I read this book because it is highly praised in design circles. The first thing to note is that it’s not a book on design but a book on the fundamentals of art. There is some graphic design but very little, not nearly enough to satisfy someone learning about design. The book is relevant to design however, and the subjects covered definitely deserve study by designers.
The text is for the most part clear and each principle is explained and illustrated fairly well. The book is well structured, with each principle explained and then broken down further into techniques.
I would have reversed the two halves of the book, putting “Design Elements” before “Design Principles”, as I think an inductive approach, going from the concrete elements and then integrating them into the broader abstract design principles, is more logical and makes for a more cohesive book.
The real downfall of this book is its graphics. You’d better enjoy (or at least be able to tolerate) modern non-art, heaps of it. Most of the examples used are hideous and far outweigh the few genuine art of masters such as Michelangelo, Canaletto, or even Degas.
All of the points could have been far better illustrated with real art and author diagrams, and the book would thereby be enjoyable. Instead, the reader is subjected to the pseudo profundity of scribbles, smears and conglomerations of junk, accompanied by an enunciation of the one [!] principle the so-called artist did implement. (This was probably an oversight on the part of the “artist”.)
Related to this is that the periodic discussions regarding representational and modern art is, in my opinion, very disingenuous. The authors are quick to raise (what they see as) objections to representational art but give the perpetrators of modern nonobjective “stuff” a free pass, never questioning its merits or validity.
I did learn something from this book, it’s hard not to because it covers a lot of material, but it was an exceptionally unpleasant task and the learning didn’t come from the junk “art” but from the text. The text is good, the explanations mostly clear.
However, there is nothing unique in this book that you won’t find covered elsewhere. I recommend elsewhere.
