Re: FLASH: OT : Design Books/References

[Gahlord Dewald]

On 1/12/01 at 1:30 PM, Bawol, Brian <

BBawolNLMI [dot] com

> wrote:


> I was curious as to how most of you get your design experience?

> School?  Previous fine art experience?  Print media?  


Went to school for music of all things. Design experience in print media and

also working as a project manager for awhile before heading into the interactive

space.



> 

> Could anybody recommend any good books or websites for design education?

Depends on what you mean or are looking for in education. I'd recommend learning

as much as possible about typography (something that even some design schools

don't spend enough time on). Good typography is what separates the wheat from

the chaff in my opinion. Look at a lot of photography and determine what's good

and not so good about it. Look at a lot of design in general, discuss it with

your friends. Ultimately, I don't think that design or any aesthetic based

discipline can be truly taught (this could just be reinforcing the fact that I

didn't go to design school). But you can hone it by constantly thinking/talking

about it; ideally with others who know what you're talking about. Some important

skills and a few resources:


Typography:

Robert Bringhurst's "Manual of Typographic Style"

Anything with David Carson's name on it (to contrast against Bringhurst)

Erik Spiekerman's book


Info Design:

Edward Tufte

More Edward Tufte

All three helpings of Edward Tufte

John Maeda or any/all of his students (to contrast, perhaps, with Tufte)


Understand your technology ala praystation.com and monocrafts.

Read the business page of the New York Times.



> Thank you for any input, and I will assume Jakob Nielsen is already out of

> the question.  ;)


No you should pay close attention to Jakob. He's a sonofabitch but he's

important. And, sadly, he's often right. If you do everything he says your sites

will function and look like vanilla. The talent comes in making them function

and _not_ look like vanilla. He can give you the function half of that equation.

I hate him and everything he says and stands for (I have my official mug). 


hth,

g


Gahlord Dewald

Weeds Media Consortium

Hoops of Fire. Dancing Bears.

Interactive Designers.

http://www.weedsmedia.com


v: 802.658.4267 x 1

f: 800.863.9606

e:

gahlordweedsmedia [dot] com

Weeds Media Consortium

416 Pine Street

Burlington, VT 05401

USA




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