Still Looking Good in Print
Friday’s Creative Review for Graphic Designers
I’ve got a TON of books in my design library. Some I like more than others. Some are more useful than others.
There are few books that I review from time to time and seem to pick up on new things everytime I read them. Looking Good in Print falls into that category.
Looking Good In Print was the first book I bought from Roger C. Parker. It was the reason I decided to buy the rest of his collection of books.
More and more, design books are becoming portfolio pieces. There are sparse tips included and the majority of the book is dedicated to showcasing the work of the author. As they say, it’s more filler than it is killer content.
With these books, many times, you have to go and hunt for more information on the subject because it’s covered in such a superficial way.
Roger’s books are more for the newbie designer, they are not software specific, and you get lots of tips and tricks you can immediately put to use in your designs.
What do I like about it so much?
- It’s a well-divided and well-rounded book: Roger’s book is divided into 3 main sections. He details the elements of graphic design in his first section. He then moves on to designing various document formats (ads, brochures, catalogs,…) Then for the third part, he goes into more detail about designing documents for your business.
- Gives quick suggestions and tips you can immediately use: I hate reading lots of text that can be boiled down to 2 sentences. Roger provides tips and techniques that you can immediately implement to make your designs look good.
- Unpretentious: This book is perfect for the newbie in design as well as those who are designing but have had no formal training. In his introduction he says in fact, that it’s not for “Madison Avenue art directors”. It’s presented in clear, easy language anyone can grasp.
- Lots of illustration so you can see the changes at work: He shows you what he’s talking about with loads of pictures. It’s a black and white book and there’s also a section that is in color.
- Gives tip for all kinds of formats: Gives you a great overall view on designing different formats. You will learn more and the specific challenges of designing different formats.
CONCLUSION:
If you are a newbie in design, this book should be required reading.
It will give you the foundation you need in order to create professional designs.
Looking Good in Print is still a classic, should be on every designer’s bookshelf, and it does provide you with a solid foundation in the timeless and fundamental principles of design.
One minute designer review
Friday’s Creative Review for Graphic Designers
I’m constantly on the lookout for really good design books. I’ve got tons of theory books on design. In my opinion, it’s probably more important to know design theory than it is to know all the bells and whistles of a software program.
I know: not many think that way. However, looking at the many crappy-looking layouts out there, more should pay attention to the elements that create good looking layouts — not just how to add filters and effects.
There’s a book out there that’s one of my favorites and I think has been overly ignored and not given it’s due at all. It’s Roger C. Parker’s One-Minute Designer. Now, I’m not sure why the “one-minute” is hyphenated, but this is one great book.
I love hearing a great tip that will make my life easier. And, if you are just getting started in design this book gives over 200 ideas on how to quickly improve your design (hence the title).
Why do I love it so much?
One mistake I think theory of design books make is that they teach only the theory.
Let me explain… Most design books will explain a particular design concept is but they don’t show you how to achieve contrast. Here’s what this book will do for you and your designs:
- It explains how to make your layouts better: quick tips on how to instantly make your layouts better. It’s almost as if Roger analyzed the pitfalls of beginners and put how to cure these in this book.
- It’s a how-to book: When first starting out as a designer, knowing the theory is really great. Knowing how to apply the theory is even better. I don’t need to know what contrast is, I need to know how to use it. This book shows you how to apply design principles to instantly make your layouts more professional.
- You literally see the difference minor changes make: Each tip is on it’s own page and is shown in action.
- Tips are categorized by design elements and project-specific: chapters include tips on type (separated into display and body copy, visuals, graphic accents, color.) The projects he covers are everything from ads to resumes. If you know the area you want to explore in more detail, you can go directly to that section.
C O N C L U S I O N
I always say that what differentiates the professional versus amateur designs is the details.
That’s what this book is all about: the details that make your designs more professional.
To learn more about Roger C. Parker, you can check out his site www.publishedandprofitable.com where he even has a blog!
