Design Books (William Alexander)

Things I have learned in my life so far

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $20.37

Amazon Best of the Month, March 2008: Many consider Stefan Sagmeister to be our most important living designer, but he reaches beyond design circles in sharing 20 Things I have learned in my life so far, including the fact that "keeping a diary supports personal development." Proving his point, this book grew from a list in his diary during a year-long commercial hiatus. He returned to paid work with greater freedom from clients and himself, and created a series of projects spelling out personal truths--"worrying solves nothing," "trying to look good limits my life," and other simple, meaningful statements. Most are public and interactive (words spelled out on the backs of swimmers in the Hudson River, or displayed by enormous blow-up monkeys lounging around Scotland, or flaming in Singaporean bamboo scaffolding), while others are more private experiments with intriguing materials (sausages, cacti, sperm). All are presented--along with personal anecdotes supporting his assertions and notes on the practicalities of creating each project--in an alluringly interactive format: a "box" of 15 booklets with unique covers that can be switched to transform the look of the case from creepy to lovely. --Mari Malcolm

Soviet Posters: The Sergo Grigorian Collection

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $15.76

This massive book of Soviet propaganda posters, many rare and never before published, is at once a revealing historical document and a sublime example of graphic art at its best.

Dating from 1917 to the beginning of the Cold War, the posters in this book feature the work of such major Russian ground-breaking avant-garde designers as El Lissitzky and Alexander Rodchenko as well as extraordinary works by anonymous artists. Presented in full color, the 250 posters gathered here range in themes from warnings about the dangers of alcohol abuse and the creeping Nazi menace to illustrations of utopian harmony and the Soviet industrial machine. A brief illustrated introduction offers a chronological overview of the period that produced such eloquent art, which has long been a major source of inspiration to artists and designers.

Type Addicted (The New Trend of a to Z Typo-Graphics)

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $29.00

From 2D to 3D design, types are another key visual besides pure graphics and illustration. How to deal with types is a common challenge among designers/artists from various design disciplines. We are excited to present you our latest title Type Addicted which shows you the new trend of A to Z typo-graphics. Type is one of the graphic elements that designers always get addicted to play with. It is commonly used on almost every item in our daily life. The title not only presents a rich selection of experimental and inspirational typefaces and its application, it also reveals the diversity and innovative approaches of contemporary typography. Examples of work by up-and-coming practitioners as well as international and renowned icons are demonstrated; new directions and trend of nowadays typography around the world will also be disclosed eventually. This is truly developed for type addicts!

Logo

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $19.61

The logo bible, this book provides graphic designers with an indispensable reference source for contemporary logo design. More than 1300 logos are grouped according to their focal form, symbol, and graphic associations into 75 categories such as crosses, stars, crowns, animals, people, handwritten, illustrative type, etc. To emphasize the visual form of the logos, they are shown predominantly in black and white.

By sorting a vast, international array of current logotypes ranging from those of small, design-led businesses to global brands the book offers design consultancies a ready resource to draw on in the research phase of identity projects. Logos are also indexed alphabetically by name of company/designer and by industrial sector, making it easy to piece together a picture of the state of the identity art in any client's marketplace.

Look at This: Contemporary Brochures, Catalogues & Documents

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $9.79

Printed brochures, catalogs, and multi-page documents form the bedrock of many graphic designers' daily practice. Most printed literature is disposable: todays hot communication document is tomorrow's landfill. But the best brochures, catalogs and documents have a permanence and organic completeness that has become essential in this ephemeral, and increasingly electronic, world of instant communications. This book features the best of contemporary printed literature design. It offers a critical survey of current work by leading practitioners from the U.S., Europe and the Far East. Arranged in a designer-by-designer format and accompanied by interviews, this book offers a complete and informative picture of this popular subject.

