Customer Reviews

The Non-Designer's Design Book

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For someone new to design and design principles, this was a very welcome surprise! Yes, I know there are those who take exception to aspects of this book (different opinions about typefaces, wincing at the "dogmatic" ["patronizing"] views expressed, etc.), but these seem to be minor whinings compared to the solid foundation laid down here in clear, concise prose, with helpful accompanying illustrations. Now -- whenever I read someone else's book on desgin or layout -- I cannot help but see or hear Robin's four points: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity (C.R.A.P.). For example, in one book, the author advises using "assymetry" (non-centered) rather than "symmetry" (centered) for text. What I saw in the accompanying illustration was Robin's preference for left or right Alignment. She says such alignment looks more "professional" (sophisticated). Oddly, the other author thought "centered/symmetrical" alignment looked TOO professional (stodgy), and thus advised against it. Whatever the reason, they both agree on the outcome, but I prefer Robin's take on it.

The same goes for her discussion of "Proximity." I have read several desgin books that show "good" design samples, with no discussion of why the designs shown are good. But when I analyze them now with Robin's simple idea of "Proximity" in mind (i.e., keeping related things together), I can arrive at my own understanding of why a desgin "works."

And, although the "whiners" will wince once again, I like her reiterated advice about not being a "wimp" -- especially when it comes to Contrast, her favorite desgin principle.

I initially found her discussion of type/typeface overdone -- until I started noticing how often type/typeface is the distinguishing (or extinguishing) factor in print or web design.

Williams's book is not an exhaustive treatment of the subject, as she herself says, nor does it present the final word on all matters. It does, however, live up to its title as being for the non-designer. With the principles she shares, you can design your own layout and know WHY you did it one way, not another. In the future, although you may want to get new ideas from others, you will not have to rely solely on finished exmples of others.

P.S. As an excellent companion to this volume, I would suggest a book that Robin, in her bibliography, also suggests: "Editing by Desgin," by Jan White. It is excellent for the same reasons this book is: explanation and example, explanation and exmaple, explanation and example.

This book is basically the nuts and bolts to good design. If you are not interested in reading about theory and want to jump into designing correctly or you want to improve your designing skills IMMEDIATELY, this is the book to buy. Many design choices (mistakes) are addressed and explained in simple English. You are able to enhance business cards (for ex.) without reading a complete chapter. This book offers instant results. This is definitely one that should be in your collection whether for small business needs or a designing career.

I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 only because I wish the author would have given a bit more suggestions.

I'm beginning to wonder if Robin Williams ever sleeps. She seems to have a new title out every couple of weeks. This is Ms. Williams' second offering of this title.

I have long said that the best thing about DeskTop Publishing is that it puts it in the hands of everybody and the worst thing about DeskTop Publishing is that it puts it in the hands of everybody. Some people just don't have an eye for design.

The fact is, because of DeskTop Publishing, many people with no formal training in publishing or design end up having to design something. They find they must create an advertisement, a newsletter, a brochure, a business card or a poster. Panic sets in for those who have no idea where to start, or don't understand the fundamentals of good design.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, The Non-Designer's Design Book is your "rescue in a book." I really like the many before and after examples she shows of web pages, brochures, business cards, etc. There is an amazing example of a tri-fold brochure before and after on pages 106-107, and a newspaper ad on pages 114-115.

She explains the use of typography very nicely, and explains when to use different kinds of typefaces. (Did you know that most people make the type on their home made business cards too big?)

This book is not a big, heavy tome that goes on forever on its topics. That's a good thing. It keeps things simple and easy to understand. Each topic is covered well and in an interesting manner.

This book is a must-buy for this price for any family or small business owner who uses a word processor and can't hire a professional designer. It shows common mistakes, and you can learn how to improve your reports, brochures, business cards, newsletters, essays, websites, or just about anything you print out at home and design yourself. It will really make a difference in the final product, and look much cooler. I thought I was pretty handy in Microsoft Word and Publisher, but this book showed all the "little things" I could do to improve my designs. You can read it fast and it makes a great reference. I highly recommend it.

I am a professional programmer by day that has always wished he had the skill to be able to design things. I can tell when something is off, can tell when something is aweful, as well as can tell when something is great. What I can't do is tell how to change something aweful to great.

