The Non-Designer's Design Book 3rd Edition

by Robin Williams (Author)

303 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0321534040

ISBN-10: 9780321534040

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robin Williams is the author of dozens of best-selling and award-winning books, including The Non-Designer's D esign Book, The Non-Designer's Ty pe Book, The Little Mac Bo ok, Robin Williams Mac OS X B ook, Robin Williams Design Works hop, and Web Design Worksh op. Through her writing, teaching, and seminars, Robin has influenced a generation of computer users in the areas of design, typography, the Mac, desktop publishing, and the Web.

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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0321534042
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Peachpit Pr; 3rd edition (February 14, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780321534040
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0321534040
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.5 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #489,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #103 in Desktop Publishing
- #2,066 in Computer Software (Books)
- #2,989 in Design & Decorative Arts

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Customer reviews

5 star		70%
4 star		16%
3 star		7%
2 star		3%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Brian Williammee

Exactly what I needed

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2011

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I am a software developer, and I have always felt sort of oblivious to anything involving aesthetics. I've been fortunate to work with good designers, but I decided it was time to learn a bit for myself. I asked a designer colleague for a book recommendation, and she suggested this one.

It was perfect for me. The book focuses on design as a means a effective communication rather than just a way to make pretty things, and that works a lot better for my brain. The examples are very clear, and the iterative improvements from one design to the next are so clear that even I can tell that they look better (and understand why). The writing is equally effective and easy to consume. It only took me 4-5 hours for my first pass through this book.

After finishing the book tonight, I set out to improve my resume. 90 minutes later, I'm shocked with the results. I used to think my old one looked fine, but now I can see so many design flaws in it. The new version, well, I'm sure there's still plenty wrong with it, but looks better than anything I thought I'd ever create on my own.

34 people found this helpful

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Ashley

Excellent Primer That Leads by Example

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2013

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This is the best design book for non-professionals that I've come across. Williams does a fantastic job, both through text and imagery, of explaining her four basic principles for good design -- contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. Her advice can be applied to all forms of visual communication, including forms you wouldn't necessarily think of before reading this book. She didn't write more than she needs to, instead letting example images do much of the teaching.

You'll never look at the world the same way after reading this, and that's a good thing if you believe in doing your part to make the world a more beautiful place, one business card and brochure at a time.

One person found this helpful

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alexis

Well-written

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2020

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So far this is the only book I’ve bought for college that I actually want to read. It has really useful and easy to understand information that makes you a better designer.

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Galamander

The structure and concepts of graphic design

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2014

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Teaches the basics of good visual communication and graphic design better than anything else I've ever heard or read. Ms. Williams' style is straightforward, and personable. Chapters are organized by concept. Teaching basic concepts is reductive and makes it easy to avoid getting sidetracked by style. A particular feature I loved was how the author showed step by step improvements of a design taking it from bad, to better, to outstanding. I went through the book slowly, taking the time to observe each concept applied, misapplied, or lacking in the world around me.

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H. W. Dornbush

Great for the non-designer

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2008

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I read some of the other reviews in preparing to write this. I am definitely a non-designer but have found a need to learn some design principles. I thought the book was great for its intended audience and probably for more experienced people as well. I have already applied the design principles in my work, web site development, and I re-did my letterhead based on what I learned here. Is it the best that could be done by an experienced designer? No. Is it a lot better than it was before? YES! I tested some of my small web page improvements on a few people and got confirmation that I have learned some very useful tools to improve my work.

I got a chuckle from some of the negative reviews, things like "I am a designer and it didn't help me." Duh! It is not aimed at them, and I thank the author for that as it might have gone over my head if it were.

I am excited enough about what I learned that I plan to take a few college courses to go even further. Thanks for the inspiration!

One person found this helpful

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M.Lee

A must read for anyone doing any type of design work.

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2013

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This book gets 5 stars because it is necessary for anyone doing any type of design work. These days, virtually everyone is doing some sort graphic design in their day to day life. There are lots of untrained designers doing websites, posters, flyers, etc that could really use help. I know, I was one of them. I held off buying this book for a while because thought I knew some principles of design, but this book proved me wrong.

I couldn't put it down after I started reading it. It has made my designs better and given me some structure to help me work faster.

If you do any graphic or print work and you haven't received design training, get this book. You won't regret it.

3 people found this helpful

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Zia Dina

Love this book

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2014

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This is the first book by Robin Williams that I discovered at our library. I decided I must have my own copy of it. I have purchased every book my budget will allow that she has written or collaborated on. I appreciate her style, her humor, her knowledge and presentation. It's a perfect reference book for our shelves. Highly recommended. It has changed the way I look at any piece of writing and graphic art. How is it designed and how could it be better? Just fun, too.

