Rating: 
Summary: Extreme helpful to beginners
Review: I've never studied design officially, never had any "designer" job. But in spite of my lack of experience, I was able to study design from this book. For me the few basic principles I found in this book was very important and usable. I don't know about the pro's, but this book is invaluable for the beginners.
Rating:
Summary: It clearly says for "Non-Designers"
Review: This is a great book because it lives up to its intent. I am primarily writing this review to rebut one of the other recent ones. A previous reviewer gave this book a measly two stars because she (the reviewer) already knows the basics of design and this book did not teach her anything new. Read the title of the book! Why would anyone, professionally trained designer or "secretary," expect anything beyond introductory basics in this book? This book must be evaluated strictly on its clearly stated purpose - design insight for non-designers. I've seen the book's principles applied and it has helped numerous non-designers produce better-looking work. This is what I call a "success." This book is a classic and should not be given low scores because a reviewer can't grasp the title.
Rating: 
Summary: Opened my eyes!
Review: I read the entire book the day it arrived. The next day I applied the four basic design principles outlined to a report for work. Just a couple of changes to the fonts and alignment - Wow! - a whole new document. This is a great book for those not trained in design. I see my writing in a whole new way. My only complaint...the book was too short. Now, I want to know more.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely for "non-designers"
Review: As the book states, it's for "non-designers" -- like secretaries who have to write a newsletter for their boss. Williams certainly speaks to non-designers. To be fair, I already have a background in design -- part of which came from Design 101 when I was in college. I am an artist, and I am already aware of the basics, and much more. It's "classic" Williams: simple, yet effective samples, clean design, and clear and concise explanations. The gist of the book is the principles of design -- proximity, alignment, repetition and constrast. I knew that already, so this book didn't hold my attention.I really like Robin Williams' work, but this one was a disappointment for me. I certainly recommend it to a beginner, but for someone with experience, it was 5 minutes worth of reading...er, skimming.
Rating:
Summary: Not the only book you'll ever need, but you do need it!
Review: Two gripes first. 1.) I have had difficulty with the book's title. As an editor of a number of different publications over the years, I've had occasion to work with "designers" who couldn't align type to save their lives. I used this book to train them, and the title has been an obstacle. Not quite the level of problem I'd have had with the "* For Dummies" series, but still... 2.) In Williams' intro, she talks about Joshua trees. She received a tree identification book one year, saw a picture of a Joshua tree, and then went outside her parents' house in the San Francisco Peninsula area to find four of the houses in her block had Joshua trees growing in their yards. Wherever she went in the Bay Area after that, she saw Joshua trees growing everywhere. The moral of the story: once you learn about something (eg. design "don'ts"), you see them everywhere. Nice metaphor. Only problem is, the things she saw growing outside in the Bay Area were NOT Joshua trees. They were Cordylines, which resemble Joshua trees only vaguely. Williams' point is still important, but the truth adds two more lessons: Even an expert can still make mistakes through overconfidence, and it's really hard to find book editors who know anything anymore. Gripes aside, if you do any kind of page layout -- even if it's only for signs for your lost cat -- find a copy of this book. It won't turn you into an expert typesetter. For that, I suggest a few other books, such as Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style, and years of setting type and seeing what works and what doesn't. But Williams will keep you from making the worst of all possible mistakes, and that will set you apart from the majority of design being done in the US.
Rating:
Summary: Serious design for anyone -- not just beginners!
Review: Don't be fooled by the title -- "The Non-Designer's Design Book" is a serious book that can be useful to anyone. In a slim volume, this book distills to the very essence principles that seasoned design professionals use. This is NOT Design for Dummies, it's Design-for-Wannabe-Designers, and it's not kidding. Writer Robin Williams delivers a powerful design seminar in fun-book disguise. Her tone is light, encouraging, and creative, and her information is killer. I've read many books on this subject, and I learned many things in "The Non-Designer's Design Book" that have never even been approached in other books. Williams begins with the basics, using examples and redesigns to illustrate design principles that will teach you how to make an effective newsletter, brochure, business card, or advertisement every time. She then moves into more complicated subjects such as typography (no kidding -- I've never read anything about typography in any other book) that will serve to further refine your design projects. This book is not for the casual reader -- it is guaranteed to revolutionize the way you see, think about, and design any print media. Williams has written a clever, incisive lesson on design, while managing to be entertaining and encouraging. This book should undoubtably be a part of your complete designing education!
Rating:
Summary: The best for beginners
Review: The very first lesson produces great results. The author has written a very easy to understand book. It gets down to basics right away and clears up the mystery of how to produce clean, readable pages. I am amazed at how easy it is to do well by following the simple instructions. With the author's methods, anyone can produce professional work that will keep the reader interested. Besides the wonderful style, the writer uses subtle humor to push important points.
Rating:
Summary: Design is Power
Review: Robin Williams book should be taught in all the schools in this country. This would make a big dent in our national design illiteracy crisis. The root of this crisis: widespread access to desktop publishing and web authoring tools without any concept of typographic design. The result: billions of pages of confusing, hard to read verbal sludge. It doesn't have to be this way. Williams can turn the worst offenders into powerful communicators. She breaks typographic design down into four simple principles, backs them up with clear examples, and maintains a playful tone throughout. Work through the excercises in this book and you will truly stand out from your peers.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, bad public relations
Review: I would be tempted to give this book five stars, as I found it very informative and easy to read. It is ideal for anyone with minimal formal training in desktop design and publication but who nonetheless seeks to create professional-looking documents or publications. The practical advice and examples are excellent. The sole reason I hesitate to award five stars is inexcusable poor public relations on the part of the author and/or publisher. Some years (yes, years) ago, I wrote a complimentary letter to the author lauding this and previous books of hers and asking a simple question or two. I appreciate the fact that authors may be inundated with correspondence making it impossible to personally reply to each letter. But it is inexcusable that I never received as much as a form letter in return from the publisher. Especially as public relations is my business, I take note of such a glaring oversight, and I recommend that the author and publisher do likewise.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book for us novices - lacks color though.
Review: I am a "non-designer" and purchased this book to learn more about basic design principles. I must admit that it was very helpful. The author covers many important aspect of good design such as repetition, placement, typography, and others. The writing style is light and the author tries to inject a lot of humor into her work. A good part of the book is devoted to typography and I found it to be especially helpful for me. This section provided me with some very good ideas. The only negative comment that I have about the book is that it has a section on the use of color. The problem: The book is entirely done in black and white. Although it would have added to the cost of producing the book , I think that they should have added a few color illustrations to illustrate the principles on color that they were trying to explain. Instead, I suppose that you are supposed to use your imagination. This book retails for $15 and is only 144 pages, some color could have been added, and the book could still have been profitable. Overall, I think that it is a very good book. It's a little pricey (although most graphic design books tend to be) for what you get but I don't regret purchasing it. If you're a non-designer, and want to learn more about graphic design, then you will benefit from this book.
| 
