There's Nothing Funny About Design [Paperback]

David Barringer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2009

". . . no one has ever written about graphic design in quite this way. The title sounds more like a short story, and at times I found myself reading it as though it were a fictional exploration of a designer's consciousness. When I did, itsenergy, relentlessness, emotion, and abundance of detail made sense, as did its literary style. Barringer writes entertainingly and has a gift for intricate metaphor. . .Designers who enjoy ambitious writing will find plenty toadmire . . ."
From Rick Poynor's I.D. Magazine review of "American Mutt Barks in the Yard" (Emigre; 68)

By winning the 2008 Winterhouse Award for Design Writing, David Barringer firmly established himself as the freshest and most interesting writer on the subject. His articles, which have appeared in publications from Print to Emigre, are notable for his strong personal point of view, literary style, and even humor, not always attributes associated with writing about design. In this collection of essays, Barringer's first, he wonders why drug names have so many X's in them, ponders the rise of gory DVD covers, and ruminates on his father's business card collection, pythons, and the human skullproving again and again that design is everywhere you look for it, (but may not have seen) without the powerful magnifying lens of this talented and exciting observer and writer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"David Barringer's book, There's Nothing Funny About Design (Princeton Architectural Press, 2009) is actually very funny. This collection of new and revised essays presents the graphic design world with a kick in the literary pants. Barringer's writing is bluntly personal yet rarely narcissistic; his prose often bristles with the excitement of an angry porcupine, yet it's always grounded in rigorous thinking. No one else in our field is producing writing quite like this. As a self-taught designer, freelance writer, and work-at-home dad, Barringer is both an insider and outsider to the design discourse. He makes sense of what designers do and then takes us apart with his needle-sharp verbal tools." --Ellen Lupton, Design Observer, May 2009

"Turns out there are plenty of funny things about design--and David Barringer expounds on many of them in this thought-provoking collection of essays that covers everything from the ubiquity of skulls to the multifunctional letter X." --ReadyMade Magazine, April/May, 2009

"Here's my latest read that had me miss subway stops: There's Nothing Funny About Design by David Barringer. David's articles, which have appeared in publications from Print to Emigre, are notable for his strong personal point of view, literary style, and even humor, not always attributes associated with writing about design. In this collection of essays, Barringer's first, he wonders why drug names have so many X's in them, ponders the rise of gory DVD covers, and ruminates on his father's business card collection, pythons, and the human skull--proving again and again that design is everywhere you look for it (but may not have seen), without the powerful magnifying lens of this talented and exciting observer and writer." --Roth Eisenberg

"...a collection of observations on the curious mind of the designer." --Riya Patel

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (April 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568988281
• ISBN-13: 978-1568988283
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,110,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Barringer is the author of the novels American Home Life and Johnny Red and the book of design criticism, Emigre 68: American Mutt Barks in the Yard (co-published by Emigre and Princeton Architectural Press). He has written for Emigre, I.D. magazine, Eye magazine, AIGA's Voice, Details, Mademoiselle, The American Prospect, Nerve, the Detroit Free Press, the ABA Journal, and many others. His writing has been nominated for several Pushcart Prizes and the StorySouth Million Writers Award, has appeared in Looking Closer 5, Designing magazines, and Design Entrepreneurs, and has been recognized as notable in the Best American Non-Required Reading 2005 and Best American Essays 2007.

Unlike many other critics of design, Barringer was not trained as a designer (went to U of Michigan for law and passed the bar in Michigan). Though hired as a writer for a UAW-Ford quarterly magazine, he quickly assumed all responsibilities of project coordination, photography, layout, and writing for the magazine there -- and learned about design. He is the designer of the quarterly magazine Opium.

"...no one has ever written about graphic design in quite this way. The title sounds more like a short story, and at times I found myself reading it as though it were a fictional exploration of a designer's consciousness. When I did, its energy, relentlessness, emotion, and abundance of detail made sense, as did its literary style. Barringer writes entertainingly and has a gift for intricate metaphor...Designers who enjoy ambitious writing will find plenty to admire..." --From Rick Poynor's I.D. Magazine review of "American Mutt Barks in the Yard" (Emigre 68 )

By winning the 2008 Winterhouse Award for Design Writing, David Barringer firmly established himself as the freshest and most interesting writer on the subject. His articles, which have appeared in publications from Print to Emigre, are notable for his strong personal point of view, literary style, and even humor, not always attributes associated with writing about design. In this collection of essays, Barringer's first, he wonders why drug names have so many X's in them, ponders the rise of gory DVD covers, and ruminates on his father's business card collection, pythons, and the human skull--proving again and again that design is everywhere you look for it (but may not have seen), without the powerful magnifying lens of this talented and exciting observer and writer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wide range of design puzzlers perfect for any general or college-level library strong in arts and design, September 18, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: There's Nothing Funny About Design (Paperback)

Author David Barringer receives the 2008 AIGA Winterhouse Award for design writing and his articles on design have reflected both humor and literary criticism. This first collection of his essays considers a range of design puzzles and inquiries and is an outstanding survey of a wide range of design puzzlers perfect for any general or college-level library strong in arts and design.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barringer Laughs, Crys, Laments Design, May 19, 2009

By 

Jason A. Tselentis (Charlotte, North Carolina U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: There's Nothing Funny About Design (Paperback)

David Barringer is a talented writer, who tells us about the process, pains, and pleasures that go into everything from book design to annual reports. Additionally, he peppers the book with short articles about color use, logos, information design, roosters, and skeletons (yes, as in the skull). Barringer's talent lies in taking apart the everyday, and making the reader keenly aware of why it matters. Or how it fails. Mostly, Barringer shows designers and non-designers (whichever you may be) why and what design means to him, and in the end, you see it in a fresh light yourself. Beginners and advanced designers alike will find that parts III and IV resonate with good advice, such as "How to Interview for a Job" & "The Nine Emotions of the Working Designer". My only regret? A longer glossary, or perhaps words defined within the writing as footnotes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eye for Design, Ear for the Word, November 27, 2009

By 

Paul A. Toth (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: There's Nothing Funny About Design (Paperback)

Barringer is a first-class designer, as well as an author of astute and often comical fiction. Thus, it comes as no surprise this topic would combine his two abilities, generating a hybrid that views design from a variety of perspectives. Barringer's own website and the posters and other promotional materials he creates prove he knows what he's talking about, unlike many writers who write about writing, producing an endless stream of how-to mumble jumble that lands new writers nowhere and their money in the publisher's pocket. These reflections, on the other hand, serve the purposes of Barringer and his readers.