Experimental Eco-Design: Architecture / Fashion / Product Feature

• ISBN13: 9782888930600
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Experimental Eco-Design: Architecture / Fashion / Product Overview

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I normally like to look and flip through books before I purchase them, but after seeing it’s rave reviews I decided to go ahead and purchase the book.
It not only met my expectations as far as providing me with digital templates (which come in .EPS), but it surpassed my expectations by providing me with really inspirational package design ideas. I LOVE this book.
The picture also does no justice to the quality of the book itself either. It is a very nice book. It is a necessity for anyone studying graphic design.
BUY IT NOW!

The Packaging and Design Templates Sourcebook (Graphic Design) Feature

• ISBN13: 9782940361731
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The Packaging and Design Templates Sourcebook (Graphic Design) Overview

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As an avid reader of Design Observer, I rushed out to buy a copy of Michael Beirut’s essay collection “79 Short Essays on Design.” Almost four years later, I think I have finally finished reading this collection. Beirut’s collection, though not the most conducive to reading all in one sitting, is continually surprising, and entertaining.
What surprises me most is the depth to which the book reaches on a wide variety of topics on design–from a discussion of t-shirt designs, to falling off a treadmill, it seems that Beirut can find the design in almost anything. That quality in his essays challenges the reader to do the same. Each time I re-read the essays in the book, I come out with a different thing to mull over, a new idea to try in a design solution, or just a funny line to make me smile for a day or two. Few other books I have read rival the long-term rewards of this book.
Perhaps the most fitting way to describe Beirut’s mastery of finding the design in the everyday is that same quality he discusses in the essay “What we talk about when we talk about architecture.” He begins describing the radio program “Car Talk” where conversations about car troubles can range from philosophy to relationship advice–almost anything, excluding, of course, car trouble. Beirut challenges that design lacks that same kind of community where talking about design can lead to, and connect with, other things.
In this collection of essays, I think he may have found an answer to that.

Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design Overview

Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design brings together the best of designer Michael Bierut’s critical writing serious or humorous, flattering or biting, but always on the mark. Bierut is widely considered the finest observer on design writing today. Covering topics as diverse as Twyla Tharp and ITC Garamond, Bierut’s intelligent and accessible texts pull design culture into crisp focus. He touches on classics, like Massimo Vignelli and the cover of The Catcher in the Rye, as well as newcomers, like McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern and color-coded terrorism alert levels. Along the way Nabakov’s Pale Fire; Eero Saarinen; the paper clip; Celebration, Florida; the planet Saturn; the ClearRx pill bottle; and paper architecture all fall under his pen. His experience as a design practitioner informs his writing and gives it truth. In Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design, designers and nondesigners alike can share and revel in his insights.

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When you start working, your great graphic design portfolio is going to help you land that great job. Your portfolio represents your skill and artistry, so put it together carefully because your artwork is going to speak for you.

Sort through all the work you have done – paid or unpaid, including design school assignments – and select the best work. Be critical here and take help from friends or professors to get an unbiased view. Leave out your not-so-great efforts, because it’s better to show 10 samples that range from excellent to good, rather than 20 to 30 samples which may include artwork that is passable or so-so.

Let your portfolio begin with your very best design and let the final artwork be your second best design. This way, you not only kick off with a strong impression, but you also leave your potential employer with another strong impression as his last memory of your artwork.

Graphic design is found in printed materials, on the web and on CDs and DVDs, so to make a complete graphic design portfolio, include samples of your work in all three media.

Quite a few clients need printed artwork, so select your best designs including as many different projects as you can to show off all your skills.

Include, for example, letterheads and calling cards, your best logos, any CD or album covers that you may have designed, a completed campaign, brochures, designs for paint boxes or toothpaste tubes, posters and banners, newspaper or magazine advertisements, labels, postcards – a wide-ranging selection of your work, you understand? Include a few pieces that you have really excelled at, like a random artwork or photographic study showing your Photoshop skills. The best of each project should give you 10 to 15 samples, just enough to interest a client without overwhelming him. Mount your artworks well on a neutral coloured sheet to show them off to their best advantage. Use a professional looking portfolio case to carry your samples. A case that allows you to add and remove leaves is a good idea, because then you use only as many leaves as you need to display your work.

A website portfolio is practically a necessity, with the internet being almost the main vehicle of communication, information, and most buying and selling today. Having a website in your own name not only makes you look professional, it also gives you an email address @yourownname.com.

