Free Downloads The Non-Designer's Design Book (3rd Edition)
A lot has happened in the world of digital design since the first edition of this title was published, but one thing remains true: There is an ever-growing number of people attempting to design pages with no formal training. This book is the one place they can turn to find quick, non-intimidating, excellent design help from trusted design instructor Robin Williams. This revised classic--now in full color--includes a new section on the hot topic of Color itself. In The Non-Designer's Design Book, 3rd Editio n, Robin turns her attention to the basic principles that govern good design. Readers who follow her clearly explained concepts will produce more sophisticated and professional pages immediately. Humor-infused, jargon-free prose interspersed with design exercises, quizzes, and illustrations make learning a snap--which is just what audiences have come to expect from this best-selling author.
Series: Non Designer's Design Book
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Peachpit Press; 3 edition (February 22, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0321534042
ISBN-13: 978-0321534040
Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.4 x 10 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (281 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #196,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #67 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphics & Design > Desktop Publishing #1101 in Books > Arts & Photography > Decorative Arts & Design #1267 in Books > Computers & Technology > Software
I teach graphic design courses at a local community college and this updated edition is well worth the extra $2 (from the previous edition). It still provides easy to understand examples of the concepts she covers then explains why these are important. But its updated graphics gives it a much more professional yet friendly feel and she cut back on cuteness that seemed to diminish the level of knowledge within it.
I started reading this book yesterday afternoon because I wanted to spruce up my business card. The author's introduction & explanation to basic design principles was clear, easy to understand, & illustrated with plenty of visual examples. I've always been a hobbyist designer, initially relying on MS Publisher templates to put things together but then gradually started making my own designs from scratch over the years, so I thought my initial design for my business card was pretty good. But as I read through this book, the author gave several examples of amateur mistakes, many of which I was guilty of. But then the author also gave examples of how to fix these mistakes by employing the design principles she explains. This is probably one of the most useful books I've ever purchased!
Robin has packed in a ton of experience and design principles into this easy to read book. Unlike some other books drone on and convey little, each page of this book seems loaded with tips and techniques that you can put into practice. For example, I learned more about type design from a single chapter in this book than from an entire book on type (Thinking in Type) that I had purchased simultaneously.
If you need to do graphic design and are not professionally trained, buy this book and read it. It was a fast, easy read with lots of before/after pictures to illustrate applying the principles she teaches. My own work has improved dramatically after doing this work. I was a competent amateur, but now what I'm producing looks better, and I have the words to explain how and why it is better. This book was worth every penny, and it's not particularly expensive to begin with.
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.
Great to see an update of this book. The first edition really helped me learn and understand the principles of graphic design. If you work through this book, and apply the design principles to your work, you will definitely learn something about graphic design. Robin Williams also adds a lot of new material to the fourth edition, so you're not really buying the same book again. I'm looking forward to working though this edition as well.
Most presentation books focus on how to present as a presenter and how to "not design" powerpoint slides. This book finally provides the non-designers out here, myself included, how to build great looking slides that also enhance the presentation.First, I must admit to being a huge fan of the Non-Designer's Design Book and the Non-Designer's Web Design Book. I think they are two of the best books for us designer deficient business people out there. Now, this book does the same thing for presentation design.Many of the concepts are similar to those presented in the Design Book and the Web Design Book; however, they are reformed to apply to presentation design.The section titled "Ignore these Rules" is one of the best sections of the book. This section helps you understand the principles behind many "rules" like "Don't read the slides." When you understand the principles, you better understand when the "rule" applies and when it doesn't. Ultimately, you realize that the rules are guidelines and not really rules at all.For example, if you have a slide that reads, "First quarter profits rise" and you avoid saying these exact words just because they're on the slide, you'll only feeling the pressure of presentation pundits, who, themselves, often err in educating their audiences anyway. I'd rather learn from someone who has given hundreds or thousands of presentations that are not on the topic of "Presentation Skills" than someone who has given almost exclusively presentations on how to give presentations. Robin Williams is not a "Presentation Skills" presenter, she's a design trainer and she knows what really works in real presentations. Robin, thanks for speaking for all of us non-Presentation Skills speakers out here who know that the pundits are often wrong.All-in-all, this is a must book in the presenter's library.
The Non-Designer's Design Book (3rd Edition) The Non-Designer's Web Book, 3rd Edition Non Fiction Writing Templates: 44 Tips to Create Your Own Non Fiction Book (Writing Templates, Writing Non Fiction, Kindle Publishing) The Non-Designer's Design Book Jewelry Designer Los Angeles: The Unexplained Mystery Uncovered: Designer Jewelry Investments The Non-Designer's Design and Type Books, Deluxe Edition Aprender Photoshop CS6 / The Non-Designer's Photoshop Book: Técnicas esenciales / Essential Techniques (Spanish Edition) The Non-Designer's Illustrator Book The Non-Designer's InDesign Book Preliminary Design of Boats and Ships: A Veteran Designer's Approach to Conceptual Vessel Design for the Layman and the Beginning Professional Interior Designer's Portable Handbook: First-Step Rules of Thumb for the Design of Interiors: First-Step Rules of Thumb for the Design of Interiors (McGraw-Hill Portable Handbook) Stylin' with CSS: A Designer's Guide (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter) Child Support for the Non-Custodial Parent: Missouri Edition (Series 1, for the Non-Custodial Parent) Eco-Friendly Cleaning: Money Saving Solutions for a Clean, Green, All-Natural, Non-Toxic, Eco-Friendly Home (eco-friendly, sustainability, homesteading, ... natural cleaning, green home, non-toxic) GMO Free Diet: The Ultimate Guide on Avoiding GMO Foods and keeping Your Family Healthy with a GMO Free Diet (GMO, Non GMO Diet, Non GMO Foods, Genetically Engineered Foods, Monsanto) On Literature and Philosophy: The Non-Fiction Writing of Naguib Mahfouz: Volume 1 (Non-Fiction Writings of Naguib Mahfouz) Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (Non-thumb-indexed Version) (Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (Non-Indexed Version)) The Practical Tao Te Ching of Lao-zi: Rational Meditations on Non-duality, Impermanence, Wu-wei (non-striving), Nature and Naturalness, and Virtue Game Design: Principles, Practice, and Techniques - The Ultimate Guide for the Aspiring Game Designer Analysis, Synthesis and Design of Chemical Processes (3rd Edition) 3rd (third) Edition by Turton, Richard, Bailie, Richard C., Whiting, Wallace B., Sh [2009]
