The Elements of Graphic Design Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type

A book that attempts an overview of the elements and principles of graphic design has to grapple with its subject being both very involved and very deep. White's strategy is to divide the subject into four themes: space, unity, page architecture, and typography. Although clearly formalist--and therefore in some quarters (semiotic) to be criticized as far too limiting--this is an intelligent, creative decision. This method allows White (Parsons) to cover gestalt principles easily and thoroughly, and to emphasize the importance of structure. The book's plentiful epigrams from famous characters, within and outside the world of design, and its plentiful illustrations both help move the story along in a lively manner. The question remains whether any book of 215 pages can suitably deliver the elements of design. These days one would hope that a CD-ROM or Web site link would provide for more and larger pictures. Probably this second edition (1st ed., 2002) is most suitable as a primary text for technical schools and two-year programs. It should, however, find a place as part of a general art library in universities. Summing Up: Recommended. Two-year technical program students, lower- and upper-level undergraduates, and general readers. S. Skaggs University of Louisville

The challenge of creating and arranging text and images just got more comprehensible with the revision of this work from veteran designer and teacher White (Thinking in Type: The Practical Philosophy of Typography). White sets out key concepts of space, unity, page architecture, and typography for the benefit of other designers, art directors, and students. The 750 illustrations include a wide selection of ads, logos, magazine covers, posters, as well as web pages, and the author reminds readers to follow human visual perception and to strive for elegance: "Successful designs describe the content fully and as simply as possible." He offers a historical perspective, including time lines and thought-provoking quotations. White shows here that graphic designers use, rather than just fill, space. Some of the illustrations could have been enlarged to further the author's points. VERDICT A clear introduction; recommended for anyone learning or reviewing graphic design.-David R. Conn, formerly with Surrey Libs., B.C. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Chapter 1: Space is emptiness   fill up a place, which may be better … when I have made it empty. -- William Shakespeare (1564--1616), As You Like It   Emptiness is an essential aspect of life. It is the unavoidable opposite of fullness, of busyness, of activity. It is the natural and universally present background to everything we see. Emptiness is silence, an open field, a barren room, a blank canvas, an empty page. Emptiness is often taken for granted and thought best used by filling in. It is generally ignored by all but the few who consciously manipulate it to establish contrast, to create drama, or to provide a place of actual or visual rest. It is best used as counterpoint to filled-in space. Composers and architects use it. Painters, photographers, and sculptors use it. And designers use it. The most important step toward sensitizing yourself to using space is first seeing it. Gregg Berryman writes in his Notes on Graphic Design and Visual Communication , "Everyone 'looks' at things but very few people 'see' effectively. Designers must be able to see. Seeing means a trained super-awareness of visual codes like shape, color, texture, pattern, and contrast. These codes make a language of vision, much as words are building blocks for verbal language." Being trained to see more critically is best guided by a teacher, but such training relies on exposure to excellent art and design samples. The figure/ground relationship The single most overlooked element in visual design is emptiness. The lack of attention it receives explains the abundance of ugly and unread design. ( Ugly and unread describe two separate functions of design which occasionally occur at the same time. Ugly refers to an object's aesthetic qualities, an evaluation of whether we like the object. Unread is infinitely more important, because an unread design is an utter failure. A printed document, regardless of its purpose or attributes, is never intended to be ignored.) Design elements are always viewed in relation to their surroundings. Emptiness in two-dimensional design is called white space and lies behind the type and imagery. But it is more than just the background of a design, for if a design's background alone were properly constructed, the overall design would immediately double in clarity and usefulness. Thus, when it is used intriguingly, white space becomes foreground. The emptiness becomes a positive shape and the positive and negative areas become intricately linked. Excerpted from The Elements of Graphic Design by Alex W. White All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.