Keep the website design simple. A neutral color background will allow your artwork to stand out. Keep your image samples at 100kb -150kb, so that they load quickly and no one with a slow internet connection will have to wait. The navigation should be easy, and available on every page, so that the viewer can go back and forth easily. The design of your website itself will display your artistic skills and add another dimension to your graphic design portfolio.

Your CD or DVD portfolio will be a slightly different version of your website. You can use the same design and pages, if you like. The image files can be larger, since no download will be necessary and you can add a little animation to make it interesting – and display yet another skill! Again, be sure to make it easy for your client to find just what he is looking for.

Have fun putting your graphic design portfolio together. Make your portfolio, website and CD/DVD easy on the eye and interesting to go through – and your clients will enjoy seeing your work!

Author, Platania V. P., Jr. specializes in writing custom graphic designs [http://www.custom-graphic-designs.com] about custom graphic designs and custom stationery [http://www.custom-graphic-designs.com] photo restoration.

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There is no room for a disconnect between the image your firm is projecting and the position you seek to carve out of the marketplace. More than ever, shifts in the legal industry are shining a bright light on business development. As the face of the firm evolves, its storytellers, i.e. the logo, firm brochure, practice area literature, recruitment material, trade publication ads, event invitations, newsletters, and the web site need to reflect the change. Collectively and individually, these ambassadors make a great case in favor of judging a book by its cover. How they look is just as important as their content.

Shaping that look, as well as shaping perception, is a function of graphic design. Strategic graphic design begins at the point where business goals and creativity intersect. A design, no matter how eye-catching, will fall short of success if that point of intersection has been missed. Sharp graphics alone lack the substance to define identity, but offer plenty of style.

Style is driven by trend. Style, rather than the firm, becomes the focus of this design approach. The design may be unusual. It may use appealing typestyles, sport a catchy headline, feature compelling illustrations, and photos of each principal attorney. Brochure design may even include a splash of purple. But will this design translate firm-wide from an invitation to a practice area brochure? It may have distinguished your firm from others, but, quite likely, has left an impression that is unrelated to firm character and unique strengths. As a corporate storyteller, a piece driven by style is a one-time expenditure that is unable to add equity to identity or market position.

Dramatic color can be used effectively as part of a deliberate effort to project a vibrant image or to push an existing connection with the firm. Then that splash of purple has been transformed from a gratuitous whim into a unique and memorable characteristic, a cornerstone of any branding and positioning effort. A prominent firm with offices in Chicago and throughout the U.S. uses bright yellow as part of its design identity, taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by its name.

What if ‘vibrant’ is not part of your firm’s corporate story? Then an inappropriate characteristic is leading your image-making efforts. From among the following creative variables, which will create a tone that captures the essence of your firm:

• a fast-paced and succinct writing style or one that is warm and conversational;
• conceptual imagery or traditional portraits;
• illustration or photography;
• bright colors or ones that are subdued and monochromatic?

From this perspective, seemingly capricious design decisions become purposeful and connect to business goals. This strategic integration of information and presentation is what will influence people.

Another vital creative element that works to build image is the design system. Its function is to ensure that all publications look as though they have originated from the same source. Developing guidelines for layout, typography, color and use of imagery will create visual consistency across disciplines from the web to an event invitation. With repetition, this underlying design architecture will work behind the scenes to trigger the desired response: name recognition. Image will develop as the firm is represented in this consistent manner, and like branding, will develop equity over time. Great design brings great ad concepts to life.

But, look beyond the visual impact of memorable law firm ad campaigns to find that level of intelligent design and creativity carried firmwide from business cards to practice area literature. Not just a catchy tag line or dramatic photo, the messages about the firm that are conveyed through a deliberately designed system infer quality and creativity without having to state the obvious: the competence of the firm.

Multiple visual styles coming from the same firm dilute positioning and recognition efforts. An inventory of current presentation/marketing materials often reveals a variety of approaches. A collection of practice area brochures for example, may provide evidence of a lack of design consistency to the point where each appears to represent a different firm. Reviewing a collection of event invitations may indicate no visual relationship with corresponding practice area literature. Without the budget or mandate to develop a totally new identity system, crafting a deliberate image may seem out of reach. However, the inventory may also reveal which elements can be retained and strengthened and which can be retired. For example, the decision could be made to retain a logo because, having become readily recognizable, it has accrued equity. That equity could be built upon by creating a consistent presentation of the logo. If some of your publications read Jones, Smith and Glass while others read JS&G, consider which direction is strongest and adopt the position firm-wide.

