Reddit reviews The Non-Designer's Design Book (4th Edition)
We found 37 Reddit comments about The Non-Designer's Design Book (4th Edition). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Peachpit Press
The Non-Designers Design Book. Talks about Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity. But in very simple terms and is seriously the first book you should pick up when you have a hard time understanding why or where you should place items in a layout which hopefully, is very early in your education. Its a great starting point for learning good practices with layout and organization.
I am not a designer. But I am getting better, a big part due to this book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams/dp/0133966151/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Even though it is not aimed at online it is really really good at pointing out some of the very simple and immediately applicable things 'designers' do to make things look better.
e.g. one example if you want two complementary styles of text, make them very different - much bigger, or one much bolder, and a totally different font. Or another could be always making sure things align with something else, you have placed it there for a reason. It all seems very obvious in hindsight.
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Also checkout https://refactoringui.com/ for a more modern web oriented approach it is pricey for the amount of content IMO but what is there is good stuff.
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I think it helps with the prevalence of flat/simple sites even as a non designer you can make things look good by striving for simplicity and consistency
This is a copy and paste from a few months ago. There isn't really a "bible," so to speak, because the field is so varied. But this list should get you started. There are also some technical writing textbooks on Amazon that might be useful.
If you're looking for more mechanical things like document structure and organization, I'd recommend the following:
Read Non Designers' Design Book (https://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151) and change the design. Your card looks ugly and unprofessional. You should: (1) use left or right alignment, (2) group items, (3) use contrast (e.g. make titles and important items bigger and less important items smaller / use colors), (4) use sentence case / not use all caps, (5) make logo more visible.
edit: and don't say people to google things. You shouldn't ask "is it legit" but confirm that it is legit and than maybe add a link to a specific site (not Google) that confirms this.
Also, more general but still super useful: The Non-Designer’s Design Book
I recommend both all the time. The multiple editions attest to the timelessness of their advice.
Looks like [The non designer's design book] (https://www.amazon.fr/gp/aw/d/0133966151/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile) by Robin Williams is what you are looking for!
Great book, straight to the point with lots of practical examples and simple steps to improve your designer's eye!
A combination of using old decks as well as content from this book: https://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486226887&sr=8-1&keywords=Graphics+Design+for+Non+Designers
The Non-Designer's Design Book
The Non-Designers Design Book is pretty wonderful. It breaks down the basic rules and tenants of graphic design in a very easy-to-understand way, with lots of pictures and before/after.
I find that many designers become designers because they were artists when they were kids and wanted to continue making art for a living. This book is great for those people, too. It's sets some structure around making your design easy to look at and/or use. Without getting too complicated, it delves into the neuropsych-based rules that help us make clean and easy designs.
I've purchased that book as a gift more than any other, and make my company buy it for everyone who works in my department.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0133966151/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0321534042&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZA58Z7W2DV09C2C0C6Q
> Also, go through some RPG books you consider beautiful and look at them as a page designer
I came here to mention this. but also, check out The Non-Designer's Design Book – its advice is much more general than rpg manuals, but the concepts and tools are worth every penny.
Thanks for the reply! I can safely say I would like to focus on web/digital. I've started collecting/bookmarking resources to the principles you mentioned but is there any particular path you would recommend? I don't mind throwing down some money for a learning resource (such as Lynda) and some books. My current list of books I have in my cart:
Also, since you're a designer and developer, what is the ratio of work like for you at your current job? Do you end up doing more development or design?
A Word of Caution on Inspiration Galleries
Seeking inspiration (ideas) is perfectly acceptable, but it must be done so cautiously. Too often, people fall into the trap of simply copying the sources of inspiration because it looked nice.
Instead, it's helpful to study the source of inspiration. Which components are interesting? Why were they used? What problem was the designer attempting to solve with them? Once you understand why those components were used, then you are better positioned to decide if they help solve your design problem.
It's also helpful to remember that no two design problems are the same. Sure, you're a bank and we're a bank, but we have different needs, target different audiences, have different value propositions, different brands, and so on. Thus, our design solutions will necessarily differ.
Some Helpful Resources
As for helpful resources, I would start with a video from Flint McGlaughlin on the inverted marketing funnel. You're probably already familiar with the funnel concept from marketing, but he describes it as fulfilling a sequence of "micro yes" points. If you have a good understanding of how the user moves through these "micro yes" moments, then it can help you decide where to choose and place elements on a page. For example, should your call-to-action be above the fold? Do you need pictures? Are stock photos okay? And so on.
Going more in-depth, I would recommend looking to The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett. You can find lecture videos from him on YouTube covering the ideas.
Another book on the essential reading list is Don't Make Me Think, Revisited by Steve Krug. It's a fantastic book on usability and user experience.
For a slightly more graphic design bent, although still applicable, I would recommend The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams. It will help you understand the basic components of graphic design which can be applied to web design.
What all these resources do is give you a basic framework through which you can make better design decisions.
