Design Writing Research: Writing on Graphic Design

This is a great find for anyone interested in the more theoretical underpinnings of graphic design and typography. From Foucault to Derrida, the authors sample a number of approaches towards the "why" behind the design of printed materials. Graphic designers will find great introductory resources on topics such as deconstructivism and the intellectual archaeology of design, whereas more politically minded souls will enjoy essays on race and sexuality in graphic design and advertising. A nicely done, eclectic reader.

Ever wonder why those little airport symbols for men's and women's restrooms look the way they do? Shouldn't the female symbol be sitting down? This book helps explain how those supposedly universal symbols evolved, along with many other elements of design that we encounter everyday as we negotiate society. This is a rather unique compilation of articles related to the history, practice and science of design in myriad forms and media. Why do printed words look the way they do? Many of us have never really thought about it much, I'm sure. But Lupton and Miller reveal in readable and entertaining prose that design choices are integral to the content in visual media, from newspaper columns to advertising billboards. The book is worth the price just for the guided tour through legendary examples of subliminal eroticism in advertising. Sex on the Rocks -- who'd a thunk it?