Elements of a design system can be put in place over time as budgets allow. Developing a common grid system upon which all publications can be designed will ensure that they look compatible and have originated from the same firm. Color palettes could be updated, and depending upon the story of your firm, subdued or brightened. Photography could be used in a consistent manner; perhaps your images are candid portraits reflecting the truth that the attorneys at your firm are approachable, real people.

A family of typefaces could be selected. Just because there are 150 fonts in your system does not mean you have to use them all. Templates could be created for repetitive publications, or ones that are produced in-house. Many firms are opting to move away from the traditional and costly firm brochure. More cost effective to produce is a smaller book that tells the firm’s story with broad strokes, leaving individual practice area brochures to convey information in greater detail, with easily updatable inserts for specific attorney bios and contact information. Taking small steps toward the long-term goal of firm-wide consistency will make a difference over time.

The value of graphic design lies in its ability to shape perception. Control the communication process and present an image that reflects the best your firm has to offer. It is too integral to business success to be left to chance, or that splash of purple.

Carol Septow is Principal/Design Director at Septow + Associates LLC in Chicago.
Septow + Associates
Chicago Strategic Graphic Design

Septow + Associates, 773-929-4324, designs integrated marketing communications programs that deliver long-term results for professional services firms.

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I love this book! I purchased it as an idea reference for my graphic design business, and it has been very useful. To have one book with so many different types of design projects (logos, posters, catalogs, websites, etc) has been wonderful. It has inspired me for many new projects already, and I would certainly recommend it to any graphic designer.

Some other books you may want to purchase in addition to this one for great references are:
Letterhead & Logo Design 8
The Web Designer’s Idea Book: The Ultimate Guide To Themes, Trends & Styles In Website Design

The Big Book of Design Ideas 3 Overview

The Big Book of Design Ideas 3 is the third of its kind. Like its predecessors, each piece in it was chosen for its ability to inspire others to create wonderful design. Full of hundreds of innovative ideas, this book can offer the impetus you need to upscale your present project from good to great.

Offering similarly innovative design solutions, the first volume, The Big Book of Design Ideas, became one of the best-selling graphic design books. From advertising to logos, from book jackets to websites, The Big Book of Design Ideas 3 showcases some of the most creative work in the world. There’s great inspiration in being exposed to great work. Look through The Big Book of Design Ideas 3 and be inspired.

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For many years, when a freelance graphic designer chose a new computer, Macintosh was the automatic choice. Macintosh computers provided the memory, processing speed and storage necessary for large design files. Most graphic design firms and printing companies used only Macintosh computers. Today, that trend continues but PCs are making inroads in what used to be territory exclusive to Macintosh. Therefore, the decision on what computer to purchase is not as clear cut as it once was for graphic designers.

Hardware is the first consideration of most freelance designers. While PCs have been proven to rival Macs in terms of processing speed, some people claim that Macs still process large graphic files more efficiently. Also, Macintosh computers have a better maintenance record than most PCs. However, when a hardware problem does arise a Mac can cost more to repair.

Software is where the Macintosh shines compared to the PC. All the major graphic design applications are available for both platforms and run with similar speed. However, the Macintosh operating system has historically been much more stable than the Windows operating system and much easier for the end user to troubleshoot. Additionally, Macintosh computers are far less susceptible to viruses, adware and spyware than PCs, which are notorious for their security flaws.

There are considerations beyond the hardware and software that a freelance designer needs to consider. For example, Macintosh computers typically cost more than PCs. However, once a PC is equipped with the appropriate memory, processor and graphics card to efficiently process graphic files, the cost is fairly similar. If a designer decides to switch platforms any graphic design software already owned must be repurchased under a new license which leads many designers to stick with one platform.

Aesthetics are often a consideration of many designers. Macintosh computers are designed to look sleek and creative while PCs are typically more standard looking. However, some of Macintosh’s most originally designed computers are not suitable for graphic design work, leaving a designer with the standard CPU tower, monitor and peripherals, though perhaps in interesting colors.

