or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
44 used & new from $3.91

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good (Hardcover)

~ Mark Gonyea (Author) "Take the two shapes on the right..." (more)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

List Price: $21.95
Price: $14.93 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $7.02 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, December 8? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Ordering for Christmas? To ensure delivery by December 24, choose Standard Shipping at checkout. Read more about holiday shipping.

24 new from $6.99 20 used from $3.91

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover, May 31, 2005 $14.93 $6.99 $3.91
  Paperback, May 31, 2005 -- -- --

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Bad by Gonyea, Mark

A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good + Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Bad
  • This item: A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good by Gonyea, Mark

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Bad by Gonyea, Mark

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Picture This: How Pictures Work

Picture This: How Pictures Work

by Molly Bang
4.6 out of 5 stars (10)  $10.13
Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Bad

Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Bad

by Gonyea, Mark
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $13.57
A Picture for Harold's Room

A Picture for Harold's Room

by Crockett Johnson
4.7 out of 5 stars (6)  $3.99
Notan: The Dark-Light Principle of Design

Notan: The Dark-Light Principle of Design

by Dorr Bothwell
3.7 out of 5 stars (6)  $8.95
Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art

Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art

by Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
5.0 out of 5 stars (11)  $19.80
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5-Starting with two circles, one red and one green, symmetrically arranged against a field of white, Gonyea shows how changes in size, shape, and color alter perception. In 10 brief chapters, he covers concepts such as the difference between straight and diagonal lines, the usefulness of using a 1:3:9 design ratio, the clarity of contrast, and the impact of warm and cool colors. One of his strongest examples pits a traditional smiley face against a psychedelic version, reinforcing the subtitle. Less successful is the chapter "Letters Are Shapes Too," in which he pairs some letters with design terms. For example, he states "A is for Angles," but doesn't show or describe what angles are and why they're worth mentioning. By way of conclusion, the author builds a scene with planets and a spaceship, reviewing his major points. His minimalist approach to text and composition makes this book an effective advertisement for his message about the beauty of uncluttered design. It also makes the title accessible to children who are able to grasp the visual impact of formal elements, but are not yet ready to deal with the psychological effects as explored by Molly Garrett Bang in Picture This: How Pictures Work (North-South, 2000). The humorous tone and hands-on approach add to the appeal and usefulness of an offering on an important topic about which little else exists.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. This stylish, square volume delivers a cheerful manifesto on graphic design, which is "all about perception of size, shape, and color." Chatty, brief chapters present principles of composition, line, color, and contrast, as well as techniques for drawing attention to "what's important" on a page. The book is its own good example of maximum-impact visual effects. The text, set against pure white backdrops, is easy to read, and the artwork's elemental shapes and bright colors illustrate the theories in ways that children will readily grasp. The format is highly approachable (many spreads contain only a single word or sentence), but Gonyea occasionally invokes technical catchphrases ("warm colors are aggressive and advance") that could have been better adapted to suit his young audience. Without real-world examples of excellent design to provide context, children may find it difficult to envision how the rules apply outside the book's universe. Discussion with an encouraging art instructor will probably be required for maximum benefit. For a more detailed exploration of similar concepts, look to Molly Bang's Picture This: How Pictures Work (2000). Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 9-12
  • Hardcover: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (May 12, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805075755
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805075755
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Gonyea, Mark
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Gonyea, Mark Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Take the two shapes on the right. Read the first page
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good
60% buy the item featured on this page:
A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good 4.7 out of 5 stars (6)
$14.93
Picture This: How Pictures Work
29% buy
Picture This: How Pictures Work 4.6 out of 5 stars (10)
$10.13
Picture This: Perception & Composition
5% buy
Picture This: Perception & Composition 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books
3% buy
Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books 4.9 out of 5 stars (15)
$19.77

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 
(9)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Bright and Basic, August 8, 2005
By R. Tiedt (Potterville MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
A Book About Design by Mark Gonyea is an attractive, very clearly illustrated quick introduction to some principles of design. A glance at the illustrations would lead one to believe it was a book for young children, however the text, though brief, utilizes vocabulary (intersect, aggressive) and concepts, like ratios, more suitable for older children or adults. I intend to use the book as a quick introduction/ illustration for design concepts with middle school and high school students and think it will work well for that, but if one is looking for in depth discussion, for older students, or suitable vocabulary for younger, this might not be your best bet.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Aout Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good, November 6, 2006
By Art Mom (Provo, UT USA) - See all my reviews
This is a great book to teach basic principles of design in a simple, yet understandable way. It can teach ages from kindergarten to adult. I wish every elementary classroom could have a copy to help kids with their art projects!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING BOOK!, August 31, 2006
By artsie mom (Ephrata, PA United States) - See all my reviews
This is the best design book I ever read! I stumbled across it at our public library last year... I knew right away it was a book I had to add to my collection! I'm an elementary and middle school art teacher, and I plan to use this book with several of my classes... including my 6th grade in middle school! The book breaks down the rules of creating a good design and a balanced composition so simply, step by step... all of my kids will be able to follow it. With only a few words per page, Gonyea uses the simple illustrations to really get his point across. Most illustrations are simple shapes and colors. At the end of the book he brings together all the elements mentioned earlier and illustrates how all the elements work together to create a balanced composition. This is a must have... great gift even for first year art majors!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars More than laughs
This is an entertainng and deceptively simple presentation of the principles that can be useful for adults as well as for children. Read more
Published on March 9, 2006 by Timothy J. Palkovic

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect gift for the budding designer
Not often does one come across a great new design book that would be the perfect holiday, or birthday, gift for your kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids or that creative kid of any... Read more
Published on November 8, 2005 by Jeff Fisher

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the few books to address basic design issues for young picturebook readers
A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good is one of the few books to address basic design issues for young picturebook readers - and its advice and insights should be... Read more
Published on July 6, 2005 by Midwest Book Review

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.