This book breaks it down for you in four different concepts. It helps you analyze designs and pick apart them piece by piece. This is exactly what I was looking for. I am grateful for this book.

Very highly recommend it if you are a Design Newbie, like me :)

I also recommend getting "Robin Williams Design Workshop", too. That extends and builds upon what you learned (though may need some other books that talk about other topics more in detail like color and fonts). I am currently going through that one. I like it, I do not have to be ignorant to this world.

Many programming and design thought processes are the same when attacking problems, so if you are a programmer, you should be able to digest this information and still tickle your artistic side!

I'm a self-publisher and create my own marketing materials. After reading Robin William's book, I re-did and entire marketing kit and the transformation was remarkable.

Before, for creative design inspiration, I looked at marketing design books that basically showed professional brochures. Williams gives you the tools you need to dissect those professional marketing materials so that you can go and create your own outstanding package.

In four simple steps, she explains how to use the elements of design: proximity, alignment, repetition and contrast. Read this book and you will never look at marketing materials the same, ever. Before, I just did "what looked pretty" on paper. Now I create sophisticated prints that deliver a clear message.

I am one of those people that professional graphic designers meet in their nightmares. Totally clueless when it comes to what constitutes good design, and enrolled in desktop publishing classes which are meant to equip me with some degree of technical ability, but fall short of addressing issues like creativity and design concept.

I am finding this book helpful so far (it was required reading for one of my classes) and it's given me some very useful insights on how to lay out a page. The finished examples are by no means sophisticated works of art, but my goal is really to be able to master the ability to execute decent-looking newsletters, direct mail pieces and so on... and perhaps be able to run a sideline business once I've developed more expertise (strictly small-potato variety, not Madison avenue). But I'm not about to unleash my ineptitude on any unsuspecting bosses or clients yet! This book clearly states that it is written more for people like me, who in the course of their jobs need to get up to speed in this area fast! People in a similar situation would probably derive benefits from this book as well, but more advanced students or designers may be disappointed.

Since I have no designs on pursuing a formal degree (terrible pun intended) I found a lot of use for this book. I also have a question for the graphic designers who bashed it..what do they recommend for a student who knows vritually nothing about graphic design (besides switching to some other field) as a good primer to help them produce layouts that don't scream "TACKY!"??

I've taken a few introductory graphic design courses and I learned more from this 190-page book than I did in any one of the courses. The trouble I found with the courses was that they were either 1) too "exploratory�Eand nebulous�EThere is no right or wrong way to design,�Eor 2) focused on use of software tools. What I was looking for were some solid principles that I could apply to anything I was designing, whether is be a graphical user interface or a form.

And that's exactly what I found in this book. The author presents four basic principles of design:
Proximity
Alignment
Repetition
Contrast

Clear examples are presented of how to apply these principles when designing web sites, logos, newsletters, business cards, letterhead, forms, posters and more. Often, there are also examples of designs where one or more of the principles were not used so you can compare and see the affect of applying the principle(s).

After the principles of design are covered, the book tackles designing with type for another 50 pages. The author separates type into 6 categories. She explains that, due to the huge variety of type, there are hundreds of typefaces that won't fit neatly into any one of these 6 categories, but it is a useful way to start grouping type and heightening your awareness. The book explains how to identify the similarities and differences in type, and then describes how to combine different typefaces.

Throughout the book there are little self quizzes (with answers provided at the back) so you can gauge your comprehension of the material.

If you want a more in-depth discussion on type, the same author has another excellent book titled The Non-Designer's Type Book. I recommend reading this in addition to The Non-Designer's Design Book. I also recommend The PC Is Not A Typewriter. The books all have a lot of useful information presented in a clear and concise writing style.

I must admit, i picked this book up because it was on sale. The good is that its easy to read and follow from cover to cover. As an ameteur graphic artist with no formal training, this book was eye-opening. The concepts are easy to understand and pretty well explained. This book is not meant to teach graphic design rather basic principles used in design medium. Overall, an excellent book. I give it my thumbs up!

I have been working as a director for some time, so I know how to design the elements of a frame. I am therefore unbelievably surprised at how much this book taught me about designing the elements on the page.

This is obviously an introductary book (read the title), but what a value of a book it is. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on design... yet this book keeps everything so simple that I can actually translate it to use. Highly recommend.