The description on the cover certainly piques interest at first glance. “Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design”, whatever could that mean? The content in the book certainly does not disappoint. In 20 essays pulled directly from her real-life occurrences, Debbie Millman provides an intriguing cross-section of how design exists within society. The stories are innately personal and immediately draw the reader into a world that is relatable and recognisable as their own.

The essays span a vast array of topics including the experience of owning a treasured first pair of Levi jeans, a thought-provoking take on a laundromat sign, a job interview that just didn’t go right at all and everything in-between. The writing is warm and enjoyable, which helps give the reader the notion that any of these experiences could have just as easily happened to them at some point in their own life. Positioned somewhere in the middle of each essay is a life lesson, something that we could all learn from, and that is what makes the book all the more interesting.

It’s in the life lessons that the quality of Look Both Ways truly comes through. It is intriguing that each lesson relates to design in one way or another, but what really sticks are the times when Millman encourages readers to follow their dreams, be kind to one another and never forget where they came from.

Each essay is illustrated using handwritten typography and occasionally complemented with quaint real-life objects like notecards, a chalkboard or a sketchpad. The typography adds to the warmth and personality of the book and the style and application in each essay varies. This sometimes feels appropriate, for example when it adds to the appeal of the situation it is presenting. But when it seems odd and out of place it merely gets in the way of the user partaking in the adventure.

In the end it’s the folksy wisdom contained within the stories that really make the whole book worthwhile. Even those who are not designers or advertising specialists will find there is much that can be taken away from the things that Millman has so graciously chosen to spill from her own personal, private life onto these pages. While I did not relate to every story, by the end of each one I certainly had a smile on my face.

Look Both Ways is an entertaining and insightful book appropriate for designers and non-designers alike.

— Find this book on Booktopia.com.au (AU) (affiliated)
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Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Designer’s Bookshelf is steadily growing and we’re delighted to announce we have a new contributor to the site — Dominic Flask.

Dominic (also known as Dangerdom) is a design teacher and graphic designer from Wichita, Kansas. Currently he splits his time between Wichita State University and the newly formed design studio Duct Tape & Glitter. Along with a shared passion for design books, he brings his knowledge of Design History, Typography and Motion Graphics to the Bookshelf.

Below is a recent Q&A we completed with Dom. We hope you’ll enjoy Dom’s upcoming book selections and his approach to writing.

Interview With Dominic Flask

DB: Hi Dom, welcome to Designer’s Bookshelf! We’re excited to have you on the team.

Dom: Thanks! I’m excited to be a part of the site. A lot of what I’ve learned about design has come from reading books, so I’m happy to have an outlet to share those resources with other like-minded individuals.

DB: How did you come across our web site? And what moves you to contribute?

Dom: To be honest I don’t remember exactly where I first saw the web site, I just remember it popping up in several places in my RSS reader and of course I instantly latched on and started regularly reading the reviews. Being able to contribute is something that interests me for two reasons. Not only do I get to share what I learn with other people, but having to write reviews gives me the chance to fully analyse and digest the information that I am consuming rather than just moving on to the next book on my reading list.

DB: Can you tell us a little more about the work you’ve done in your professional career?

Dom: I’ve worked in several different positions and locations across the field of advertising and graphic design. I’ve spent time working at large international ad agencies with over 1,000 people in one office as well as small design boutiques with only three people sharing one space. I love all aspects of design and that passion has found me working on everything from branding and identity projects to mobile and web applications.

DB: What is the design industry like where you live?

Dom: I suppose the major difference is that we’re a little more spread out. We have a tonne of extremely talented folks working right here in Kansas, including my studio mates Luke Bott (www.lukebott.com) and Roger Strunk (www.rogerstrunk.com) and we enjoy working with clients and other designers in our neighbourhood. However, we also find ourselves partnering with people from Chicago, Austin, New York and many other places on a regular basis. There’s a real collaborative mentality and strong work ethic coming from this region.

DB: What are some of your favourite design books?

Dom: That is of course an impossible question to answer because I can by no means begin to single out just a few of my favourites, but I can probably narrow it down to a few categories that particularly pique my interest. I thoroughly enjoy design monographs and biographies as well as almost any book on typography. I also enjoy books that most people would classify as thoughts on design or writing about design.

DB: It’s been great talking to you, Dom. Where can people check out more of your work?

Dom: To see the most current things I am working on you can check out our studio website at www.ducttapeandglitter.com as well as my personal portfolio at www.dangerdom.com. I’ve also been posting work-in-progress shots up on Dribbble.

