Rating: 
Summary: Ought to be required reading
Review: Like most everyone else, I came across Ms. Williams through other books (The Mac is Not a Typewriter, The Little Mac Book), and was delighted to discover she was teaching a one-day seminar on design for non-designers a few years back. I could have saved myself the seminar fee since all she taught was presented in this excellent book. However... and this is the reason I stopped to write the review... Robin was a very entertaining and engaging educator. A number of reviewers (rightly) comment on her "blunt" style. I agree that it can be taken that way, if you misinterpret her intent. I found her irreverent attitude an expression of her wit. She's very funny in person. Please read her as such and you won't get hung up on her style.As to the _content_ of the book, my opinion is that it is essential reading. I don't know how many times I've referred other folks to the basics of design she taught me in this book. Well-illustrated examples drive home the fundamentals that you will carry with you to every form of communication you prepare: be it a letter, a web page, a brochure, or a hand-written sign for a garage sale. The personal computer and Internet are ushering in a new age of democratization, communication for everyone. Thank god Robin is willing to help us do so with some sense of grace and style. Combine this book with "The Mac (or PC... choose your flavor) is Not a Typewriter" and join the battle against mediocre design!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Reference to Have
Review: As mentioned in the introduction to the text, this book is not for professional designers. This book is intended for those of us who need to put together a flyer, presentation, or newsletter, but we don't have the background in design. The design the author refers to is the design of the printed page. The author explains simple principles that help us see what makes for a good design like proximity, alignment, repetition, and contrast. There are plenty of before-and-after examples to show you exactly what she means. The explanations are also very understandable. Williams does not preach to you, but rather helps you see the different elements which can make the visual more effective. There are also some quizzes with answers in the back. Included is a short bibliography so the reader can get more information if he or she chooses. There are some problems with the book. One, it discusses the use of color, but there are no color pictures to illustrate the point. The author knew the illustrations would no be color so asks you to visualize this in your head. It wasn't the most helpful here. Also, towards the end, she uses some editing/printing jargon that she never explains. If the reader does not have a design background, why mention leading if not explained? Overall, I find this book to be very helpful. Knowing the elements I should be looking for ensures that my experimenting with flyers is more productive and effective. I would recommend this book to anyone needing to create newsletters, flyers, and the like.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Book
Review: This is an invaluable reference for everyone. If you are a designer you should read this little book at least once a year. Without a doubt you have forgotten or not used many of the rules and precepts that are in this book. If you are new to design, learn it here and you will be set. The only thing you have to do is not fight your own urge to violate the ideas set out here and you can design print items that rule the world! The best best best book.
Rating:
Summary: Improve Your Designs Overnight
Review: Even after studying Illustrator, Photoshop, Quark and GoLive, I had irritating gaps in my technical knowledge. And I did not know where to look for the answers. Robin's books answered all those questions and more. Her writing is fresh and humorous. Her advice covers everything from beginning to advanced, in plain language. She answers questions about everything you need to design in this digital world. I've loaned the books to several colleagues but always want them back soon because I refer to them again and again. I publish a newsletter, website and other communication pieces for a non-profit. My real skill is in writing & editing but my job requires me to also design my own stuff: My boss wanted me to design anything and everything even though he knew I had no design training. Robin Williams' books have made all the difference between mediocre and professional-looking pieces. I own almost all of her books, from The Non-Designer's Design Book to The Mac is not a Typewriter to The Non-Designer's Web Design Book and everything in-between. If you design anything, from flyers to newsletters and brochures, buy this book! You'll refer to it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Solid little introduction to design concepts
