Robin Williams (1) (1953–)

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 show more tricks, you'll want to have it handy for future reference. show less

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 show more 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!). show less

Robin Willams' (the author, not the actor/comedian) "The Non-Designer's Design Book" provides a decent introduction to the design world for someone who, like me, has some idea of what good design is but doesn't know how to use that information. Her book presents four design principles that everyone already uses subconsciously, giving them names and making them easier to understand and to identify. Contrast, making items or text that are different really stand out from one another on a page; show more Repetition, using a visual element over and over to create continuity; Alignment, connecting items and text visually on a page to create good flow; and Proximity, placing related items near each other on a page. And rather than simply stating that these are the principles, Williams includes dozens of everyday examples to re-enforce their usage.

Typeface-thesis.jpgThe second section of the book deals with typefaces -- the Oldstyles, the Moderns, the Scripts, the differences between Serif and Sans Serif and Slab Serif -- and how to use them effectively to make a newsletter or invitation more eye-catching. Taking the image to the left as an example, those four typefaces look too much alike. Combining them onto a single page makes them almost indistinguishable from one another. Why not increase the size of one typeface to show how different it is? Or change the weight (or boldness)? Or how about a different color? The eye will be drawn to it and then want to read what comes immediately after.

It all seems pretty simple after reading Williams' book. Not that I'm going to drop everything to create a 20-page, 4-color catalog any time soon. But at least I can make my newsletters a cut above the rest. show less

If you learned to type of a typewriter, or even learned to type on a word processer from somebody who learned to type on a typewriter, you will find that you have adopted some obsolete practices.

Did you know that in today's world of desktop publishing (as well as the world of desktop publishing as of 1995), that putting TWO spaces after a period was unneccessary if you're not using a monospace font? Did you know that " and ' shouldn't ACTUALLY be used as quotes and apostrophes? That instead, show more you should be using "smart quotes" (forgive me for not using them here...). Did you know that there are THREE different types of dashes: hyphen, en-dash, and em-dash, each holding a vital and significant place in the punctuary world?

Well, if you've read The Mac is Not a Typewriter, then maybe you'd know all that, and more. This guide, written by Robin Williams (no, not THAT Robin Williams) gives you a brief yet condense overview of how you should be using font and punctuation and white space to maximize the aesthetics of your desktop publishing.

Even if you don't own a Mac, this book can provide helpful typesetting advice.

Recommended, especially, for Mac owners that want to make their documents all pretty-fied, as well as for other, non-Mac owners, who want more insight into when to use what punctuation/spacing/fonts where. show less