Customer Reviews

Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a delightful stroll through a great mind for design. It's a walk through musings, reflections and personal experience about a life lived with design at the center. LOVED IT and it will occupy a permanent home in my design library. A great book for anyone who wants to see what passion for a domain looks like.

There are so many different ways to enjoy this book, I don't even know where to begin....the stories are whimsical, meaningful, nostalgic, enjoyable, at times heart-wrenching and at other times pure joy....all the qualities I long for in a good read. But on top of that, this book is gorgeous to look at! I love the variety of visual styles in the essays, personally preferring the swirly colorful ones but have a deep appreciation for the intricacies of all the typography styles. And the cross stitch essay...incredible! It all feels like a secret peek which is a rare treat in the world of dragon tattoos.

I must admit I was a bit skeptical about this book. Looking through it at first I wondered why each of the chapters were in a different style. But as I read it, I began to understand what Millman was trying to do and fell under the spell of her writing and the hand drawn type. I only wish the whole book were designed by hand--the typographic pieces are not as strong as the hand-crafted ones. But overall, I loved the stories, and I loved the personal insight and advice provided.

The layout of this book is like none I have ever seen. I am not a designer by trade but you don't need to be one to appreciate the originality of the look of the book. The stories are ripe and interesting and right from the heart. It is a very unique combination of design and personal experience and emotion.

I think this book was not only written incredible well, but I loved the artistic design in each chapter.
I highly recommend reading this! It is a feast for the eye as well as the mind.

I bought this after reading a glowing magazine review, referring to essays on graphic design. Instead, it's the journal of one of todays top designers and branders, written in a whiny style (I should have followed my dream and been a painter!). Each chapter is set in a different font, a really annoying conceit. It might be eye-opening to a high school student considering a career in the arts, and they'd probably enjoy the "neat" fonts, but I think most people will find this book contrived.

I have to put a review up after reading the other glowing reviews that led me to actually buy this book. I couldn't stand this book. The format: a series of boring stories written in a variety of illegible ways, most starting with "When I was a little girl..." or "as long as I can remember" conceit. Self-indulgent, vanity publishing project without any real insight into design, or the relationship between life and design as per the title. If your idea of a great book is page after page of someone droning on about their uninteresting childhood memories written on a coffee shop chalkboard, or in swoopy marker, or on 3x5 index cards (neatly like an architect), the definitely buy this book. If you like layouts that are like a puzzle that you have to work through to figure out, use random font sizing, or type with overprinted CMYK letters (so artsy!) you might find something appealing in this book. If your idea of "illustrated essays" means words drawn out and photographed *not actual illustrations* - this book has that. Otherwise, I would pass.

I thumbed through the pages of Millman's book, my eyes lusting after the visuals, and my mind feeding upon the intelligent essays. Easy on the ear, and never a burden to the brain, the book, with effortless prose that flows meaningfully with the magnificent design, is one I will open each time I require inspiration. With all the many hats that Millman already wears--executive, professor, lecturer, leader-- it is a wonder to note how easily she has managed to refashion herself into yet another guise: that of Muse.

An astonishment of riches, this jewel of the bookmaker's art is a dazzle that leaps out at the reader once the spine is cracked. Every hand-crafted page, joined with the gorgeous design, makes this a special endeavor indeed. This is a book about design that is for more than just designers, for it speaks of life--its small wars won, and the daily humiliations overcome. Empathy leaps from the text, a reflection of what is contained within the writer's heart. Millman's book casts a mirror upon the everyday, and tells us something about ourselves. For this, we should all be thankful.

If you ever thought Debbie Millman was wonderful, just wait until you get a hold of this book. I've been a big fan of Debbie's since I first saw her emcee a conference a couple of years ago, and when I thought I couldn't admire her any more, this book came out.

From "How to Think" to "Essential Principles", and now "Look Both Ways", Debbie showcases great knowledge on design and branding and inspires with her great design thinking. It is hard to describe "Look Both Ways" without using terms such as "wonderful", "beautiful" and "brilliant". If you've ever seen Debbie's blog ([...]) and heard her online radio show (if you haven't, you must immediately download her podcasts!), or better yet, heard her live, you will probably agree that this book is a beautiful marriage between Debbie's awesome monologues and her superb imagery.

The book is a collection of stories from Debbie's life - of the fame of Debbie's Design Matter's opening monologues and Debbie's traditional openings for her live speeches; I must confess these are what I look forward to the most whenever I hear Debbie speak - each beautifully illustrated. I found comfort and familiarity in the stories I already knew and great expectation to read those I didn't. And as I read each story, I couldn't help but channel Debbie in my head and feel as if she was reading them out loud for me.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with a passion for design and design thinking, branding, life, lettering, beautiful illustrations, great stories or simply a great book. An of course, for anyone who loves Debbie.