Universal Principles of Design (Hardcover)

by William Lidwell (Author), Kritina Holden (Author), Jill Butler (Author)
Key Phrases: progressive disclosure, advance organizer, scaling fallacy, Principles of Design, Hick's Law, Donald Norman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Whether a marketing campaign or a museum exhibit, a video game or a complex control system, the design we see is the culmination of many concepts and practices brought together from a variety of disciplines. Because no one can be an expert on everything, designers have always had to scramble to find the information and know-how required to make a design work until now.

Universal Principles of Design is the first comprehensive, cross-disciplinary encyclopedia of design. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, it pairs clear explanations of every design concept with visual examples of the concepts applied in practice. From the "80/20 rule to chunking, from baby-face bias to Ockham's razor, and from self-similarity to storytelling, every major design concept is defined and illustrated for readers to expand their knowledge.

This landmark reference will become the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their design expertise.

About the Author
William Lidwell is president of the Applied Management Sciences Institute, co-editor of Guidelines for Excellence in Management and author of The Thoughtful Leader. Kritina Holden is a human factors specialist at Lockheed Martin–Space Operations and NASA. Jill Butler is the founder and president of Stuff Creators Design Studio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Rockport Publishers (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592530079
• ISBN-13: 978-1592530076
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,989 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Complete, December 15, 2003

By	Shahr Yar (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This is the **most essential design book** I've had the pleasure of learning from. If there was only one book I could only recommend to design students or for client education, this would be it! The organization of the book follows it's own principles, the content is specific and accurate, and it cites and gives credit where due (also promoting deeper study of a subject/concept). I truly value it because of the quality summaries of design principles I've learned elsewhere consolidated into one book. The ONLY thing I would change about the book is to use a Serif typeface on the body texts for better readability.
Excellent writing, excellent topical content, and excellent diagrams and examples.

My compliments to the authors, as well as Rockport (whose books I usually despise for lacking substance despite their nice graphics).

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not A Design Book...a LIFE BOOK!, August 1, 2004

By	R. M Zeitman "randzman" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This isn't a book about design, it's a collection of distinctions revealing the human experience. I've already used many of them to improve my marketing materials, my websites, how I speak to clients, and how I relate to the world. It's a just a wonderful ontological exploration. The wonderful references alone justify the cover price.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last a book about design not focussed on aesthetics, July 27, 2004

By	MR NEIL MOFFATT "MR NEIL MOFFATT" (Cardiff, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

The problem, it seems, as manifested by places like The Design Museum, is that the concept 'design' has become equated with appearance. This narrow perspective allows designers to shirk the responsibilities they have to end users in the design process. All too often a newly graduated designer will seek to stamp their personality or ideas on a product, flagrantly disregarding the basic principles of design.

In one fell swoop, this book destroys any excuses designers may have. It is itself an elegant, highly accessible and successful example of good design. Each concept is covered in narrative, by reference and by example(s).

From Occam's Razor, Affordability, Hick's Law to many areas not immediately obvious, the breadth of the book is wonderful, and no subject is anything other than easily understood.

This coverage is no mean effort, and the beneficiaries cross all industries.

Mandatory reading and reference for anyone who calls themselves a designer.