Looking Closer

This seems to be a very good series for Designers who see design as a way of life and not just a paycheck. There are a lot of conceptual motifs discussed as it examines all of the intellectual considerations a designer must address when working on a job that demands more than aesthetic alone. It delves into the very essence of communication at the visual level as it reviews typography, semiotics and a host of other immediately pertinent subject matter. Well worth the price of admission. An indispensable publication that will maintain it's relevance for decades to come.

This is the first volume in a collection of books on design criticism. The articles are pulled from sources like the Journal of the AIGA, Print, and EYE magazine. The topics range the "ugly aesthetic" to the state of design education. The articles are all decent none really stick out as undeserving of a place in this collection. Paul (IBM logo) Rand Contributes an interesting essay on what purpose logos really serve and Paula Scher talks about the way she runs her classes at SVA. The essays all provide some food for thought(even it the thought is " I'd like to smack this guy.")Buy it and keep it with you It's a good thing to have around while your waiting for a bus, a haircut, or a class to begin.