- ISBN13: 9781592530076
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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 … More >>
Universal Principles of Design
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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).
Rating: 5 / 5
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.
Rating: 5 / 5
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.
Rating: 5 / 5
Much of Universal Principles of Design lacks depth. The reason for this is that the text needed more colloboration than it appears to have asorbed. For something that aspires to be a sort of objective compendium, the topics (and particularly the examples used) are grounded firmly within the author’s sphere of knowledge. I correctly guessed both where the authors lived as well as their occupations long before I had finished reading merely because they use so many examples from Houston and software. Unfortunately, this lack of research and colloboration outside of the two authors and their own knowledge creates a shallow, uninformed book.
Universal Principles of Design is far less academic and objective than it proports. For example, if I had based one of my principles on an example I would have researched it beyond merely using internet heresay (DVORAK v. QWERTY, for example). That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable, as the text itself is neat, modernist, clean and is, at times, interesting and informative. However, Universal Principles of Design lacks the academic depth needed for usability and never extends beyond introductions and formalities. The book is something that aspires to belong more on the coffee table as a chic relic of interest in design than as a usable, practical text to earmark, underline in, and really utilize as a day to day guidebook.
Rating: 3 / 5
This is a great book for people who want an overview of the most abstract design principles that can then be applied to everyday life. Equally at home on the coffee table, work desk or washroom magazine rack, this book quickly opens up the structure behind the seemingly fluid world of design.
Rating: 5 / 5