Customer Reviews

Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design

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Every graphic designer and design student should get a copy of this book. Created by two of our field's most committed chroniclers and advocates, this book is full of information and ideas. Providing the backstory for today's design profession, this book is fun to read and fun to look at. If you're looking to invest in your permanent design library, this volume will be useful for years to come. It will help newcomers to the field get up to speed on what graphic design is all about. (What is it all about? The intriguing people, the ever-changing visual language, and the rough and glittering texture of public life.)

The two authors of this amazing book wisely say in the intro that their endeavors are not really comparable to the Meggs, Hollis, Bringhurst or even newcomer Stephen Eskilson's standard history of graphics, design and typography. They have approached the subject in a fresh and I thought unique way.

The book is in four sections: Principles (design, type and print); Knowledge (books, online, collections and colleges); Representatives (designers, type creators, design writers and design clubs) and Practice, with 139 pages bulging with practical examples of anything designed. What I thought interesting was the way these four sections are developed to cover a phenomenal amount of information, either historical or contemporary, and presented primarily as visual items backed up with bite-size text.

Obviously the more technical aspects of design can only be covered briefly: print is wrapped up in twelve pages (and nothing on paper) but the range of design, from magazines, motion graphics or typography: anatomy; genealogy; classification; typesetting is spread over fifty-eight pages. Brand identity covering logos and corporate programs gets twenty-five pages. Perhaps the weakest part of the book is 'Recommended reading', summed up with just a spread and not including the 1989 Typographic Communications Today by Ed Gottschalk or the 2001 The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher and a book I'm sure would have been included had it been published before 2009 Bibliographic: 100 Classic Graphic Design Books.

All of this information, which includes 2500 images, is deftly served up in a clear, straightforward page and typographic design which fortunately avoids one of the annoyances of books for designers: acres of empty page space (I tend to think this is only an indication of too little material for too many pages). There is though a slight annoyance with the book. Whenever a cross reference appears in the text a miniscule arrow is used pointing to a page number both of which are in a light tint and therefore almost unreadable.

As the title's sub-deck says 'A visual guide to the language, application and history of graphic design' and I thought it worked a treat. A real-page turner presenting creativity in a fresh format.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover,

It is not a history, a how-to, a reference, or a book of examples--though it includes elements of each. Instead, it offers a studied impression--via 400-plus well-written, beautifully illustrated entries--of the people, principles, and ingredients that have made (and are making) the field of graphic design such a compelling part of world culture.

Authors Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez Palacio ([...]) have again demonstrated their wonderful sense of what is important about graphic design. It is a must-have.

What a beautiful compendium of graphic design. So much delicious eye candy and a must have for all designers. I imagine with all the really great designs out there over time and thousands of excellent designers, it must have been difficult to include only a little of everything; could easily have been twice the size. Highly recommend.

I teach Graphic Design and Digital Media and am very impressed with this book. I often refer to it and use its examples in my classes. The book does a wonderful job with laying out the numerous elements of graphic design while providing great examples. Designer biographies and mini-portfolios are included, as well as categorical breakdowns - album covers, logos, posters, etc.

The book is accessible to those who are just starting out in graphic design, as well as helpful to those who are masters in the field.

The world of Graphic Design can be a bit overwhelming at times, as there is so much information out there. This book captures all of that information and organizes it into an enjoyable, easily understandable layout.

Love this book. Conveys graphic design culture via references to important designers, typefaces, seminal ad campaigns, popular GD resource websites and more. I recommend it to any fledgling graphic designers out there.

-this book is half the price of meggs... it is exactly what the title says except i wish there was more theory in it. it also lacks a bauhaus page but does have designer portfolio associated with the school

A must have for all graphic designers either student or professional. This book should be part of your collection. I highly recommend.

This is an awesome index of everything design related. This is not a text book in the traditional sense, and I wouldn't call this collection "timeless", design is contemporary after all; this is more of a stepping stone to dive deeper into the avenues of today's artistic functions. In some cases, it feels like a promotion for universities, design books, agencies, etc...which, don't misinterpret - is good in its own right. While some of the literature can be a little brief, the descriptions are to-the-point and easy to comprehend (the information doesn't seem invaluable or overwhelming). All in all, this book is one of the best compilations of graphic design around. Recommended!

This is the best overview of the graphic design field I have ever seen. Clear, concise,timely, engaging... the list goes on. Every incoming student in the field should own this book. I would consider it essential for an understanding of why the industry is where it is now, and where it may go in the near future. Maybe even 6 stars.