The Practical Guide to Information Design [Hardcover]

Ronnie Lipton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2007 | ISBN-10: 047166295X | ISBN-13: 978-0471662952 | Edition: 1

The definitive, behind-the-scenes guide to mastering information design

Finally, in one usable format, here's your single-volume resource for designing clear projects that really work for your audience. The Practical Guide to Information Design provides all the tools, resources, and best practices that designers need to create highly successful print and digital information design projects.

A brilliant combination of practice and theory, this highly visual book covers the principles of design, perception, and usability, complete with step-by-step examples that feature the work of today's leading professionals. Comprehensively illustrated with hundreds of valuable graphs, maps, tables, line drawings, and photos, The Practical Guide to Information Design features:
* Complete descriptions and comparisons of various formats
* A range of helpful exercises to reinforce covered material
* Handy summary boxes, bulleted lists, captions, and examples
* A wealth of useful resources for professionals and students

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The definitive, behind-the-scenes guide to mastering information design

Finally, in one usable format, here's your single-volume resource for designing clear projects that really work for your audience. The Practical Guide to Information Design provides all the tools, resources, and best practices that designers need to create highly successful print and digital information design projects.

A brilliant combination of practice and theory, this highly visual book covers the principles of design, perception, and usability, complete with step-by-step examples that feature the work of today's leading professionals. Comprehensively illustrated with hundreds of valuable graphs, maps, tables, line drawings, and photos, The Practical Guide to Information Design features:

• Complete descriptions and comparisons of various formats
• A range of helpful exercises to reinforce covered material
• Handy summary boxes, bulleted lists, captions, and examples
• A wealth of useful resources for professionals and students

About the Author

Ronnie Lipton is the Director of Transform and Function, a firm that consults with organizational communicators on effective writing, editing, design, and multicultural communication. An award-winning journalist and publication designer, she's also the author of Designing Across Cultures and Information Graphics and Visual Clues. Lipton has taught journalism in George Washington University's Publication Specialist Program and graphic design at the University of Maryland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047166295X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471662952
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 1 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important book for all visual communicators, April 4, 2007

By 

Fred Showker "DTG Magazine" (The Design Bookshelf) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Practical Guide to Information Design (Hardcover)

We've given this book the "EDITOR'S CHOICE" award in DTG Magazine and [...] because of its importance to designers and visual communicators.

As graphic design made the transition into information design, and culture evolved from the information age into the knowledge age there have been only a few books that rise to the status of milestones. The Practical Guide to Information Design is one of those milestone books that anyone in the visual communications field is obligated to read, learn and understand.

In this book, Ronnie guides the designer through the analytical processes necessary to dissect large quantities of information into logical "gulps", and then organize it so readers can clearly utilize the information towards the intended goals. Her writing combines strength with sensitivity, with references and supporting matter all along the way.

Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher, DTG Magazine

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great comprehensive introduction to ID, November 3, 2008

By 

John D "John D" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Practical Guide to Information Design (Hardcover)

This is a great comprehensive introduction to a wide variety of related topics in information design. The in-depth analysis of examples, good and bad, will appeal to those with more ID experience, but the book seems to target an undergraduate audience without much ID experience. It's a good introduction to terms and concepts, and the author's tone is quite friendly, though, for my money, a bit too chatty, but beginners might find this comforting.

I would like to have seen a few more academic examples, such as slide design, but perhaps that just reflects my bias and not the needs of the average reader. Some of the analysis of examples, such as one of a community pool schedule, seem a bit belabored, as if they are the author's pet peeve projects. Again, this may provide benefit for users who can hang in there, and, at any rate, demonstrate the range of ID project examples.

I was especially pleased to read, in the author's discussion of usability, a refutation of Tufte's alleged dismissive attitude toward that word if not that concern in ID.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars excellent!, February 17, 2008

By 

C. Deslaurier (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Practical Guide to Information Design (Hardcover)

This is a great book for students. I purchased this text for a 400-level design class. Although it seems to repeat a lot of things you learn in your early type and design classes, its a great refresher, or good for those who slept thru design 101. The color examples are all helpful and the oranization of the book itself is good. For better insigth into information graphics, I would highly reccomend Edward Tufte's books.