A visually striking look at some of the most important designers and their work. An excellent primer for the new student or those with a casual interest in graphic design. A valuable resource for inspiration to the seasoned professional and a reminder of why they chose the profession.
Beautifully designed. Contains great recommendations for further exploration. Concise and thoughtful writing that is considerably more personable than a text book.
Highly recommended. After purchasing a copy for myself, I have picked up a few extras for gifts.
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Customer reviews
The icons series is now a popular format for art book publishers, either as reference for professionals or as this Peachpit title aimed at students. I thought Clifford's book a useful introduction to the history of printed graphics. The choice of who to include (and leave out) is the authors but I doubt that most professionals would disagree with his selection.Europeans get a worthwhile showing as the originators of good graphics taking in the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau Art Deco and the Bauhaus. These influences shifted across the Atlantic to inspire the American icons in the book. Several short illustrated essays divide the book into sections (and the last one, on the digital era, makes an interesting point about design created on the pc: 'There was a refreshing jolt of youthful experimentation as people moved past the limits of the rational and functional'. To my mind a good explanation of why the pc is responsible for a lot of bad design).The book's accessible design has each designer starting on a spread with an essay followed examples of work over one or two additional spreads. The author has, in most cases, provided a book title or mixed media available about the person and there is also a useful bibliography of general design books in the back pages.Overall I thought this was a good introduction to fifty great graphic designers who shaped decades of creativity.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 12, 2015
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 26, 2017
Europeans get a worthwhile showing as the originators of good graphics taking in the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau Art Deco and the Bauhaus. These influences shifted across the Atlantic to inspire the American icons in the book. Several short illustrated essays divide the book into sections (and the last one, on the digital era, makes an interesting point about design created on the pc: 'There was a refreshing jolt of youthful experimentation as people moved past the limits of the rational and functional'. To my mind a good explanation of why the pc is responsible for a lot of bad design).
The book's accessible design has each designer starting on a spread with an essay followed examples of work over one or two additional spreads. The author has, in most cases, provided a book title or mixed media available about the person and there is also a useful bibliography of general design books in the back pages.
Overall I thought this was a good introduction to fifty great graphic designers who shaped decades of creativity.
Graphic heroes
By Robin on September 26, 2017
The icons series is now a popular format for art book publishers, either as reference for professionals or as this Peachpit title aimed at students. I thought Clifford's book a useful introduction to the history of printed graphics. The choice of who to include (and leave out) is the authors but I doubt that most professionals would disagree with his selection.By Robin on September 26, 2017
Europeans get a worthwhile showing as the originators of good graphics taking in the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau Art Deco and the Bauhaus. These influences shifted across the Atlantic to inspire the American icons in the book. Several short illustrated essays divide the book into sections (and the last one, on the digital era, makes an interesting point about design created on the pc: 'There was a refreshing jolt of youthful experimentation as people moved past the limits of the rational and functional'. To my mind a good explanation of why the pc is responsible for a lot of bad design).
The book's accessible design has each designer starting on a spread with an essay followed examples of work over one or two additional spreads. The author has, in most cases, provided a book title or mixed media available about the person and there is also a useful bibliography of general design books in the back pages.
Overall I thought this was a good introduction to fifty great graphic designers who shaped decades of creativity.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 18, 2014
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2014
Top reviews from other countries
Bob-H
Graphic Icons: Visionaries Who Shaped Modern Graphic Design
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 6, 2019Hulda Björnsdóttir
This is a useful book for studies of design
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 21, 2017
