Graphic Designer's Essential Reference: Visual Elements, Techniques, and Layout Strategies for Busy Designers

by Timothy Samara

A good designer, like a good chef, is aware not only of how each ingredient is similar or different, but also which delivers one message in contrast to another, which will combine to create experiences that are harmonious or jarring, financial, medical, or industrial.



By comparing the designer to a chef, author Timothy Samara, walks readers through the ingredients, tools, and techniques it takes to create successful design recipes.



This book is broken into easy-to-follow sections, including basic design techniques, graphic ingredients, and projects recipes. The Graphic Ingredients section is categorized into four Pictorial Staples, Chromatic Flavors, Typographic Confections, and Spatial Presentations. Once the basic design techniques and ingredients are established, the author demonstrates how to concoct delectable design recipes. Graphic Designer's Essential Reference is an inspirational resource that all graphic designers should keep by their workspace for handy reference.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Reference

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Ozan Tortop · Rating 2 out of 5]

Around 10% of the content is pretty informative and inspiring. But it may still be helpful for beginners. On the other hand, because it feels quite outdated, I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners either.

[Julie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming into this book as a self-trained graphic design student, I wasn't sure what to expect. I jumped into this book straight away because I could see something exciting in its pages. The images alone were enough to get me interested. The art and designs are just amazing!

Coming from a non-design background, I wasn't sure if I could understand it. I didn't want to overwhelm myself with graphic design references and jargon. This book was nothing like that, and reading it was an enjoyable experience. I think this book is definitely for anyone interested in graphic design. But it's also for anyone that isn't a graphic designer, which is just as important.

[Dimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much much better than I expected. The examples are really outdated in 2019, but the core of the book is still in terrific shape. Well done.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the other books I've picked up about visual design don't shine a candle to this book.

[Jonathan Ricketts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a oldie but has some solid references for beginners