Graphic Design: The New Basics [Paperback]

Ellen Lupton (Author), Jennifer Cole Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2008

How do designers get ideas? Many spend their time searching for clever combinations of forms, fonts, and colors inside thedesign annuals and monographs of other designers' work. For those looking to challenge the cut-and-paste mentality thereare few resources that are both informative and inspirational. In Graphic Design: The New Basics, Ellen Lupton, best-selling author of such books as Thinking with Type and Design It Yourself, and design educator Jennifer Cole Phillips refocus design instruction on the study of the fundamentals of form in a critical, rigorous way informed by contemporary media, theory, and software systems.

Through visual demonstrations and concise commentary, The New Basics shows students and professionals how to build interest and complexity around simple relationships between formal elements of two-dimensional design such as point, line, plane, scale, hierarchy, layers, and transparency. The New Basics explains the key concepts of visual language that inform any work of designfrom a logo or letterhead to a complex web site. It takes a fresh approach to design instruction by emphasizing visually intensive, form-based thinking in a manner that is in tune with the latest developments in contemporary media, theory, art, and technology. Colorful, compact, and clearly written, The New Basics is the new indispensable resource for anyone seeking a smart, inspiring introduction to graphic design and destined to become the standard reference work in design education.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Warning: Ellen Lupton's books will make you want to be a graphic designer. Like her two previous efforts (D.I.Y. and D.I.Y. Kids), this book inspires thoughts of career change, or, at the very least, creating your own visual language. Featuring lots of work from Lupton's and Phillips's MICA students, it's also something of a calling card for the school. -- Baltimore Magazine, June 1, 2008

"I highly recommend this book as an addition to your personal design library. Whether you are a seasoned design professional or someone just interested in learning more, it serves as a fantastic and succinct resource for the fundamentals of good design." --Motionographer, 4,17,2008

"This site (and corresponding book) is a great way for students and new designers to learn the basic rules of design. This is the stuff I wish my teachers taught me more of." --Greyscalegorilla, 4,17,2008

"Explains the key concepts that inform design work, including point, line, plane, scale, hierarchy, layers and transparency." --How, December, 2008

Review

This guide for students and professionals refocuses design instruction on the study of the fundamentals of form, informed by contemporary media, theory, and software systems. Through visual demonstrations and concise commentary, the book shows how to build interest and complexity around simple relationships between formal elements of two-dimensional design, and explains key concepts of visual language that inform any work of design, from a logo to a web site.

Through visual demonstrations and concise commentary, the book shows how to build interest and complexity around simple relationships between formal elements of two-dimensional design, and explains key concepts of visual language that inform any work of design, from a logo to a web site.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (March 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568987021
• ISBN-13: 978-1568987026
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism
  • #54 in Books > Professional & Technical > Architecture
  • #64 in Books > Arts & Photography > Design & Decorative Arts > Graphic Design

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the non-graphic designer, April 25, 2008

By 

K. Lee (Orange County) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Graphic Design: The New Basics (Hardcover)

This book is a great overview for the vocabularies of print design. Technically, I am an illustration student, but I have been taking graphic design courses at my school. That being said, alot of the stuff being covered here would fall under the basic design courses at my school: Design 1 and Design 2. The information in this book ( I've read 2/3 so far) covers basic compositional structures, hue/ value/ saturation, and other good fundamentals, but doesn't give you more than a paragraph. This is a GREAT coffee table book to give you ideas on your current project, but it is by no means textbook-grade learning for graphic design. It simply does not go into enough depth in order to become a great learning tool. I just wish there were more professional examples rather than student-created ones.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 18, 2010

By 

Louis B. Dina (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Graphic Design: The New Basics (Hardcover)

I was very disappointed in this book. Given the title, I expected more cohesive guidelines and analysis on assembling the "New Basics" into my designs. To me, it was primarily a showcase of work done by the authors' students, some of which I enjoyed, but I didn't find it very helpful or insightful. In fact, I returned it for a refund.

Also, I found some of the type so small as to be unreadable, which for experienced designers, I found surprising. Not high on my list, obviously. I expect a title and/or subtitle to deliver on its implied promise. Perhaps I totally misunderstood the intent of the book, but I expected something that would weave these so-called new basics into a whole, provide direction, and help me produce better designs. Maybe that happens over the course of time in class, but I didn't see that happening in the book.

If you're looking for guidance and direction, I don't think this is the book for you. It wasn't for me.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a current book on graphic design, June 10, 2008

By 

reader and maker (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Graphic Design: The New Basics (Hardcover)

When Ellen Lupton released her wonderful book, "Thinking with Type," I adopted as a required text for my college typography course. Not only did I admire the thinking behind the writing and structure, but my students LOVED the book.

When I learned about this new book written with Jennifer Cole Phillips I pre-ordered it immediately. Now that I've read it, I'm thrilled with their effort and am eager to use it as the text in my Graphic Design 1 class.

This book provides current examples that both illustrate classic principles of Graphic Design and explore the edges of current design thinking. I appreciate the use of student examples rather than just using professional, commercial work. There are plenty of annual reviews of commercial work by publishing houses such as Rockport. The student work tends to take more risks and be more provocative. It will provide more room for discussion, debate and inspiration in a classroom setting.

While not extensive, the text in the book is concise and well-written. Paired with the bountiful examples, it makes the subject accessible to graphic design students or to anyone interested in learning more about design on their own.

The book introduces enough about typography to whet one's appetite for more (check out "Thinking with Type" for that) and introduces basics about Motion Graphics ("Moving Type" by Matt Woolman was and still is great for learning more - it is out of print now but still relevant if you can find it.)

Princeton Architectural Press should be commended for producing such a quality book at such and affordable price.