Call For Contributors

Thank you for taking the time to read our little Q&A. If you have similar experience in the design industry, cherish design books and have a healthy design book collection of your own we would love to hear from you, too.

Designer’s Bookshelf is currently looking for contributors to write about their favourite design books. We would prefer if contributors are located in Australia but can make exceptions for the right people.

If this interests you (or might interest someone you know), please write to “join [at] designersbookshelf.com” with the subject line “Contributor Callout” and we’ll be in touch.

Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Over the summer, Designer’s Bookshelf has been an online sponsor of the Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour 2012. The tour continues to Auckland, New Zealand 8 February–1 March where Niels will host a special talk at the Auckland University of Technology and exhibit at the Saatchi & Saatchi gallery.

Unruly Gallery has kindly donated three Calligraffiti books to give away to our loyal readers. Read on for the details.

Niels Shoe Meulman’s “Calligraffiti”

Niels “Shoe” Meulman (NSM) first gained international fame as a graffiti artist from Europe’s legendary Crime Time Kings crew. He has since gone on to become an acclaimed calligrapher, typographer and designer. He explores the contours of words as images in Calligraffiti — a hybrid art form which blurs together the calligraphy and graffiti practices.

• 1x Hardcover Book (144 full-colour pages)
• Published by From Here To Fame
• Copyright © 2010 Niels Shoe Meulman

To win a copy of this book, simply tell us

“What special phrase would you love to see NSM ink in his Calligraffiti style?”

Leave your answer in the comments section below and we’ll pick the three best responses as winners. You’ll need to use a valid email address (or Social Media account) when commenting so that we have a means of contacting you. Submissions are valid from 7 February–1 March 2012 and are one per person.

Please note: This particular giveaway is open to both local and international readers. So get commenting!

Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Paul Arden (7 April, 1940–2 April, 2008) was an influential author and a former creative director for Saatchi & Saatchi at the height of their advertising might. His British Airways campaigns continue to be remembered as one of the greatest advertising campaigns of all time, changing the fortunes of the airline.

The cover of It’s Not How Good You Are… is dominated by a strong, typographic masthead. Couple this with the tagline “The world’s best-selling book” and you have a cocky first impression. Further reading of the book reveals reasoning behind this decision:

“Firstly you need to aim beyond what you are capable of. You must develop a complete disregard of where your abilities end… Make your vision of where you want to be a reality. Nothing is impossible.” (p.17)

The small size of the book makes it very easy to pick up from inside your bag or off your table when a spare moment arises. The length of the chapters are modest, easy to digest and don’t have to be read in any particular order. This makes it easy for readers to dip in and out of the book as they please. Also, each page opens with a bold headline and concludes with a few paragraphs of inspirational thought to round things off nicely.

Arden’s words of wisdom, like his illustrious career, are memorable and distinct. His creative approach to business and observations on life surprises and entertains — even on repeat reads. The book contains 40+ chapters of gems such as “Do not seek praise. Seek criticism”, “Do not covet your ideas”, “When it can’t be done, do it” and “Fail. Fail again. Fail better”.

One of my favourite chapters is “Don’t promise what you can’t deliver”. Arden discusses how promising too much, at least in the initial stages, leaves no room for failure. I’ll admit in my enthusiasm I sometimes promise the world! Arden believes the result of this will almost always be a little disappointing — not terribly, but less than expected.

Instead of overpromising, Arden believes in underselling. He suggests pointing out weaknesses first and discussing how to resolve them early on. This approach not only ensures all problem areas are on the table at the start, but in turn builds a more trusting relationship with the client.

Another chapter I could relate to is “Rough layouts sell the idea better than polished ones”. Arden highlights the importance of working with the client and making them feel involved in the creation process. He explains how presenting them with a highly polished computer layout can be detrimental:

“There is either too much to worry about or not enough to worry about. There is nothing for [the client] to do. It’s not [their] work, it’s your work. [They] don’t feel involved.” (p.80)

In my own experience I’ve found this rings very true with clients (as well as with bosses). They are generally more receptive to scribbles, sketches and low-level prototypes instead of a finished mock-up.

The contrast created through the book’s differing page layouts is a pleasing experience. Page layouts change from white to black, full-page images break text-only drudgery and occasionally a spread will appear with just a single line of copy to focus on. Combine this with clever juxtaposition, conceptual photography and witty captioning and you can start to see why the book has been so well-received, and not just by those in the Advertising industry.

It’s Not How Good You Are… is an entertaining read with a few practical lessons to be learned along the way. Whether you are a graduate, professional or managing director, I’m convinced you’ll find this book a motivating companion along your pathway to success.

