Make It Bigger (Paperback)

by Paula Scher (Author)
Key Phrases: craving magazines, woman blah blah, cover department, Public Theater, New York, Goddard Lieberson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
"Make it bigger"-a familiar refrain to any graphic designer accustomed to presenting layouts to clients-is an apt title for a book that examines the graphic design profession primarily through the lens of the business community it serves. Veteran designer Scher draws from over three decades of design experience to provide readers with a firsthand account of the creative process, that is, advancing good ideas and personal vision within the corporate cultures and organizational dynamics that are predisposed to resist them. A focus on the collaboration necessary to bring design ideas to life sets this book apart from others in the genre. In addition to an interior packed with familiar work, the book's cover and jacket provide visual stopping power that supports the author's approach. Unfortunately, the book itself won't stand up well to heavy use. Though this work is mainly about the design profession, it will appeal to anyone working in a creative field, whether he or she is attempting to advance creative ideas or to chart a career trajectory concerned with personal growth and development. Best suited for larger public libraries or libraries with extensive liberal arts, fine arts, or business sections.
Phil Hamlett, Turner & Assoc., San Francisco
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"A vibrantly illustrated professional autobiography of one of the most recognizable contemporary graphic designers...This candid, entertaining narrative offers readers an inside view of the vast corporate networks and commercial forces that stifle innovative design, and reveals the techniques Scher has used to overcome them."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (September 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568985487
• ISBN-13: 978-1568985480
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #122,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make it Bigger is Best, December 10, 2002

By	Randy Silverman (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make It Bigger (Hardcover)

Many kudos to Paula Scher on her wonderful new book, Make It Bigger. Not being a designer myself, I am especially appreciative of Make It Bigger's informative descriptions of the negotiation process that goes on between the designer and the client. It helped put into perspective for me that invisible "something" that exists when a breakthrough piece of graphic art emerges. Besides the creative, visual flash of a challenging image, each graphic art object that survives the editorial process gives off an optimism that must be something akin to those first aviators who believed in flight, despite gravity and the conventions of rational wisdom.

Make it Bigger also represents (to the best of my knowledge) the first publishers' edition binding to be produced as a tight back, breaking a run of hollow-back edition bindings dating back to the inception of the genre, c.1820. While I'm sure most folks will be impressed with the edge printing (which is very slick), and the wonderful layout, the book's physical structure (which is something akin to a mechanized Bradel binding) breaks all kinds of ground. (I would have loved to have seen the discussions that must gone on between the author and the binder!).

In addition to its unique packaging and stunning visual presentation, Make It Bigger is the most entertaining work on graphic art I've ever read. Scher's writing style is honest, accessible, and absolutely absorbing, as are her candor, her humor, and most of all her precocious creativity. I cannot say enough to convey my sincere admiration for this wonderful book.

Randy Silverman
Preservation Librarian

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Those Who Need to Understand Working with Clients, March 17, 2003

By	row design (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make It Bigger (Hardcover)

Too often designers see their own result(s) and design solutions without the knowledge of the 'client process' . . . a truly remarkable reality in this business. ALL design students should be made aware of this aspect of the profession, possibly even before seriously considering if one wants to be a designer. There is so much more to it than having an 'AHA' on one's own. Ms. Scher has presented this in a manner both pictorially and honestly with examples and explanations . . . and, of course, with much experience in the real world of design (which must also include some humor). I have been a designer for thirty years and would recommend this as part of required reading from the start for future "wannabes" and for all of us who need that reassurance that this is indeed how it works.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make it Bigger is Best, December 10, 2002

By	Randy Silverman (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make It Bigger (Hardcover)

Many kudos to Paula Scher on her wonderful new book, Make It Bigger. Not being a designer myself, I am especially appreciative of Make It Bigger's informative descriptions of the negotiation process that goes on between the designer and the client. It helped put into perspective for me that invisible "something" that exists when a breakthrough piece of graphic art emerges. Besides the creative, visual flash of a challenging image, each graphic art object that survives the editorial process gives off an optimism that must be something akin to those first aviators who believed in flight, despite gravity and the conventions of rational wisdom.

Make it Bigger also represents (to the best of my knowledge) the first publishers' edition binding to be produced as a tight back, breaking a run of hollow-back edition bindings dating back to the inception of the genre, c.1820. While I'm sure most folks will be impressed with the edge printing (which is very slick), and the wonderful layout, the book's physical structure (which is something akin to a mechanized Bradel binding) breaks all kinds of ground. (I would have loved to have seen the discussions that must gone on between the author and the binder!).

In addition to its unique packaging and stunning visual presentation, Make It Bigger is the most entertaining work on graphic art I've ever read. Scher's writing style is honest, accessible, and absolutely absorbing, as are her candor, her humor, and most of all her precocious creativity. I cannot say enough to convey my sincere admiration for this wonderful book.

Randy Silverman
Preservation Librarian