Area

Rating:
Summary: Hands Down the Best!
Review: Being a creative designer you constantly look for graphic design books to help inspire the inner ideas and concepts that you long for. On the weekends, you constantly look for inspiration and design to help cure your fix. While, during the week you strive at your job or in school pumping out projects to feed the deadlines that you are constrained by. If you are like me and absolutely cannot get enough design than you should read further. I can honestly say that, this is the best design book that you can ever buy. Looking at Graphic Design books every week (I'm talkin 1000's of books) you see the same sort of books, about 100 pages 1 example or project every 3 pages and the price is about $40. Area is the one book that blew me out of the water for how much explosive design can actually grace a cover. Their is about 2 to 8 designs per page! The book has 448 pages! You cannot go wrong with this book. Do not waste your money on any other book, Area will impress and will be a fountain of creativity and design for all creative designers. I want to congratulate every designer that is in this book on outstanding work! Also thanks to Valerie Vago-Laurer, Patrick Busse, Jesse Donaldson, Julia Hasting, and Karen Farquhar, and Phaidon for anoter impressive book. If you are kind of shakey about the price, don't be, just get a copy as soon as you can, $69.99 is a steal for a book at this magnitude. You won't be dissapointed! Being a creative design student this is the best weapon in your arsenal!

BUY IT!

Rating:
Summary: If you buy it, you wont be sorry
Review: I am not a graphic designer, but an architect. I suppose that exposes me to many assumptions and charcter generalizations - so be it. I will say this, this book is an incredible asset to anyone involved in design professions or the creative process as a means of income.
There is little text, but lots and lots and lots of visualizations. The graphics are stunning, from the cutting edge to the everyday of the New York Times. The point is that this book runs the spectrum of graphic arts - and these are very fine arts on display. Each graphic artist was hand selected by a jury of critics - the format is similar to many of Phaidon's (the publisher) other titiles in related design/art professions. 10 x 10 in architecture, Vitamin P in contemporary painting, Cream3 and Fresh Cream as well. I happen to own many of these other titles and find them all fascinating, artistically enriching and visually compelling.
I cant say that everyone will be as awe struck as I, nor can I say that all will have some sort of deep, penetrating and profound revelation viewing this book. What I can say is that this is a quality piece. Even if these artist/professionals are not new to you, or the mediums and concepts employed are old news, the book is still well made and keenly organized.
I know nothing of the finer points to graphic design. Sure I know a few names such as Paul Rand, but I know that I enjoy opening this book and examining the contents. Good design is good design and I am very fascinated by the thought of applying the visual stimulation and pleasure, gleaned from this book, to the work I do as an architect.