Design is fundamentally about problem solving. You are not creating a design simply for the sake of the "design." You are creating a design to accomplish some goal. This is true of graphic designer, web design, user experience design, interaction design, and even industrial design.
You don't need to 'learn photoshop' - you need to learn design fundementals. Luckily for you the basics can be groked in a couple of hours, so grab some beers and read this https://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.fr/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams/dp/0133966151&ved=2ahUKEwjwpd_o4cLeAhVBgRoKHeElB4kQFjAMegQIABAB&usg=AOvVaw0b1sBWhk6SnyR5MjCHlPR-
And then read Don't make me think and then https://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Typographic-Style-Robert-Bringhurst/dp/0881791326&ved=2ahUKEwjV1cSU4sLeAhUJdxoKHdOEC8cQFjANegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw03o7FI9eojlwYKvoUQNx0z
I've seen a lot of RPG designers talk about The Non-Designer's Design Book as a way to learn the basics of layout.
This book was recommended here the other day.
The Non-Designers Design Book
There's some exercises mixed in, if I recall correctly. But it's definitely not a book to structure a class around.
And the fourth edition claims "more quizzes and exercises and updated projects":
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0133966151/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0321534042&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=12Y57J5GCD2ZW2J8MTYC
Also, I saw the Head First design book on Amazon. I have not used their design book, but I did use their HTML book. According to Amazon, the HTML book is 768 9.3" x 8" pages - and at the end of it, you have a very basic website. So I would not recommend any of those books.
It looks like you're overusing Photoshop brushes/textures in the latter two, and it's not adding anything to the aesthetic. Why the random black spots in Horizon Storms? I'm also not getting any sense of different levels of headings (H1, H2, etc.). Finally, in my opinion, you don't need to combine paragraph indents with spaced between paragraphs. They serve the same purpose. Pick one.
You may want to check out the Non-Designer's Design Book for some introductory principles on graphic design, typography, etc.
This is also some invaluable advice on typography: http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2014/07/01/18-rules-for-using-text/
And some basics on Graphic Design (but you'll need to Ctrl-+ to read them): https://www.behance.net/gallery/3737327/Rules-of-Graphic-Design-poster-series
> https://hackdesign.org/
I'd add the "The Non-Designer's Design Book" by Robin Williams as another brilliant resource for programmers trying to make their designs look a bit more professional.
I'm a full time college student who is getting a graphic design degree, but wants to do full time photography when I graduate. Honestly the best way is to practice making stuff using the programs. Whenever you can't figure something out look up how to do it online. That's essentially the basis of what you'd be doing in classes anyhow (other than learning graphic design principles).
This book is a pretty decent start on learning graphic design principles. It's super short and I found it to be helpful. There is a lot of stuff to learn, but just learning to use the programs and practicing are two important steps you could easily take to improve.
> I know I can't master it (and I don't have to)
You're already limiting yourself there. Anyone can learn anything!
For beginners I like recommending this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151
Buy it, check it out at your library... whatever. If you get through it go to /r/web_design and ask for more suggestions.
Also check out this online course: https://hackdesign.org/
I haven't gone through it but looks really promising. If anyone has taken it please leave a review here :P
Two possible resources: the book 'Non-Designer's Design Book', which has a 4th edition out soon: http://www.amazon.ca/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409784109&sr=1-2&keywords=non+designer%27s+design+book
And the Lynda.com website has a lot of courses if you want more specific tool-based resources. It might fit your need of something more structured but at a lot lower cost...
Hey man,
For starters, go pick up and read The Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams. It's a great little book that should give you a lot of the mental tools really quickly. Once you've got a good bead, you can expand from there.
Now, you say you wanted it friendlier. I don't see that. The original is kinda clobbery, and the background is no good. It's dark and mysterious and a little menacing. It's also CAPS LOCK shouting. It's all a little much, and it doesn't invite you in. So, in comparison, the white background you used still isn't very inviting; it's more like a form or questionnaire. Colours, okay, use them if you want, but these colours are, like, airport signage. I'd imagine pastels or something might be a little friendlier. Icons: your circles don't match your line weights. Small text blocks like this I would kern. You've done nothing different with the title except used a smaller font which needs better leading. You have lots of negative space, but each individual block needs to be balanced better. If you took the top one out, and looked at it on its own, you can see it isn't balanced. Most of all, you've changed the copy, and you should never do this unless instructed. The diamond in the original "I want to take someone out" does not mean the same as your diamond "Take me out". The original copy is friendlier.
That may have sounded a bit harsh, and I don't intend it to be harsh, but just a rough overview of the things I see that you might consider. If you're going to round your edges -- which is great, make it a bigger move. Also consider not rounding them all for a more contemporary feel.
The principles described in the book "Non-designer's Design Book" are surprisingly simple and robust. Although intended for non-designers, as the title suggests, I think it's a solid introduction for anyone to learn design.
The author talks about only four principles:
Also makes for an easy-to-remember acronym.
If you want deep design knowledge - https://greatdesignbooks.com/
If you want a TLDR - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0133966151
If you want specific instruction about webpages - just go find inspiration
If you want to learn about web-design teams at larger companies.
