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 workùuntil now.
Universal Principles of Design is the first cross-disciplinary reference of design. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this book pairs clear explanations of the design concepts featured with visual examples of those concepts applied in practice. From the 80/20 rule to chunking, from baby-face bias to Ockham's razor, and from self-similarity to storytelling, 100 design concepts are defined and illustrated for readers to expand their knowledge.
This landmark reference will become the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their design expertise.
Tremendous value What's great about this book is it's organization and brevity. The authors articulate the design concepts in clear manner and supply concrete examples (on opposing pages) to add weight and understanding to the written explanation. Furthermore all concepts are linked to the canonical papers from which they come as well as the more modern advances in the field.
It's a book your feel comfortable trusting.
A design book that takes the additional care to give the audience a conceptual table of contents (of concepts grouped by type) *as well as* an alphabetical table of contents is the type of book that is, well...
Well designed.
One Design Book You'll Use Over and Over This book is indispensable for anyone looking for a grasp on design fundamentals without going to design school. The organization, examples and presentation are top-drawer. So intuitively done. For the non-designer, a wonderful reference and primer on classic design principals and why they matter. Should be on the desk of any marketer who works with creatives and wants a better understanding and appreciation of great design.
Universal Principles of Design Universal Principles of Design is an accessible addition to design understanding. The information has been distilled into a consistent and clear format that allows key design principles to be quickly appreciated. It is the product of a considerable research endeavour; references sources are quoted allowing further exploration of the principles. The graphics and format, as to be expected in a book design of principles, makes delving into this book an enjoyable experience. I just wish I had a copy of this book as a student, many years ago, but you are never too old to learn and experience new ideas and perhaps reinforce design concepts that you have known for a long time.
Gets you thinking about design in new ways! Each of the 100 design guidelines ranging from photography to software design will present an explanation with references to relevant sources accompanied by one or more examples.
With this book you can simply recognize the good rules, not remember you read about them somewhere. ;)
Outstanding book. This is, without a doubt, the best design book I have ever read. While everything in the Rockport Publishers tends to be wonderful, this book is the greatest. The book is very accessible to the average reader, no matter the level of experience in the field. On top of that, it is one of the most comprehensive guides I have found. The layout of the book is also superb, which helps set the mood for design brainstorming.
I should also add that because each topic is only two pages long, it is very easy to keep on the nightstand and read a few sections before bed each night. Again, this book is extremely accessible.
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