Design Basics Index

Must have for students and those in design apprenticeship, but also very helpful for those of all levels of experience. Contains all theory that you need to know, and also great to reflect on how to improve your work.

Its a very nice book, I recommend it to thous like to get into print design or even web design.

I'm not a professional but someone who has been trying to improve my graphic design skills over the years from reading and experimenting. I have to say I've found very few good books around that explain things really well. Sometimes it's tempting to get the books with the most stunning examples of design because, if nothing else at least they're inspiring.One exception are the books by Robin Williams like 'The Non-designers Design Book' and 'Design Workshop'. She really explains some core design principles in a very eloquent and easy to understand way.This book is another and it delves deeper into the design process. The text is concise to the point of being terse and I find myself reading it slowly, not because it's badly written but because I seem to be learning something vital and significant from every sentence. Krause uses lots of metaphors too which shine light on what he is saying.This is not one of those books full of inspiring examples of graphic design. I find that approach confusing since such examples have so many good attributes it's hard to work out what it is exactly that makes them so good. Instead Krause, like Robin Williams, creates many simple examples to specifically illustrate each point being made. And in learning graphic design this approach works really well. The ideas and concepts are really nailed home. There are also practical exercises to play with that will further help you internalise what you're reading.The book is divided into 3 sections: composition, components and concept. Each of these is further subdivided. The composition section has categories of: placement and divisions, grouping, harmony, emphasis, alignment, flow and compositional evaluation. And each of these is broken down into further 5 - 10 sub-sub sections. As such the book is not really linear and you can pretty much dip into it anywhere you like.(BTW there's a substantial section on typography in the components section.)One of the key thoughts is that graphic design is a language and this book is teaching how that language works in many different ways. As such, just like a foreign phrase book, it's the kind of book you'll want to refer to over and over again, until you've really learned the language. And learning to use all the ideas contained here together will probably take most people some considerable time.If you've ever sat in front of a blank computer screen and not known where to start this book can guide and inspire you all the way. Although in using that way it might be better to start with the last section of the book, Concept', first, which talks about the vital importance of 'audience'.All in all a great little reference book and considerably better than the others I've seen in this series.

I bought this book yesterday and i'm really pleased with it. It clearly explains all the points it makes. It gives examples, and exercises to do, which give extra help in explaining points. I would definitely recommend this book to new and mid-experienced designers.I'm a graphic design student and it is perfect for me.For some of the exercises you do need access to a computer with design software like Adobe Illustrator. But even if you don't have access, just by reading the exercises you can understand the point being made.

This is one of the best books in Jim Krause' design index series. Loads of useful tips and lots of interesting examples. Whatever comms material you are designing... print or online, this book will give you lots to work with!

I was very impressed with this little book - small in size but vast in terms of inspiration and technical tips. The information is clearly explained and both text and examples clearly illustrate the various points.Heartily recommended for both student and professional alike. Wether learning the basics for the first time or simply to refresh your knowledge - this book would be a useful addition to any designers library.The K-Man.

I received this book a few days ago, and so far it's been incredibly useful and already I am noticing design aspects in advertising etc that I hadn't before- because of this book.I'm a beginner graphic designer, and I find this book interesting and easy to understand and I have next to no knowledge or experience of graphic design.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this area of design.

This book is wonderful about going through design rules and methods, clearly and simply explaining the what and why. A great book to have as a reference and refresh for anyone interested in design. Jim Krause explains everything in a clear and simple way never getting too technical or flowery with his language. It's also a great size to carry round or have on your desk.

The best part about this book is the detailed Design Examples and explanations of what to do and what Not to Do as a designer

Mejor de lo que me esperaba, la tapa es de plástico con textura de tela, ha superado mis expectativas de calidad y además el contenido es genial para principiantes en el mundo del diseño, con una interfaz muy atractiva y sencilla de seguir.

For a book about design, it is pretty poorly designed.The book is too tall and not wide enough so it is really hard to open. It is also made out of a material that is sharp at the edges so while your struggling to keep it open, the material is digging into your hands painfully. If you do manage to read the contents of the book you might notice that a lot of it is filler. A lot of good information in this book, but it's so hard to get to and amongst a lot of wasted space. As far as a design basic book, this is not it. Design bathroom book at most.

Excelente libro, refuerza muchos conceptos básicos que algunas veces pasamos por alto, funciona ya seas diseñador industrial, gráfico o mercadologo, ayuda mucho para educar la percepción.

A designer must have this book.