Finally, a book on design I can recommend.
This book is a great introduction to the fundamentals of design. It is light on text but gives a clear and sufficient explanation of each principle to get you started. The visuals are very good and varied, with examples are taken from nature, architecture, industrial design, cooking (yes, you read that correctly) and of course graphic design.
You know a book addresses fundamentals when it’s principles can be applied to such a wide range of concretes! I like that the authors explicitly included such diverse examples, the diverse graphics greatly enhance the explanations and help the reader gain a firmer grasp of the principle and not just a particular application of the principle.
My one complaint is that important aspects of design are omitted. For example, the topic of color is not covered, not even in essentials. It is implicit in some chapters but you have to infer how a design principle such as unity would apply to the selection of a color palette. Another minor complaint is that there is too little content on each topic, the explanations could be “fleshed out” a little more, even for an introductory text.
The book itself is beautifully designed and easy to read, you can easily read it in a weekend. It provides a good introduction to design for the newcomer and a good refresher course on the basics for the experienced designer with some excellent examples of design for all to enjoy.
