Graphic Design: The New Basics (Hardcover)

by Ellen Lupton (Author), Jennifer Cole Phillips (Author) "The New Basics Designers at the Bauhaus believed not only in a universal way of describing visual form, but also in its universal significance..." (more)
Key Phrases: style frame, Jeremy Botts, International Art Exhibition, Jan van Toorn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips introduces key concepts of visual language in graphic design." --Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2008

Review
"A tome on the basics of form. (Graphic Design:The New Basics) illuminates the gray areas between software and visual thinking, and as the introduction states, shows 'how to build richness and complexity around simple relationships.'"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568987706
• ISBN-13: 978-1568987705
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,165 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the non-graphic designer, April 25, 2008

By	K. Lee (Orange County) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a great overview for the vocabularies of print design. Technically, I am an illustration student, but I have been taking graphic design courses at my school. That being said, alot of the stuff being covered here would fall under the basic design courses at my school: Design 1 and Design 2. The information in this book ( I've read 2/3 so far) covers basic compositional structures, hue/ value/ saturation, and other good fundamentals, but doesn't give you more than a paragraph. This is a GREAT coffee table book to give you ideas on your current project, but it is by no means textbook-grade learning for graphic design. It simply does not go into enough depth in order to become a great learning tool. I just wish there were more professional examples rather than student-created ones.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a current book on graphic design , June 10, 2008

By	design guy (USA) - See all my reviews

When Ellen Lupton released her wonderful book, "Thinking with Type," I adopted as a required text for my college typography course. Not only did I admire the thinking behind the writing and structure, but my students LOVED the book.

When I learned about this new book written with Jennifer Cole Phillips I pre-ordered it immediately. Now that I've read it, I'm thrilled with their effort and am eager to use it as the text in my Graphic Design 1 class.

This book provides current examples that both illustrate classic principles of Graphic Design and explore the edges of current design thinking. I appreciate the use of student examples rather than just using professional, commercial work. There are plenty of annual reviews of commercial work by publishing houses such as Rockport. The student work tends to take more risks and be more provocative. It will provide more room for discussion, debate and inspiration in a classroom setting.

While not extensive, the text in the book is concise and well-written. Paired with the bountiful examples, it makes the subject accessible to graphic design students or to anyone interested in learning more about design on their own.

The book introduces enough about typography to whet one's appetite for more (check out "Thinking with Type" for that) and introduces basics about Motion Graphics ("Moving Type" by Matt Woolman was and still is great for learning more - it is out of print now but still relevant if you can find it.)

Princeton Architectural Press should be commended for producing such a quality book at such and affordable price.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for students and teachers of design, May 16, 2008

By	Justin C. Cone (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Graphic Design: The New Basics (Paperback)

If you're at all interested in design education--either as a teacher or as a student--Graphic Design: The New Basics is required reading. Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips have made something more than a mere textbook; they've created an authoritative and thorough yet useful and inspiring companion for the successful practice of graphic design. I'm confident that I will happily revisit this book again and again during my never-ending journey as a student and teacher.

I wrote a much longer review here:
http://motionographer.com/2008/05/14/book-review-graphic-design-the-new-basics/