficially for online identity issues like "how does a designer begin to keep a user on a website with thousands of other options available?" This is the best, hardest identity issue to hit in a long time. As the book was printed in 1998, I expected SOMETHING about online isues. But there was nothing. I'd also like to speak to whomever designed the layout about the superfluous, messy grids and lines that cover each page. It's very, very stylized and already outdated.

Caslon Analytics Pty Ltd is an Australian internet research, analysis and strategies consultancy.

We help government bodies, businesses (large and small) and individuals reach their objectives, by providing expert advice about electronic publishing, marketing, commerce and regulation of the net.

Wonderful. If you design or like logos, and you would like to learn from analytical case studies, then buy this book.