I will also be interviewing him this month! I’ll give you more details soon. Stay tuned…
Watch your creativity and productivity soar!
Friday’s Creative Review for Graphic Designers
The greatest single piece of advice that I can give you is to start mindmapping. Roger C. Parker turned me on to mindmapping about a year and a half ago.
Trust me, you’ll soon be thanking me for this.
What’s a mindmap?
A mindmap is a diagram. You start a mindmap around one central idea. From this you branch out with words, ideas, thoughts, tasks and pictures. It’s used to generate ideas, solve problems, and to organize your thoughts.
Why do you use a mindmap?
Mindmapping increases productivity and creativity because it helps you focus on the task at hand. I’ve created mindmaps on practically everything.
I’ve created shopping lists, to-do lists, proposals, meeting agendas, future plans and goals, as well as writing notes on chapters I’ve read. I created a mindmap of each topic of my newsletter and yearly newsletter topics lists for it too. If you’ve got a subject (or a focus) you can create a mindmap!
How do you create mindmaps?
When first starting out, I used pen to paper. I’m a faster typist and would have really liked having a software on my computer. Unfortunately, there just weren’t many mindmapping software available for the MAC. Then Roger C. Parker recommended a really great software called Mindjet Mindmanager.
It recently came out with a MAC version. It’s fantastic! I can’t recommend it enough. It comes with a huge assortment of tiny wingdings that you can use to instantly jazz up your mindmap with.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT
Check out the Mindjet Mindmanager website. You’ll be so glad you did!
Want to know more about MindMapping? Watch Roger C. Parker’s webinar (it’s FREE!)
It’s still a classic: Editing by Design Review
Friday’s Creative Review for Graphic Designers
When I was first starting out in design, there were a couple of books that are considered “classics” in terms of design theory. It’s so much easier to find books on how to use design software than it is to find a really good one on design theory.
I’ve had the first edition of “Editing by Design” by Jan V. White for over 10 years now. I love this book.
Why? Old school design theory intrigues me and it’s as relevant today as it was 30 years ago when “Editing by Design” first came out.
First off, don’t judge this book by its cover
A lot of people have commented that it’s an ugly cover; but inside it’s a gem! It’s a modern day Leonardo’s notebook for designers.
You just know that by reading this book you are getting inside the mind of a great graphic designer: you’re learning how he thinks and how he creates great layouts.
I’ll admit, I was a little worried when I found out that Jan White was putting out a third edition to his classic. I thought that with all these advances in design it would lose the essence and character of his previous editions.
Boy, was I wrong!
Why you need to read this book if you are a designer:
- He practices what he preaches: Everyone talks about how we should use thumbnails before designing. No one ever includes what they actually look like though! Jan’s book is filled with hand-drawn sketches of the concepts he preaches.
- Theory meets practice: It’s good to know design theory but it’s even better to know how to apply it. I’ve read so many books about design principles, but few ever talk about how to apply them. Jan’s book describes the principles and then he’ll show them at work.
- A visual book: As they say “a picture is worth a thousand words”. When you first pick up his book and flip through it, you’ll see that there are more pictures than words. Rather than use words to say what he means, he’ll show you exactly what he means.
C O N C L U S I O N
I always say that good design is all about the details. This book talks about all those details that make a design work.
His book clearly shows that although we’ve had advances in technology, the theory behind design is timeless. Good design starts in your head, is sketched and then transfered to a computer. But, most importantly, you don’t need all the bells and whistles of today’s design programs to get your point across and create some outstanding designs.
All your software program’s bells and whistles will never replace good design.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
I had the opportunity of interviewing Jan V. White (he’s part of my editorial board on Design and Thrive). I probably sound way more high-pitched than usual as I was very nervous! So nervous I forgot to ask him what the V. stand for! But, I will find out!
- You can listen to the interview here.
- Read a more in-depth review of his book on www.designandthrive.com.
