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.
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Book Description
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.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips introduces key concepts of visual language in graphic design." --Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2008
Review
"A tome on the basics of form. (Graphic Design:The New Basics) illuminates the gray areas between software and visual thinking, and as the introduction states, shows 'how to build richness and complexity around simple relationships.'"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 69 people found the following review helpful
By K. Lee
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book sight unseen, based on the authors' reputations and the mostly good reviews. Sorry to say it, but the textual content of this book is the verbal equivalent of bad stick figure drawings badly layed out. I can only conclude that right-brained graphics-oriented people shouldn't be allowed to explain what it is they do. For me, this book has too many statements that are so abstractly vague or universally applicable as to be meaningless, plus a fair share of contradictory statements, some within a paragraph and others within even a single sentence.
Zooming out, if you are looking to this book for cohesive, practical guidelines for implementing these "New Basics", look no further than the back cover where you'll find the chapter names listed, each of which represents a basic graphic design element. Then go out and analyze some award-winning designs with these chapter titles in mind. The example designs reproduced in the book seem to be mostly a showcase for the works of the authors' students. I found many of them quite pleasing, and since they made it into the book, I assume they are "good design". Based on what I learned from the text, I can't really say.
Zooming out, if you are looking to this book for cohesive, practical guidelines for implementing these "New Basics", look no further than the back cover where you'll find the chapter names listed, each of which represents a basic graphic design element. Then go out and analyze some award-winning designs with these chapter titles in mind. The example designs reproduced in the book seem to be mostly a showcase for the works of the authors' students. I found many of them quite pleasing, and since they made it into the book, I assume they are "good design". Based on what I learned from the text, I can't really say.
34 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's great when a Design Book is well-designed.
I hope to use it in my freshman Design Fundamentals class next fall. Great visuals, clear text, well-formatted - everything you hope a textbook will have.
Published 2 months ago by KERRY LAPREES
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiration
Serving primarily as a compilation of inspiration, it includes many images using graphic design. This was the required text for a course I'm taking, but it doesn't really show you... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Cindy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent resource!
As a new graphic design student, this book is excellent in giving a foundation for design work in the 21st century. Read more
Published 3 months ago by L. Holt
4.0 out of 5 stars
Required text
Granted this book is required for my Intro to Graphic Design class, but I'm really enjoying the way that it is written and the way it is laid out. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Woodward
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read for class. Fun!
If you ever have this assigned for a class, count yourself lucky. This is a blast to read. It's bright, well-explained, and simultaneously introduces students to important... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Erin Cooper
3.0 out of 5 stars
Graphic Design Book
The product came quickly and was in good condition. A friend recommended this book to me, but I did not find it to be nearly has helpful as he had suggested. Read more
Published 3 months ago by AJ
3.0 out of 5 stars
Basic Guide
It is just what it says it is, a very basic guide to graphic design and helpful for getting your feet wet in graphic design.
Published 4 months ago by Philonoister
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect introduction for beginners and refresher for experts
First; It's not hard to imagine why this book is assigned to many first year Graphic Design Students. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Eric Fisk
4.0 out of 5 stars
very use book
I've this book has a lot of great info in it with very practical examples. it is very comprehensive study and reference work good for artists and designers. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Christopher Michaels
1.0 out of 5 stars
Promising title. Short on insight and meaningful content.
I purchased and reviewed this book when a student of mine (who turned out to be a top performer) complained that, "It's a cover and some pictures and nothing in between. Read more
Published 5 months ago by TGD
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