Get the Non-Designers Design Book.
The main things you are doing wrong are the main things covered in that book.
Yeah, me too.
Check out The Non-Designer's Design Book by
Robin Williams.https://www.udemy.com/ux-web-design-master-course-strategy-design-development/ (non-affiliate)
It's a paid course, but you can get coupons almost all the time for 10-12 bucks. Everything he teaches is excellent.
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https://amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151/ (non-affiliate)
Robin Williams The Non-Designers Design Book
2 solid choices. I am a designer with 0 artistic skill. These will both help you make better design choices. Joe's Udemy course above focuses extensively on UX and UI. He also teaches a Udemy course specifically on UX/UI, though I found a lot of duplicate content between the two. I'd recommend looking at both of them.
This book isn't powerpoint-specific, but depending on where you're starting from, a few fundamentals could make a world of difference in visual presentations.
How about the Non-Designers Design Book? http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453765007&sr=1-1
Here's a pretty well-known book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Non-Designers-Design-Book-Edition/dp/0133966151/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Some articles to read:
This isn't ready yet, but I'm looking forward to this book on the subject - https://refactoringui.com/book/
I've seen this one recommended - https://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151
This looks interesting, and developed into a book - https://medium.com/hello-web-design/design-for-non-designers-part-1-6559ed93ff91
There are two I can think of related to UX for developers, which isn't graphics design but should help you design better interfaces. One is due out in January - https://www.amazon.ca/Developers-User-Centered-Day-Day-Development/dp/1484242262 This one is already out - UX Fundamentals for Non-UX Professionals - https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Non-UX-Professionals-Experience-Principles/dp/1484238109
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Graphic Design is more about pedantry and font/color/weight/contrast/alignment choices. But a good book for inspiration is 2D: Visual Basics for Designers and a good book to use as reference is The Non-Designer's Design Book
Like mentioned a framework like bootstrap or material design and this book is a great place to start.
The Non-Designer's Design Book (4th Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0133966151/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6rs0AbSRA52V0
I would like to encourage you a little and liberate you from the thought that a good designers must "be creative" (i.e., good at making things look pretty).
Form and function. Web design is primarily about function (i.e., problem solving). Form plays a lesser role and can be highly subjective. As a general principles, so long as form does not hinder function and is not needed to communicate a particular message (e.g., elegance, happiness, anger, etc.), then good-enough form is good enough.
Consider Craigslist. It's an ugly website. It's not going to win any good-looks awards. Yet, people are not leaving in droves because it solves a problem (i.e., post, search, and review classifieds) and does so well.
On the flip side, there are many beautiful websites that are functionally defective.
Good designers solve problems. If you want to learn good design, I'd recommend a few courses:
You can take all of these courses and specializations for free. (Make sure you select the free option if that's your preference.) They will help you learn "design thinking" from three different perspectives.
A really good book on usability (function) with wide applicability is Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug. A good book on graphic design basics is The Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams.
Sadly, most web "design" books focus on teaching HTML, CSS and JavaScript rather than design, so I can't provide any good resources specifically on web design. (Maybe others can fill that void.)
However, the benefit of approaching design from a variety of perspectives and in a variety of contexts is that it helps you learn how to "think design." Seeing design thinking play out across areas reinforces the basic design principles and practices and makes it easier to apply them to web design.
If you are more interested in form, then I'd recommend looking into studio art classes (e.g., drawing, painting, photography, digital imaging, etc). (Alternatively, you could follow courses on YouTube for these.) While these sometimes focus more on technique, they'll help you learn how to dissect what you see. You'll learn to see objects as shapes, lines, textures, shades, hues, etc. Combine that knowledge with good technique (e.g., drawing, HTML/CSS, Photoshop, etc.), and it becomes easy to make things look nice.
Also, don't neglect creativity. One of the best books on creativity that I've ever come across is Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People. While it's a long read, it provides you with some great tools to use to "spark" creative thought.
Hope that helps.
> An understanding of design concepts is handy, but you don't need to be able to come up with the design yourself.
I think this line really sums it up best. You are likely to be tasked with creating some mock-ups, or adding a feature after the designer(s) have more or less moved on to the next project. In the case of the former, having some basic understanding of layout and design will help you create a usable product, even if it lacks polish.For the latter, being able to interpret the existing design, and extracting a few rules from it will let you deliver something pretty close to a finished product.
Working as a contractor or as part of a small team you sometimes have to wear multiple hats. I'm mostly a backend developer, but have (and still do) work on the front-end. There are a couple of books I have read and recommend for people in that situation. Neither will make you a full-blown designer, but do cover the essentials that anyone working on the front-end really should know.
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach To Web Usability
The Non-Designer's Design Book
I had an older edition of this book I got in college. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get into graphic design:
https://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-4th/dp/0133966151
It does a really good job of taking a lot of topics, summing them up nicely and providing examples. It'll help with spacing, colors, alignment, etc.
I recommend hiring a designer or getting serious and doing some self education.
Thinking with Type
The Non-Designer's Design Book