Customer Reviews

Editing by Design: For Designers, Art Directors, and Editors--the Classic Guide to Winning Readers

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No one has done more to rationalize the design process than Jan V. White. For over twenty-five years, previous editions of Editing by Design has mentored a generation of designers, editors, advertising managers, and business owners in the ways of rational, results-oriented, reader-friendly design.

As an enthusiastic reader from the early days, I was initially somewhat apprehensive when Jan White first announced a new edition of his classic book.

But, I needn't have worried. Everything that was great about the earlier versions is still there, but so much more has been added. New examples, new illustrations, and new ideas about designing attractive, easy-to-read publications.

Jan's distinctive writing style is complemented by literally hundreds of illustrations which bring his words to life in a clear and unambiguous way.

If you're responsible for creating print materials that succeed, Editing by Design belongs belongs next to your bed and next to your computer.

When I happened upon this book in my favorite local bookstore (sorry, amazon!), it was a revelation! It laid out, page after page after page, the rationale for design and layout, with accompanying illustrations of the principles discussed. What was so welcome in this book was the clear, succinct, take-nothing-for-granted approach. Everything is explained and illustrated. As an introduction to page and publication desgin and layout, it is a marvel. Knowing the author's background and "credentials" added extra assurance to my reading.

Some of the observations in this book may be limited to print media. Web designers, for example, will want to consider additional sources (such as "Don't Make Me Think"). However, what both print and web design have in common is found here: the rhyme and reason for headlines, how we "scan," how we read things in our Western culture (left-to-right, top-to-bottom), appropriate juxtapositon of explanatory text with pictures/graphics, and more.

I can see why this book has been a standard reference in its field for years.

This book should be on the must-read list of every designer, editor and art director. It presents all the do's and don'ts of page layout in a clear and easy to grasp way with wonderful illustrations of all the topics discussed. If I may suggest something to the publisher - please translate it to other languages so even more people can enjoy this book.
Don't hesitate for a second - if you want to know how to win satisfied readers just buy this book!

Rather than reiterating what other reviewers have already done a great job of covering, I'll simply put my proverbial 2 cents worth in for my favorite feature of the book.

Anyone who has taken design classes or read many design books has seen that the authors almost always instruct the reader to sketch out "roughs" of ideas on paper while doing the initial brainstorming on a design. This is the only book I've run into with any quantity of such sketches included.

It's always a pleasure to see an author put their money, or in this case their page space, where their mouth is.

Nicely Done.

I have probably never learned more about any subject than I have with this book. Being the eternal student, I can be critical if a book doesn't teach me anything new, or pads itself out with extraneous rot. This book does neither of these things. It is concise, incredibly comprehensive, clear, honest and delivers much much MUCH. How I would love to get inside this man's brain and/or have him partner my business! The attention to detail and range of example is exhilarating. An exemplary work that could very well have delivered the bones of my entrepreneurial idea, or at the very least, given me the vim and knowledge to execute it. Thank you, Mr White.

Thanks to Robin Williams (The Non-Designer's Design Book) for her bibliography, which recommended that I carefully considered Editing by Design, among others. This book proved to be everything I hoped for. A serious value at a great price!
I also purchased Allen Hurlberts book "the grid" for which I forked over an outlandish $60.00. This price does not reflect the real value in constrast to White's book. Although I expected more, Hulbert's book is grid specific by intent, that is why I purhcased it. However, I just don't see $60.00 value when I also compare it to Kimberly Elam's "Grid Systems" which for $11.53 outshines Hurlberts. Editing by Design offers full spectrum coverage for design. It's a cool book. Reading it takes me back to class where I get to sit at the feet of a master.
Buy this book, you will not be dissapointed! With this one you definately get what you pay for and much, much more.

Deepak Chopra is right! "The eye refuses to see what the mind does not know."

First of all, if "Conflicted" found the book difficult to follow, so be it. Mileage varies from person to person. And I will agree, the cover is a disappointment.

However, the part you couldn't read was a design element, not intended as text to be read; the **title** is printed in clear letters at the top of the cover. Second, this book is intended for beginners and - since we supposedly learn 90% of everything we *ever* learn by example - it tries to teach as much by example as by assertion. Hence, the informal style and wonderful profusion of examples. White **shows** as well as tells on almost every two-page spread - that's one of the major strengths of the book, in my opinion. Instead of distracting the reader by content-specific illustrations, he chose **very carefully** hand-drawn illustrations - and, by the way, mostly black and white to keep the book affordable. And for all that concrete terminology you couldn't find - try the Glossary that begins on p. 241.

As I said, your mileage may vary. But to me, this book presents the basic concepts of page and type design for the beginner in a way that really worked for me. 30 years later, I still value it!

The Good:
The book contains an abundance of illustrations which can be very helpful. The author uses the text of the book itself as bad examples of design.
The Bad:
As a newbie to publication design, I approached this book as a student. I probably would have never even opened the cover of it if it weren't required for a class. The design of the cover (and most of the book) is horrible. I can't read the title and it does nothing to attract me visually. The illustrations are so sloppy they are unprofessional. Although sketches in real life should be messy, the sketches in the book should at least be interpretable. The author never uses any concrete terminology, so it is difficult categorize information as you absorb it.

It's amazing, how easy was to read this book. It's one of the best print guides I have seen in years.

Not much to add to what has already been said; just wanted to give it another five-star review, which it richly deserves. I've been a publications director for eight years now, and it's been a tremendous asset.