No, Patch Adams did not write a book about design. It’s a different Robin Williams, and this one doesn’t read like she’s hopped up on amphetamines either. I must say this book is not what I was thinking it would be at all. I thought I was in for a book that discussed design as a whole, where as this book is mostly concerned with graphic design. Either topic would have been fine with me as I’m still limited in my design chops.
I really like Robin Williams writing style. She makes the topics feel very accessible. Her examples are clear, and the excercises really help cement the principles in your head. Imagine that, a well designed book about design…
She breaks down graphic design to four basic principles:
ProximityProximityProximity
Alignment
Repetition
Repetition
Repetition
Contrast
Robin also goes into a beginners survey on color choices and color theory. Then there are a couple of chapters dedicated to the different types of font. Who knew there was more than just serif and sans serif? Well I’m glad I do now. I was thinking of putting in a section with examples of each type of font, but my blog editor doesn’t give me that many choices… One of the things to look for when you’re putting together designs of your own is that the fonts you choose don’t clash. That means that they shouldn’t look too similar. They need to have contrast for visual interest, and subtle contrasts just annoys people. So make your contrast large and loud.
The best advice in the book, that Robin often repeats:
Don’t be a wimp!
Where was that advice when I was getting the courage to ask girls out in high school?
Anyway, I definitely recommend this book and the exercises that are contained within, they will definitely help you think with a designers eye when looking at almost any printed material.
The Non-Designer’s Design Book at Amazon
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Oddly enough, I was just explaining what serifs were last Friday — as well as explaining how typographers hate anti-aliasing.