This publication is part of the Handson Graphics series - an exciting and unique collection exploring the work of respected and highly talented international designers. The books in this series are primarily aimed at students and teachers of design. Howev

Within every picture is a hidden language that conveys a message, whether it is intended or not. This language is based on the ways people perceive and process visual information. By understanding visual language as the interface between a graphic and a viewer, designers and illustrators can learn to inform with accuracy and power. In a time of unprecedented competition for audience attention and with an increasing demand for complex graphics, Visual Language for Designers explains how to achieve quick and effective communications. New in paperback, this book presents ways to design for the strengths of our innate mental capacities and to compensate for our cognitive limitations. Visual Language for Designers includes: —How to organize graphics for quick perception —How to direct the eyes to essential information —How to use visual shorthand for efficient communication —How to make abstract ideas concrete —How to best express visual complexity —How to charge a graphic with energy and emotion

Type and Image The Language of Graphic Design Philip B. Meggs What is the essence of graphic design? How do graphic designers solve problems, organize space, and imbue their work with those visual and symbolic qualities that enable it to convey visual and verbal information with expression and clarity? The extraordinary flowering of graphic design in our time, as a potent means for communication and a major component of our visual culture, increases the need for designers, clients, and students to comprehend its nature. In this lively and lavishly illustrated book, the author reveals the very essence of graphic design. The elements that combine to form a design— sings, symbols, words, pictures, and supporting forms—are analyzed and explained. Graphic design’s ability to function as language, and the innovative ways that designers combine words and pictures, are discussed. While all visual arts share common spatial properties, the author demonstrates that graphic space has unique characteristics that are determined by its communicative function. Graphic designs can have visual and symbolic properties which empower them to communicate with deep expression and meaning. The author defines this property as graphic resonance and explains how it occurs. After defining design as a problem-solving process, a model for this process is developed and illustrated by an in-depth analysis of actual case histories. This book will provide insight and inspiration for everyone who is interested or involved in graphic communications. While most materials about form and meaning in design have a European origin, this volume is based on the dynamic and expressive graphic design of America. The reader will find inspiration, hundreds of exciting examples by many of America’s outstanding graphic designers, and keen insights in Type and Image.

'The Language of Graphic Design' provides graphic design students and practitioners with an in-depth understanding of the fundamental elements and principles of their language, what they are, why they are important and how to use them effectively.

Graphic Design, Referenced is a visual and informational guide to the most commonly referenced terms, historical moments, landmark projects, and influential practitioners in the field of graphic design. With more than 2,000 design projects illustrating more than 400 entries, it provides an intense overview of the varied elements that make up the graphic design profession through a unique set of chapters: "principles" defines the very basic foundation of what constitutes graphic design to establish the language, terms, and concepts that govern what we do and how we do it, covering layout, typography, and printing terms; "knowledge" explores the most influential sources through which we learn about graphic design from the educational institutions we attend to the magazines and books we read; "representatives" gathers the designers who over the years have proven the most prominent or have steered the course of graphic design in one way or another; and "practice" highlights some of the most iconic work produced that not only serve as examples of best practices, but also illustrate its potential lasting legacy. Graphic Design, Referenced serves as a comprehensive source of information and inspiration by documenting and chronicling the scope of contemporary graphic design, stemming from the middle of the twentieth century to today.

"In the 21st century, graphic designers throughout the world are facing tough but exciting challenges: new technologies, new ways for clients to interact with customers, and an audience that is increasingly literate when it comes to design, global influences, and cultures. This book starts by exploring the issues that shape design today : sustainability, ethics, technology, theory, and developments in other fields that impact globally on local cultures. [This book] breaks the discipline down into its elements. The book examines traditional practices such as typography, signage, advertising, and book design, as well as more recent developments including VJing, games design, software design, and interactive design. There is no single ideal for how a designer should be: a designer can practice along or be part of a large group ; a designer can also write, edit, curate, take photographs, design typefaces, and be an entrepreneur. This book concludes with a showcase of the work of cutting-edge designers from many parts of the world."--Page 4 of cover.