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Elisabeth Forrest

Great resource for the graphically inept (like me)

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2010

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I produce a lot of marketing and informational materials and yet I have no education in graphic design, nor am I artistic. In the past I pretty much found things produced by a professional and copied elements and layouts I liked. However with this book I now have a much clearer idea of design principles and have taken much of my material to another level.

It is clearly written and the ideas are well illustrated and easy to put into practice. It covers such things as layout, color theory, type and font choice. I originally saw the book "Graphic Design for Nondesigners: Essential Knowledge, Tips, and Tricks" and ordered that along with this book. After having read and used both I would have to recommend this one first. I feel that the concepts are much more clearly communicated and the ideas presented in a far more usable format.

A great investment if you create a lot of your own marketing collateral, brochures, flyers, posters, etc. for your business. Highly recommended.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Neil Nand

Amazing book for a developer who 'can't' design!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2013

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This has to be one of the best books I've read.

I'm a web developer (not designer at all) and after reading this book it's the first time I feel like I can actually design something because it tells you the principles of design in plain English and concentrates on making sure you can name these principles, as once you've named them you can understand and implement them.

There's no wishy washy arty design stuff in this, much more 'concrete' principles that are actually described and well defined.

If you're a developer who thinks you can't design because you don't have that 'flare' or creative spark (I was) then this will change that!

If you're interested in a more in-depth review here's a link to my blog:
[...]

5 people found this helpful

R Helen

For the absolute beginner!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2012

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I know nothing about design. So this book is perfect. It starts with the very basics, introducing the reader to the four basic principals in design; contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. It then goes into detail about each one and how to use them together. Although what seems so easy on paper (and her examples are really helpful and visually appealing) is not so easy in practice. You definitely need to work on these skills if you want great materials, but the book gives the novice the fundamentals so you won't make the usual mistakes that most non-designers do (like centering everything, for example). In that respect, you should see immediate results in your work. Williams also gives tips on using colour and how to design various types of materials, like business cards, brochures, websites, and more. What I found especially useful was the whole section she devotes to type. I love playing with fonts and after reading her book I'm much more visually aware of the differences and how to combine them effectively. Obviously, if you've been to art or design school, this book won't help you much as you are probably way past it. However, she says at the beginning, this book is for those who know absolutely nothing and have been forced into some graphic design role. I think in our days everyone has some need for this so really we all could benefit from this book. It's little but it is packed! It's a must-have book, no matter what profession you're in. Highly, highly recommended!

J. Mero

THE Book for Budding Designers and Wannabes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2012

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Firstly, I was amazed to see that anyone could give this brilliant introduction to design one star. That tells more about the reviewer than the book (if I sound miffed it is because I am).

Anyway, if you're starting out in design, or like designing, then this book gives you a solid and down-to-earth introduction, with lucid examples. It can be something as simple as designing your next business card, or going the whole hog, - designing major posters or books.
Here you will get a good foundation, written in a conversant manner, that really opens your eyes to a lot of little things you never thought of. There is a distinct difference between the keen amateur and the professional in design, and reading this book will be a decisive step toward professionalism.

One person found this helpful

U-

Definitely for hardcore coders

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2013

Verified Purchase

If you are heavily focused in coding and really struggle with design like me, this book will be a guaranteed help.

I really struggle to start off my designs, but it's much easier to improve a bad one. This book really helps you understand the fundamentals of design, and colour; from there all you need to do is practice.

Brilliant and highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

John Lemon

Required reading for the amateur who produces newsletters, posters, etc for any organisation, society, or charity

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

For many years I have produced newsletters and other publicity material for local clubs and societies, originally using Microsoft Publisher, and latterly various apps on the Mac. I enjoy doing it, and I have learnt and developed as I went, and reckon I do a pretty reasonable job (recipients of my efforts reinforce that view).
Then I read Robin Williams's book. It's well laid out - as you'd expect! - is written with a clarity of style, and illustrated with lots of examples, It focusses on four major considerations in planning your document, as well as discussing typefaces. All is done with gentle humour and helps you understand why that page you just laid out doesn't quite seem to work - and once you understand, you can fix it. I have learnt that my efforts fall well short of Robin's standards!
So I'm now off to analyse the last edition of my newsletter. I'll probably end up re-working it completely, and then I'll be able to publish the next edition with a fresh and more readable look.
I'm looking forward to it!