Review: Being a web designer and not having any formal training as a graphic designer, I was looking for a quick guide on the basic "rules" of design and layout. This book fit the bill nicely. Definitely a quick read, it covers the foundations of good layout and typography. Each "rule" gets its own chapter, with plenty of examples. It would have been nice, however, if the chapter on "Color" had actually used color images! The entire book is in black & white, so this was a bit of a drawback. Not a fatal flaw, but rather a conscious effort to save printing costs that wound up detracting from one of the chapters. What I did learn were some obvious techniques and concepts that I needed to understand. The book helps you "notice" good design, and better yet, understand WHY it's good design. You'll also become more conscious of your designs, how to create them, and how to fix them when they're wrong, rather than just playing around with it until it "looks right". If you're new to designing - no matter what the medium - you'll be well-served by this book. For the price, it's certainly tough to beat.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Book for Non-Designers
Review: IÕm beginning to wonder if Robin Williams ever sleeps. She seems to have a new title out every couple of weeks. This is Ms. WilliamsÕ second offering of this title. I have long said that the best thing about DeskTop Publishing is that it puts it in the hands of everybody and the worst thing about DeskTop Publishing is that it puts it in the hands of everybody. Some people just donÕt have an eye for design. The fact is, because of DeskTop Publishing, many people with no formal training in publishing or design end up having to design something. They find they must create an advertisement, a newsletter, a brochure, a business card or a poster. Panic sets in for those who have no idea where to start, or donÕt understand the fundamentals of good design. If any of this sounds familiar to you, The Non-DesignerÕs Design Book is your Ôrescue in a book.Õ I really like the many before and after examples she shows of web pages, brochures, business cards, etc. There is an amazing example of a tri-fold brochure before and after on pages 106-107, and a newspaper ad on pages 114-115. She explains the use of typography very nicely, and explains when to use different kinds of typefaces. (Did you know that most people make the type on their home made business cards too big?) This book is not a big, heavy tome that goes on forever on its topics. ThatÕs a good thing. It keeps things simple and easy to understand. Each topic is covered well and in an interesting manner. Pick it up at Peachpit with your User Group discount!
Rating:
Summary: Great for those beginner designers
Review: This book was excellent! I am a web developer and I've gotten more and more into the design side. I was asked to design logos, newsletters and advertising email as well as websites. I decided to get some design books. A. This book was a quick read.
B. This book covers 4 priniciples, gives GREAT examples and really teaches you quickly
C. The way it presents information, intro-meat-review with examples that tie together each principle is great. It gives beginning desigers a great first step into the world of design with principles you can start to apply immediately. Even if you're a beginner and designing reports, newsletter, ads, websites or anything else this book is a great read! Try your local library for a copy, as it's too short to keep around for reference :).
Rating:
Summary: Approachable and immediately usable design information
Review: For all forms of static (non-interactive) design such as web page layout and any print copy, this book is an excellent read. Basic typography, layout, and subjective criteria for assesing the quality of a design are all taught in just enough depth to be useful without going so deep as to be overwhelming for first-timers. I would've liked to see a little more both about how interactivity changes design decisions (i.e. what do you do to indicate clickable, draggable, etc.?), and also might have liked to see a little bit more about how you make structural decisions based on the type of audience you're targeting. However, it's still a great book because of the huge amount of instantly useful tips for such a small size.
Rating:
Summary: Great gift book! Should be required reading in the office.
Review: I won't bore you with detailed analysis of the book... many other reviews mention RW's elegant descriptions of the four page layout elements (proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast). What I will share with you is that I have given this book as a gift a dozen times. Because it is so clearly written and the principles are backed up with easily understandable examples, I give it to folks who don't have a lot of time to study page layout design, but who can benefit from knowing the four principles. As more and more laypeople put words on paper (in newsletters, brochures, and especially websites), knowing these basic guidelines for why certain pages look better than others and how one can quickly improve a particular layout is timely and essential knowledge. If you need a little help communicating more effectively with your publications (of any kind) or know someone else who does, this would be the first book I'd hand to you. (The next would be RW's The Mac (or PC) is Not a Typewriter.)
Rating:
Summary: Make your designs look professional
Review: The Non-Designer's Design Book was exactly the basic book I needed as a "visual novice." I know I will refer back to Robin William's clear, concise and charming text, which demystifies the basic concepts of design. Highly recommended for any office library.
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