— Find this book on Booktopia.com.au (AU) (affiliated)
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Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Photo credit: Mark Groen

Niels “Shoe” Meulman (NSM) is heading down under this summer for his very first visit to Australia. Now is your chance to see NSM’s artwork up close at gallery exhibits and special events in Sydney and Melbourne. Rather than ship his artwork from abroad, NSM will be making site-specific artwork in each city. At all events, NSM will be available for interviews and on-hand to sign his Calligraffiti book with personalised dedications.

Sydney Tour Dates

The Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour 2012 kicks off in Sydney with Like Minded Studio hosting an exhibition from 25 January–30 January at the artist-run Kind of Gallery on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst.

In addition, the legendary Kinokuniya Bookstore Sydney will be hosting an exhibition in their Wedge Gallery (front-of-store) from 25 January–7 February, 2012.

Sydney will also be graced with a live Calligraffiti show, with NSM getting up in the May’s Lane Street Art Project on 27 January. For more information on this very special event please visit the May’s Lane web site.

Melbourne Tour Dates

Street-art haven Melbourne will be able to get their fix with the young and upcoming Rtist Gallery hosting an exhibition of NSM at their space on St Edmonds Rd, Prahran from 2 February–12 February. NSM will also be working with Melbourne art label Dangerfork to make exclusive prints for the tour.

Not to be missed is a special screening of the Dutch documentary Kroonjuwelen (aka Crown Jewels) on 2 February at The Rooftop Cinema. The Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour 2012 is proud to bring along Kroonjuwelen for its first ever screening on our shores. Learn about the history of graffiti in Amsterdam from the punk days in the 70s and 80s to the roaring train bombing times of the 90s.

–
The Calligraffiti Upside Down Tour 2012 is presented by Unruly Gallery and supported by Converse. NSM will also be exhibiting in Auckland and Singapore during the final leg of the tour. For more information on these dates please see the Calligraffiti Facebook page.

Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Can you believe it’s December already? We can’t! Time has flown by so quickly. Our last giveaway for 2011 comes from one of our favourite book publishers, Gestalten. Gestalten have offered one lucky Designer’s Bookshelf reader a chance to win three brand-new releases from their design catalogue.

Type Navigator: The Independent Foundries Book

With new fonts and type foundries launching on an almost daily basis, it has been difficult to keep track of notable developments — until now. Type Navigator is a useful handbook of modern fonts, independent foundries and innovative type designers that provides an overview of today’s vast market. A free digital collection of 100 typeface variations from 20 choice foundries accompanies the 320-page book.

• 1x Hardcover Book (320 full-colour pages)
• Includes CD-ROM with 100 Typefaces from 20 foundries
• Published by Gestalten
• Copyright © 2011 Gestalten

Ready To Print: Handbook For Media Designers

Ready To Print is an easy-to-follow reference for designers, which thoroughly explains each stage of how to prepare data for prepress and print production. Clearly structured chapters on “Paper”, “Printing Techniques”, “Typography”, “Trapping”, “Color”, “Image Editing” and “PDF” impart essential knowledge in a comprehensive way. In short, the book shows designers how to create the best possible print product.

• 1x PVC Cover Book (320 full-colour pages)
• Published by Gestalten
• Copyright © 2011 Gestalten

Precursor: The Creativity Watchlist Book

Precursor is an inventive collection of work by a new breed of young designers from around the world. Although stylistically diverse, the book’s examples are all created with a distinctly multidisciplinary approach that is enriching and expanding established categories of design. The work exists beyond current trends and retro looks; its only obligation is to innovate.

• 1x Hardcover Book (288 full-colour pages)
• Published by Gestalten
• Copyright © 2011 Gestalten

To enter, simply tell us:

“What is your favourite Gestalten book and why?”

Leave your answer in the comments section below and we’ll pick the best response as the winner. Please use a valid email address (or Social Media account) when commenting so that we have a means of contacting you. Submissions are valid from 12 December–16 January 2012 now closed. Congratulations, Carli H! You are the chosen winner for this month’s giveaway. Thank you for entering and we hope you enjoy your free books.

Please note: This giveaway is restricted to residents of Australia/NZ only. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our international readers.

Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Unlike other books in the Web design category, Above The Fold is not just about design and technology trends. Instead, it teaches the essentials of successful communication within the context of Web design. It is intended to help readers understand the nuances and develop effective web sites.

Above The Fold features a dark-blue cover with a masthead printed in a burnt-orange colour for contrast. The tagline is distinctive and you can quickly gauge what the book contains via section titles present at the top of the pages.

