Customer Reviews

How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The title is all wrong! This is NOT a 'how to' book and it does not teach you how to think like a designer. I wish the title were not so deceptive.

Having said that, what it is, is a mesmerising collection of interviews with 20 well-known names in the world of design... Milton Glaser, Peter Saville, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Bierut, Neville Brody to name a few. It is an absolutely delightful read.

At the end of the day, you may not learn anything from reading this book (what with one designer contradicting the other), but what you do get is realization that there isn't one single formula that makes a designer... they're all so different and unique in their thinking and their methods.

(This book would be a 5-star, but I HAD to deduct a star for the wrong title!)

This book peers into the world of who's who in the graphic design profession. To a graphic design student, these luminaries are like the mythological Greek gods and goddesses of whom unyielding worshipers pay endless homage to. But you're in for a surprise, because in addition to them sharing their success stories and process, they become mere mortals as they also share their shortcomings, insecurities and vulnerabilities--causing them to appear that much more real, human, and "approachable". We see what makes them tick and what ignites their passion for design. There seems to be a common thread among many of the interviewed designers in the book--that they constantly re-evaluate and question their own work--just as any budding or seasoned designer does.

It's a relatively quick read. You can easily get immersed in the content, as it is very engaging. When reading, each designer's personality leaps off the page. You can get a sense of who the ego-maniacal type-A people are--who seek objective approval or validation of their work--and who the far less self-centered ones are, as they are not interested in "proving" themselves worthy of being called a designer. Some designers appear confident and overzealous, while some seem to be weathered and despondent. Overall, it's a good balance. ( sidebar: Chip Kidd is pure comedy gold!)

After reading this book, I would feel more comfortable initiating a conversation with Paula Scher if I randomly bumped into her in an elevator, or subway platform, rather then get all choked up in awe and fumble my words.

The book appropriately closes with an emotionally charged interview with Massimo Vignelli, which put quite simply is hilarious! Vignelli is funny without trying to be funny. I found myself laughing out loud as I imagined him in his well intentioned, passive, yet comically dismissive Italian accent as he repeatedly proclaims his disdain for vulgarity in design. His playful, yet calculated madness is palpable. Wonderful!

This book won't teach you graphic design, nor does it claim to. It merely offers insight into the world of graphic design's usual suspects, and then some.

Highly recommended for students, professors, designers and design enthusiasts alike.

Bravo Debbie!

aWasn't quite wht I expected, but it is still a good book. The title is deceiving, it isn't actually a "how to" book, but more of a book of interviews with famous graphic designers.

While the book won't give you a step by step guide on how to think, it does offer intimate insights into the minds of many of today's most successful and influential graphic designers. Delivered in a friendly question and answer format, the book is very easy to read and digest. It offers every young designer a chance to obtain valuable "jewels" of wisdom and perspective from seasoned working professionals who have earned the right to be called great graphic designers.

It's always refreshing to learn something new about the creative people that you idolize. This is a great book that will not only inspire you but also answer questions about design that are not quite so easy to articulate. You will read every page without any regret.

The biggest flaw of this book is maybe it's title. It makes it sound like a cheap "how to..." book, making you think you'll be told some sort of very secret graphic design techniques. The book however is a collection of interviews with some of the best designers nowadays. Some funny, some eye-opening, some already classic and maybe some even out-dated, all of them are a pleasure to read, that's for sure.

This is an interesting and fun read. It gives you an honest presentation on what the industry is like, what relationship it has to fine art, how it has been changing over the years. It is fun, it's informative and it makes you look for your own reasoning for doing what we do.

I can't believe only 6 people rated this book. This is such a great book and I had so much fun reading it. I lent it to my program coordinator and it became one of our program's textbooks(graphic design). I totally recommend this to any one interested in design, art or in general, LIFE!
worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY!

And the interviewees give interesting, thoughtful, insightful answers. Very worth your time to learn more about these designers through Millman's compilation.

It's really "The Best How To..." book, because it's not a "The Best How To..." book. Nice to see the "human side" of Design Gurus like Glaser, Bierut, Scher or Vignelli among many others.