Don't be a wimp.

At least, that's what Williams tells us just about every other page. You'd think it would get annoying, but it doesn't.

That's premise of the Non-Designer's Design Book, which was written to help us every-day average Joes not make ridiculous layouts that will be so horribly ugly that they will blind passing children and puppies, or something.

I found this book to be a great help, explaining many things I didn't even learn when I was editing (and winning state-wide awards for editing, writing and laying out) a newspaper. Just don't tell anybody, okay?

This book, complimenting Williams' "The (computer system you're using) is Not a Typewriter" books, takes your through what makes layout work, and what makes it aesthetic. You know an ugly ad when you see it, and after reading this book, you'll not only know WHY it's hideous, but also what they could have done to make it better.

Do you need the Non-Designer's Design Book? Well, if you're a professional designer, you won't. Also, if no other person will ever see your design work, you also won't. But if you're anything less than a professional (or even a professional with some level of curiosity), and you're making things that the public will see, it would benefit you greatly to invest in this book (and for heaven's sake, stop using Comic Sans!). ( )

This is a great little book. I've got a certificate in web design and I've always considered myself very artistic. I know when something looks good or it doesn't. But what I didn't know was why it did or didn't look good. Also a lot of my work was more trial and error.

So I picked up some great tips from this book and now I get things done quicker (with less experimentation) and they look more professional. Plus I've got some fancy terms I can use when talking about design with my friends (or complete strangers). ( )

Contrast,

Repetition,

Alignment,

Proximity

Leave it to the reader to make the acronym.

I think the author said "Don't be a wimp" that you can tell she really means it. ( )

What the other reviews don't tell you... is that Robin Williams not only boils the essentials of desktop design down to a handful of sensible and easy-to-grasp concepts, she does so in a most entertaining and engaging way. This is a book you could read and enjoy even if you weren't looking for beginner's design tips! Reading this book has absolutely helped me take my self-taught design skills to the next level. I recommend buying and not borrowing, however, since it has so many tips and tricks, you'll want to have it handy for future reference. ( )

This is a great book if you never had a background in formal design. I came into web design from a programming background, so this was a great primer on style and common practices and principles. It focuses on print design, but a lot of the same principles apply to web design as well. ( )