_{Prices indicated are as marked on my copy. Actual price may vary with edition and reseller.}

DESIGN AND INTERFACES > MISCELLANEOUS (PRODUCT DESIGN)



The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
_{270 pages, b&w, $11.53}


Browsing a good old bookshop can yield glorious finds, such as this understated little book that is in fact a treasure. The cognitive aspect of design is usually something one picks up during training or by experience; I don't know if it's articulated into a course anywhere, and books about it certainly are not a dime a dozen. What do I mean by "cognitive aspect of design"? It is when you design something that is intuitive to use, or at least easy to figure out without having to dig into a user manual. We've all had to deal with thoughtlessly designed things, from a door whose opening doesn't make sense to a website where you just can't find the contact page. Cognition is at the essence of design, whose first function is communication; aesthetics must layer themselves on that without contradicting it.
Norman's book specifically discusses manufactured products, but the same notions apply to 2D design (one could say to life in general). Examples of bad and good design alike are studied, pointing out why they work or not, with users quoted for their reactions to them, a welcome insight. On the basis of each of these illustrations, a principle of cognitive design is then discussed. The 7 chapters are outlined as follows:
1. The psychology of everyday things
2. The psychology of everyday actions
3. Knowledge in the head and in the world
4. Knowing what to do
5. To err is human
6. The design challenge
7. User-centered design

My own experience of this book was like a series of epiphanies. Although cognition was already a personal forte, I feel it has given me insights that improved all my communication-related work. The info doesn't need to be memorized or referred back to – once you understand it, it remains with you. Besides, it's a really fascinating and often fun read.

I would buy this book in a heartbeat for anyone who creates things meant to be used, as well as anyone whose job includes conveying information clearly.

ARTISAN CRAFTS > ALL ARTISAN CRAFTS



Bill Reid by Doris Shadbolt
_{216 pages, 60 colour plates, 80 duotones, 75 b&w photos, $35.00}


I had no reason to pick up my copy of Bill Reid when I did, having never heard of the man and not being particularly interested in the art of the Northwest Coast Indians. But somehow after I first glimpsed it, it nagged at me until I gave in.
This biography doubling as a look over the shoulder of a versatile artist and into a whole culture opened new worlds to me.

Bill Reid single-handedly revived an artistic tradition that was on the verge of vanishing, and one whose power of conceptualization and bold stylization is well worth studying by today's designers. This he did with daunting versatility in scale and material, from wooden totem poles to golden rings. A great number of his works are shown in this volume and better yet, discussed, allowing full appreciation of the thought behind the forms. Beyond this, it is Haida art as a whole that is evoked and explained, and I don't think it's possible to finish reading without gaining a fascination for it. Personally my impression of that art went from "tight mess of eyes and teeth" that did nothing to my aesthetic sensibilities to "stunning conceptual stylization of reality" that humbled and challenged my designer nature. Bill Reid's works are not just masterpieces of the medium they were made in, they are cultural artifacts.

This superb book, winner of two awards, may address a niche: specific artisans building a library, or students of ethnic or American Indian cultures. Yet if it got me totally enthused about both the man and the people, it would probably convert anyone who can appreciate ancient artistic traditions.

TRADITIONAL ART > CALLIGRAPHY



Calligraphie pour l'Homme by Hassan Massoudy
_{127 pages, 66 color plates,EUR25}


Arabic calligraphers are almost never artists: they perpetuate the exquisite tradition of the Arabic script in its many incarnations faithfully, but they never breathe anything new into it, and there is little to differentiate their work. This I know for working closely with one who is hailed throughout the region for bringing together the old arts with new concepts. Another such artist-calligrapher is Iraqi figure Hassan Massoudy, and this book is a superb example of his ability to grasp the very essence of the construction of the letters and to boldly manipulate them without ever violating the nature of the script.