Finally, careful consideration must be given to interactions with outside vendors and clients. Many printing companies and graphic design firms still have a strong pro-Macintosh bias and may reject native files created with PC software. However, if you are submitting EPS, TIFF or PDF files, the difference in platform will be negligible.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Computers, Science, and Education [http://theeducationstop.net]

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Designing for Print: An In-Depth Guide to Planning, Creating, and Producing Successful Design Projects Overview

A highly visual guide to designing for print media, from project inception to final production
Packed with hundreds of informative, illustrated examples, Designing for Print demonstrates methods and techniques for creating top-quality print media projects. Carefully chosen real-world design exercises and problem-solving projects offer hands-on practice to help readers achieve strong designs.
This easy-to-use guide presents software tricks and tips, along with discussions on scanning, output, and other issues related to digital design for print and electronic media. Up-to-date coverage includes useful skills for getting the most out of the latest technologies. Dozens of sidebars and step-by-step descriptions walk readers through the design process in the same order actual projects are implemented:
* Planning design
* Designing with type
* Designing with photographs
* Advanced typography
* Preparing images
* Illustrating effectively
* Putting it all together
Designing for Print gives a peerless introduction to designing all types of print projects.

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Web design has gradually become an important part of graphic design. Graphic design used to deal primarily with written text and photographs. But graphic design has moved beyond the traditional print format. These days, a graphic design artist is just as likely to work solely on a computer then with a pencil and sketchpad. If you are unfamiliar with the fundamentals of web design, here is a brief overview that will give you some insight into the basics of web design.

Many new graphic designers overlook the fact that the best web design focuses primarily on content. When it comes to the best web design, content is king. Although you may find it tempting to fill a Web site with all the latest features, bells and whistles, remember that the website exists to serve content. Your job as a graphic design artist is to build the best website. What makes a good web site? The best websites are naturally intuitive, easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and allow the user to easily access information. This is not always as easy as it sounds. Building a web site with good usability can be surprisingly difficult to achieve if you don’t understand the fundamentals of good web design.

When building a good web site, your goal is to make it easy for the user to find the information they need. Use many descriptive titles for each page; subtitles are also a good idea. Provide an easy way for users to move between the home page and other pages, and make it easy to return to the home page no matter how far a user has traveled. Connecting all the different pages on the website creates the feeling of unity and order. In general, you should try to keep your page under 100K. Anything higher will make it difficult for some users to navigate the page with ease. If you offer any downloads on your web site, make sure you label them if they are higher than 100k.

Here are some more fundamentals of good web site design. You should always construct your webpages so there is information at the top of the page. This will keep the visitor reading and engaged while the bottom of the page loads. A good load time with a medium high-speed connection should be about ten to fifteen seconds. If your website has more than thirty pages, you should provide a search option so that users can easily find the information they’re looking for. In general, keep the graphics to a minimum. A clean, crisp design is always in style.

Before launching the website, make sure to test it for any errors or technical issues. The easiest way to do this is to try out the Web site on numerous different computers, browsers and platforms. Your goal in web design is to make the web site as accessible as possible. Sometimes, it can be difficult to achieve this, especially with so many competing platforms and web browsers. But it is definitely possible to make a website work on a variety of platforms, although it may make your job harder. Make sure to provide at least one method for feedback, whether it is an email address or a reply form, so that visitors can describe their experiences on the website and report any problems.

Visit Brian Scott’s website, http://www.FastCashDesign.com and learn about freelance graphic design and how to make money as a graphic designer.

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Elsevier’s Dictionary of Computer Graphics: In English, German, French and Russian Overview

Elsevier’s Dictionary of Computer Graphics contains 10,540 terms with more than 2,600 cross-references that are commonly used in the theory and practice of computer graphics. Included are terms from all areas related to a) the theory of computer graphics – descriptive geometry, projective geometry, topology, fractal geometry, color science; and b) the practice of computer graphics – computer-aided design (CAD) systems, technical drawing, computer art, computer animation, business graphics, scientific visualization, virtual reality, graphical programming, image processing, graphical computer devices.

As well as the commonly used terms in the above-mentioned areas, the dictionary also includes terms that are currently coming into use, especially in the areas of computer-aided design systems, computer art, computer animation, virtual reality and graphical programming.

Elsevier’s Dictionary of Computer Graphics will be a valuable tool for engineers, scientists, artists, students and for everyone who takes an interest in computer graphics.

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