But I Am Not A Designer!!

In that case let me present to you the The Non-Designer’s Design Book

This has to be one of the most recommended design book of all times.

Why?

It is a very simple read. It is great for beginners and acts as a good reference for designers who have been at it a bit.

It offers design guidelines with great examples on how to properly utilize them. While, at the same time there are examples of designs that do not follow the guidelines and still look great!

Bottom line: Design guidelines are just that – guidelines. They are not rules that have to be followed at all costs. The book does however, warn you against common design mistakes that amateur designer’s usually make.

An example: Centering Text.

I’m sure you have seen websites where the entire text and I mean the entire content is centered. And it is almost impossible to read. Want to know why?

It is because the human eye reads from left to right. Try noticing it – when your eye reaches the end of a para, it automatically moves to the left edge. Centering the text means it has to stop at different points on the left side, every time. Very tiresome for the eyes! So not only do you strain your eyes, it also does not give a clean look to the website.

That does not mean centered text never works. It works for headlines. It can work for small bits of text and so on and so forth.

But isn’t this book for print?
Yes, it is and no it isn’t.

Like I said the book is about basic design guidelines. Although it focuses on print, the examples and content applies to design in general and can be adapted to web design.

So seriously if you are looking to get a head start and have some basic knowledge in the field, this is a must read. Even if you don’t design yourself, this will be a great help in working with designers and in enabling you to recognize why a design might not be working for you.

Check out The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Tags: Books, Design