| Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual |  | Author: Timothy Samara
Publisher: Rockport Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $30.00
Buy New: $18.17
as of 7/30/2010 01:40 CDT details
New (29) Used (39) from $18.17
Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 5,273
Media: Paperback
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 11.1 x 9.2 x 1
ISBN: 1592532616
Dewey Decimal Number: 686.22
EAN: 9781592532612
Publication Date: April 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9781592532612 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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Product Description
The graphic design equivalent to Strunk & White's The Elements of StyleThis book is simply the most compact and lucid handbook available outlining the basic principles of layout, typography, color usage, and space. Being a creative designer is often about coming up with unique design solutions. Unfortunately, when the basic rules of design are ignored in an effort to be distinctive, design becomes useless. In language, a departure from the rules is only appreciated as great literature if recognition of the rules underlies the text. Graphic design is a "visual language," and brilliance is recognized in designers whose work seems to break all the rules, yet communicates its messages clearly. This book is a fun and accessible handbook that presents the fundamentals of design in lists, tips, brief text, and examples. Chapters include Graphic Design: What It Is; What Are They and What Do They Do?; 20 Basic Rules of Good Design; Form and Space-The Basics; Color Fundamentals; Choosing and Using Type; The World of Imagery; Putting it All Together?Essential Layout Concepts; The Right Design Choices: 20 Reminders for Working Designers; and Breaking the Rules: When and Why to Challenge all the Rules of this Book.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 34
 A Style Book with Poor Style July 19, 2010
Honest Opinion (Boston, MA USA)
Sorry, I should have read the other reviews warning how this book is impossible to read.
This book might contain useful information except that I can't read the damn thing. The typeface is extremely small, and it's light-gray on white. Some of the visual examples have captions with type that is less than 2mm high. Even with perfect vision you need a magnifying glass!
I've learned a little from this book from squinting, but I have to admit that this book is just too frustrating. I've been on Amazon probably since it opened, and this is going to be the first book I return.
 Ironic and badly distracting June 15, 2010
N. Gilbert (California)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
How frustrating! By the time you've squinted your way through a sentence of what seems to be 7-point narrow gray type, you're exhausted and can't remember how the sentence began, so you can't make sense of it. I'm sure there must be good content in the text, but I just can't get at it. I've even tried reading it aloud so that I can remember hearing it. That kind of works.
I don't think this is a style manual, even though that's its subtitle. It's a collection of examples that fight on the page.
I love my first design books: Non-Designer's Design Book, The (3rd Edition) and The Non-Designer's Design and Type Books, Deluxe Edition, by Robin Williams. Those spoiled me -- I hadn't realized that another design book wouldn't come close to their value.
 Excellent book-perhaps better than intended.... March 25, 2010
Steven K. Pfund
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have been generally impressed with the content of this book and have found it exceptionally helpful and useful. And I highly recommend it.
The book provides what seems to be unintentional lessons about readability and usability. The selection of font size and color, for example, continuously rams home the message that one needs to make sure that the the final product is not hampered by artistic concerns. There are a few other points where I felt that the book's layout was in the way of its message, but again, each of these were learning opportunities for me.
 A Must Have Book March 18, 2010
W. Stohs (KY, USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a fantastic book that I continue to digest. I highly recommend it to everyone from Graphic Designers to Instructors. It is so full of information and examples and inspiration (and it is presented in a non-cluttered way also). It covers the basics like graphic design elements, typography, and layouts, but it doesn't stop there. It also covers thinking outside of the box in both literal and abstract ways of designing to capture your audience's attention. I think this book is a must have for every Graphic Designer.
Learned a lot February 27, 2010
Natalie (Ca, usa)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm a communications student, I go to a small private university and my graphic design class was a huge waste of time, and the advanced graphic design class was cancelled. I was very upset, but decided I would supplement my education on my own time and ordered this book. I learned more from this book than I did spending $2,000 to take a class at my school. Definitely worth the $20.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 34
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