The book has utilised large, attention-grabbing headings. The typography includes the ever-flexible Dispatch font, predominantly used for headings and quotations. The book’s grid uses generous amounts of white space when laying out content and has clearly been influenced by the Web design work it showcases.

Digital design, in its varying formats, is always a difficult thing to replicate on paper. Thankfully, Above The Fold has some of the best screenshots I’ve seen in a Web design book. Miller has selected not only the latest Web offerings but also the most suitable for each subject. The resolution and size of screenshots remains consistent across all pages, which is nice touch.

The first section begins with a chapter on “The Anatomy Of A Web Site”. Here, form and function is discussed with particular emphasis on Headers, Navigation, Feature Area, Body Content, Sidebars, Footers and Backgrounds. The following chapter, “Web Design Unity”, explains the many common elements between Web design and other forms of Communication design. “Web Typography” shows how far typography has come on the Web.

Section two includes chapters on “Site Planning” and “Elements Of Usability”. Here you can read about the SWOT Analysis, Sitemaps, Wireframes and Prototypes. This section is useful in particular because you can pick up some tips on how best to use Navigation, Text Links, Forms and Error Messages in your designs.

Section three is all about “Business Value”. The chapters here focus on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Marketing, Conversion and Analysis.

The official web site for Above The Fold is, unsurprisingly, extremely well-designed and includes the introduction chapter for free. Miller has also produced an iPad companion for the book. Interestingly, his approach was not to simply “digitise” the print edition page-for-page. Instead, the iPad App functions as a basic resource (with sample chapters and a list of web sites that were referenced in the book) as well as a tool (it’s “Grid Maker” feature allows construction of precise grids and the ability to email yourself the CSS code output).

It’s easy to teach yourself the basics of Web design thanks to the enormous amount of information available on popular Web design blogs. One thing still remains difficult though — how to find the most relevant and concise content among the sheer volume of resources.

Above The Fold solves this problem. Miller has documented all the important aspects of Web design in a brief yet comprehensive manner. This material is comforting to read and easy to browse. The broad spectrum of topics covered makes the book perfectly suited for students, beginners in the field, or even print designers making the switch to Web design.

— Find this book on Booktopia.com.au (AU) (affiliated)
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Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

We have a very special giveaway this November care of the marvelous team at Laurence King Publishing. We’ve reviewed a few Laurence King books previously and are pleased to offer our readers a chance to win a copy of their eagerly awaited Saul Bass release.

Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design Book

Saul Bass (1920-1996) was as famous for his work in film as for his corporate identity and graphic design. His best-known works include a series of unforgettable posters and title sequences for films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Otto Preminger’s Anatomy Of Murder. He also created some of the most famous logos and corporate identity campaigns of the century, including for major companies such as AT&T, Quaker Oats, United Airlines and Minolta.

• 1x Hardcover Book (440 full-colour pages)
• Published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd
• Copyright © 2011 Laurence King Publishing Ltd

A Life In Film & Design, created by Saul Bass’ daughter Jennifer and written by distinguished design historian Pat Kirkham, contains more than 1,400 illustrations. Many are from the Bass archive and have never been published before.

To enter, simply tell us:

“What is your favourite Saul Bass creation?”

Leave your answer in the comments section below and we’ll pick a winner at random. Please use a valid email address (or Social Media account) when commenting so that we have a means of contacting you. Submissions are valid from 19 November-10 December 2011 now closed. Congratulations, Tina K! You are the randomly chosen winner for this month’s giveaway. Thank you for entering and we hope you enjoy your prize.

Please note: This particular giveaway is open to both local and international readers. So get commenting!

Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Art Direction Explained, At Last! makes a great first impression with its large, eye-catching front cover. The book design (by Rick Landers) features a dot-matrix screen style, plus arrow and speech bubble symbols which become a running theme throughout. These elements coupled with the book’s blue-and-yellow colour palette result in a very bright and friendly approach to the subject at hand.

The writing of Heller and Vivienne is clear and raises many points for thinking. The book opens discussion by first asking, “What Makes a Great Art Director?”. The authors proclaim a “Great Art Director” (or GAD) must be blessed with certain indispensable character traits, including confidence, taste, wisdom, compassion, an open mind and vision. The opposite of a GAD is said to be someone who holds the art directorial title but is no more than a pair of hands:

“A weak art director may fulfill the job description, but will nonetheless fail to bring the work up to a higher level.” (p.25)

This first chapter continues to explore the duality of art directing. Briefly highlighted are the career paths of Paul Rand, whose role involved both delegation and design, and Tom Bodkin, whose vision oversees the entire New York Times staff and aesthetic. You will also read about conventional pathways into the role, balancing different strengths and weaknesses, and learn how finding your niche (and medium) is imperative to staying at the top.