Each piece in the book illustrates a saying or a quote. The quote is spelled out in full (in Arabic), while one word is blown up and treated in a style that though largely consistent throughout the book, nevertheless allows each word to either act out its meaning or at least provide a mood and striking backdrop to the quotation. The lam-alif of the article may become thick (but transparent and textured) blocks of colour that create monumentality, on which smaller intricate letters are grafted like flowers growing against a wall. The word "freedom" literally breaks free from the squeezed block of text to fly away forward. In the word "atom", the tail of the letter ra evokes the particle trailing around the final letter, a circular ta, a few times. There is never an attempt to make letters take on a figurative shape, which would be simplistic: the expressive quality is purely in the letter shapes, taking advantage of the unusual flexibility of the Arabic script.

It's unfortunate that the book is not available in English, but the French text is quite incidental: just a collection of quotes, and the translation of those used in the pieces. Arabic speakers will appreciate the work the most fully, but otherwise, in my opinion, anyone with an interest in this field can pick up the book with equal enjoyment. It is a fine, and rare example of contemporary Arabic calligraphy, as opposed to traditional calligraphy done with modern tools.

DESIGN AND INTERFACES > ALL DESIGN



Retro Graphics Cookbook Recreate 100 Years of Graphic Design by Jonathan Raimes and Lakshmi Bhaskaran
_{175 pages, full colour, £17.99}


This book is a fantastic concept that ended up half-baked. The idea is to gather in one volume the visual characteristics of all the great styles of the last 100 years. A handy reference for the designer who needs to replicate the feel of period graphics but with a deadline too tight to allow for research. 7 periods are covered from 1860 till 1989, with an average of 5 styles each: that's around 35 different visual approaches. Each chapter provides a write-up, colour schemes, fonts, example, and a walkthrough to reproduce the desired feel. Unfortunately it ends there. As a quick guide, it serves its purpose, but it would have taken so little to make it something much more. The walkthroughs are frankly ridiculous, neither technically nor conceptually helpful. The space wasted on them would have been better used to examine each style closer up and offer some real insights into what shaped them and how to work with them.

That said, despite knowing its limitations, I still bought the book and though I haven't used it yet, I'm not sorry. I know that some day I'm going to need a very quick fix and those colour schemes and font choices will come in handy. It will even help if I want to research a style but don't know what it's called – I can just flip through and find it, and go from there. If I ever need serious info on a period style, I would have to get a scholarly volume anyway. In that sense Retro Graphics does have its place on a designer's bookshelf, especially one who needs a wide visual palette.

MANGA/ANIME > ALL MANGA/ANIME



How To Draw Manga Volume 22: Bishoujo Around The World by Hikaru Hayashi
_{128 pages, b&w, $15.59}


This review is a warning: don't buy this book. It only exists to supposedly show you how to draw people from different races. As the author of the most in-depth artist's guide to human types that I know of, I feel pretty confident in saying it has nothing of value to offer. Its division of the entire human race in 3 types is enough to make eyebrows rise, but the "characteristics" it outlines are pure fantasy. They blatantly contradict reality and what anyone can observe with the naked eye. What this may be is a guide to drawing people according to manga convention, that is not necessarily grounded in reality. So it may be useful to you if your intention is to be strictly faithful to the manga style. Beyond this, it is both useless and insulting. I flipped to the "Middle Eastern bishoujo" for kicks, and didn't know if I should laugh or cry. The one reason why I didn't send this book right back was that scattered throughout it are diagrams of how various traditional fashions are worn. But unless you're an ethnic fashion freak like I am, or a manga fanatic, save your money for a better reference (and some of the other volumes in this How to Draw Manga series are quite worth it.)


Previous issues: vol. 1, vol. 2



<sub>If you would like to recommend books for this feature, please note me with the subject "Deviant Bookshelf". I reserve the right not to publish a review I consider insubstantial. The review needs to provide enough information for the reader to decide if it's something they need. Examples of things to address:
- Number of pages, colour or b/w, price if available
- Category(ies) concerned
- Overview of the contents, how much text or images we can expect.
- Target group (beginner, advanced?)
- Strong points and weak points
- Your personal experience with the book, how it helped or didn't help you, etc.</sub>