Paul Rand: Conversations with Students

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $8.98

As one of the most influential and inspirational graphic designers of the twentieth century, Paul Rand defined modern American graphic design. His iconic logo designs for IBM, UPS, and the ABC television network distilled the essences of modernity for his corporate patrons. His body of work includes advertising, poster, magazine, and book designs characterized by simplicity and a wit uniquely his own. His ability to discuss design with insight and humor made him one of the most revered design educators of our time. This latest volume of the popular Conversations with Students series presents Rand's last interview, recorded at Arizona State University one year before his death in 1996. Beginners and seasoned design professionals alike will be informed by Rand's words and thoughts on varied topics ranging from design philosophy to design education.

AGI: Graphic Design Since 1950

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $43.87

The history of the most important design association in the world and its members: AGI.

AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) was founded in 1951 by a small, select group of French and Swiss graphic designers. Since then AGI has invited some 600 designers from more than thirty countries to join its ranks.

Together the members of AGI have written a significant part of the history of graphic design since the mid-twentieth century. This book tells the story of their accomplishments through a series of richly illustrated biographies, plus essays by prominent AGI members on past and present developments in visual communication.

The designers featured here include Alan Fletcher, Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Roman Cieslewicz, Ivan Chermayeff, Tom Geismar, Seymour Chwast, April Greiman, Yusaku Kamakura, Milton Glaser, Adrian Frutiger, Tibor Kalman, and hundreds more. 2000+ color illustrations.

Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $60.90

Graphic Design History traces the social and cultural role of visual communication from prehistory to the present, connecting what designers do every day to a history of innovative graphic forms and effects. It offers a unique and exciting set of critical lenses for thinking about the cultural purpose and historical dimensions of the graphic designer’s work, placing emphasis on the relevance of the history to the practices of designers today. Designed by the authors, the book is beautiful, spacious, and elegant. Clearly organized into three content-rich layers, it is informative yet lively and driven by ideas that offer ways of thinking about graphic design from a wealth of historical examples

Graphic Design: A New History

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $40.95

This exciting new history of graphic design explores its evolution from the late 19th century to the present day. Organized chronologically, the book illuminates the dynamic relationship between design and manufacturing as well as the roles of technology, social change, and commercial forces on the course of design history. The layout of each chapter reflects the unique style of the period it describes, and some 450 illustrations throughout the volume provide a visual record of more than one hundred years of creative achievement in the field.
Under the influence of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th century, a new era began for design arts. Fueled by popular Art Nouveau advertising, the work of graphic designers became central in the growing consumer goods economy. This book traces the emergence of varied modernist design styles in the early 20th century and then examines the wartime politicization of regional styles through American government patronage and revolutionary Soviet ideas. Richly contextualized chapters chronicle the history of the Bauhaus and the rise of the International Style, followed by the postmodern movement of the 1970s and '80s. After highlighting recent developments in graphic design around the globe, the author discusses the impact of inexpensive, powerful design software and the challenges facing designers now.

(20071215)

Hand Job: A Catalog of Type

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Book -- $19.99

In this digital age of computer-generated graphics and typography, it's refreshing to find typographers who still believe in working by hand. No longer relegated to designer's sketchbooks, hand-drawn type has emerged from the underground as a dynamic vehicle for visual communication from magazine, book, and album covers to movie credits and NFL advertisements. As the practice and appreciation of hand-drawn type grows, it s time to celebrate the work of those typographers whose every letterform is a work of art.

Hand Job collects groundbreaking work from fifty of today's most talented typographers who draw by hand. Graphic designer and hand typographer Michael Perry selects work representing the full spectrum of design methods and styles. Each hand-drawn work is entirely shaped by the artist's unique process every one a carefully executed composition enhanced by unplanned "accidents" of line, color, and craft. Hand Job also includes photographs of found type, artists studios, and the tools that help make typography come to life. Whether you are looking to invigorate your design work or are just in need of a little offbeat inspiration, Hand Job will have you reaching for your favorite pen.