How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Debbie Millman and her interviewees conspire brilliantly to map the best thought and practice in the world of design." -- Grant McCracken, Research Affiliate, Convergence Culture Consortium (C3), MIT

"Offers outsiders a rare glimpse into the minds of designers. Millman gets such interesting interviews out of her subjects." -- Core 77

"A delightful opportunity to eavesdrop on some of the most curious and creative minds of our time." -- Malcolm Gladwell, author, The Tipping Point and Blink

"A journey to discover the motivations, ambitions and frustrations of successful designers working hard in a volatile profession." -- Communication Arts

"Anyone who struggles daily to create great work will be inspired and encouraged by these intimate glimpses into remarkable minds." -- Joyce Rutter Kaye, editor-in-chief, Print magazine

Product Description

In a series of illuminating and entertaining conversations, twenty-one of today's most influential and revered designers discuss, celebrate, and analyze their craft. Adeptly interviewed by brand consultant and talk show host Debbie Millman, these designers reveal their early influences, day-to-day rituals, enthusiasms, aspirations, and failures. For pop-culture enthusiasts as well as longtime designers, students and those just starting their careers, this book will prove an invaluable guide to the history, controversies, milestones, and everyday foibles of working, living, and thinking as a graphic designer. How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer includes interviews with:

Milton Glaser Paula Scher Peter Saville Chip Kidd Stefan Sagmeister Michael Bierut Carin Goldberg Neville Brody Emily Oberman & Bonnie Siegler James Victore John Maeda Paul Sahre Jessica Helfand Seymour Chwast Lucille Tenazas Vaughan Oliver Steff Geissbuhler Stephen Doyle Abbott Miller Massimo Vignelli

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press; 1st edition (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581154968
• ISBN-13: 978-1581154962
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,745 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talking to your mentors, February 13, 2008

By	Consumer "J Lew" (Brooklyn, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Talk about not judging a book by its cover!, June 17, 2009

By	Graphic Lunatic (Bangalore, India) - See all my reviews

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!)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's like being a fly on the wall, May 19, 2009

By	BRIAN MCDERMOTT (New York City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!