Section Two is titled “Creative Tension 101” and focuses on what makes art direction work. Important design techniques are analysed along with case studies for comparison. They inclue: “The theatrics of scale” (using scale to make vigorous designs in any format or medium); “The value of multiple entry points” (encouraging readers to read yet also find their way); “The alluring art of allure” (a process of assessing every aspect that affects the look and feel); “The use of parallel narratives” (acting directly on human behaviour); “The panache of ‘doo-dads’” (injecting visual personality or graphic signifiers) and “The power of the diagonal” (breaking the presence of a two-dimensional space).

“Auto Art Direction” is the third section and changes in format as 10 art directors are asked to art direct themselves. The authors noted:

“Some art directors refused to be part of the experiment: they didn’t want us to turn the tables on them. Others, on the contrary, welcomed this opportunity to hone their authorial skills, come up with quirky ideas, and boldly self-commission their own assignments.” (p.90)

Each contributing art director explored what mattered most to him or her at the time. The result is a series of original pieces — presented as collages, reports, typographical experiments or photo essays — that are surprisingly sincere, insightful and distinctive. Each narrative gives the reader a glimpse of what it’s like to learn, practice and love art direction as a profession. Contributors include Vince Frost, Khoi Vin and Debbie Millman, to name a few.

The last section is “Nuts And Bolts”. For instances where titles are important to the role both in prestige and salary, a helpful “What do we call ourselves?” glossary will field most of your questions.

The “What and where” chapter explains where art directors are most needed on a per-industry basis. Examples include book publishing, advertising agencies, design studios, the corporate world and institutions. After studying this chapter you may find you’re acting in the role of an art director without even knowing it.

Reading Art Direction Explained, At Last! won’t automatically make you an art director. What it will do is give you a much better understanding of the skills, insight and terminology required to one day hold this esteemed role. It’s a highly informative and continuously entertaining book for professional creatives.

— Find this book on Booktopia.com.au (AU) (affiliated)
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Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.

Illusive 3 comes as a sturdy, cloth-covered hardback, and the print quality and presentation is flawless. Paper stock is thick and matte-coated, the colours are vivid and a soft smell of ink permeates up from the pages. Attached to the well-crafted spine is a white cotton page-marker allowing you to easily bookmark and return to your favourite section of the book.

The book’s gallery is organised by illustrative style. The first chapter showcases “Basic & Naïve” type illustration — the kind that takes a scaled-back approach and is usually built on shape. Artwork in this section has a very vintage finish and feel, which could be further described as a contemporary take on Modernism.

Next is “Tactile Illustration”, reserved for handmade art that uses objects or creates physical scenes. The DIY aesthetic results in work made solely of paper, wood, knitting and even sellotape. The “Fashion” chapter features plenty of soft watercolours and accidental splashes. Themes of youth, beauty, style and glamour are visible among many of the stylish exaggerations.

“Ink & Pencil” is, as the name implies, a chapter solely dedicated to artwork produced in the pencil-and-ink medium. Most of the art in this section remains black and white and has a raw immediacy about it. “Deconstruction & Collage” includes an assortment of juxtaposition, cut-out and mixed-media artwork. There are no clean layouts and digital finishes here. Instead, technique and technology are combined to produce some very interesting results.

Lastly, the “Towards Painting” chapter displays some of the most genius, masterful pieces of contemporary illustration today. The quality of execution and attention to detail in this section has to be seen to be believed.

For the most part the art is presented 4-up on every page, with a few full-page hero shots dedicated to some larger pieces. The credits are also printed close to the spine edge, allowing the artwork to sit in full and take attention.

Illusive 3 contains the work of over 160 international artists and design studios. Pietari Posti, Stina Persson, Charlotte Delarue, Tomer Hanuka and many more talented illustrators are showcased within the book’s 300+ pages.

Meticulously curated, Gestalten have managed to pack even more of the world’s finest illustration into this third volume of the Illusive series. It’s a pleasure to have access to such a large amount of styles and techniques at one’s fingertips and thankfully the quantity is matched with quality. I’m positive Illusive 3 will become one of the best illustration books you’ll ever purchase.

— Find this book on Booktopia.com.au (AU) (affiliated)
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Designer’s Bookshelf - Reviewing the best design books for students and professionals.