UI Design with Adobe Illustrator: Discover the ease and power of using Illustrator to design Web sites and apps by Rick Moore

by Rick Moore

Create high fidelity prototypes for complex websites and applications with the easy-to-learn and super-efficient vector capabilities of Illustrator and make the fear of client changes a thing of the past. Whether you’re a seasoned Photoshop veteran, a budding designer, or someone who simply has a good eye and artistic vision, this book will show you how to produce mockups and UI elements in a creative and productive way.Strongly of the opinion that design should not happen solely in a browser, Rick Moore demonstrates how to design mockups and UI elements with Illustrator in a way you may not have realized was possible. Learn which tools are best suited to a UI design workflow and how to customize Illustrator in a way that fits your style and flow. Rick provides expert guidance throughout the process from the initial planning stages to finalizing and sharing your work with clients and others.

Genres: Design

Paperback

First published August 9, 2012

About the author

Rick Moore works as an in-house User Experience Designer for a non-profit.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Roberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good nuts and bolts kind of book for using Illustrator to do UI design. Quick and user-friendly for learning. What it doesn't get into is UI Design thinking itself. If you're familiar with Illustrator then you may have already figured out how to incorporate these ideas, but if you're new to some of the the more recent functionality introduced in the last two versions then this book will get you creating UI design quickly. Think styles.

I've been doing designs using a variety of means, going from Illustrator to Photoshop to InDesign, depending on the project. Now lately I've started using Muse. I suspect the tools you use will vary depending on what the site involves. I find, however, the more I can do within a flexible and scalable program like Illustrator, the better in the long run of the project.

Of the tips I had no clue existed, here's the top I discovered in this book:

1. Method for creating quick columns and grids in Illustrator without manually dragging out guides. This to me opened up the usability of Illustrator for web work.

2. Pixel preview. Ability to see how your elements will render on the web is crucial. Illustrator gives you this view that you can turn on/off as needed. Vectors always appear cleaner then when they get rendered out.

Overall it's a good starter book and focuses more on the Illustrator aspect rather than dipping into UI. This is a blessing to keep the book light, I just wish there was a little more UI design infused in the examples. I think the design of buttons, icons, etc. and best practices should be included in this book. It certainly would make for a more complete book.