L&D Book Reviews: The Non-Designer’s Design Book (Repost from LinkedIn)

This week, I want to talk about a book that might help newbies especially with graphic design principles and basics: The Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams. I had worked in marketing before so I knew some it, but all the visual examples and eye training were still really useful and helped with my confidence back when I first grabbed it!

What I learned:
*Lots of "eye-training" with examples of gradually improving designs (seeing the bad, good, and better)
*Basic principles of design I already knew were reinforced, such as CRAP (contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity)
*Color theory and typography are explained really well with visual examples
*Real-use examples of different types of designed pieces (granted, many are not necessarily relevant to L&D but still helpful to see variations)
*How visuals communicate (this one I "know" but I have to keep re-learning because I don't often find myself favoring visual communication over verbal/written)

What I like about it:
*So many examples! Eye training really is what it's all about here
*Very easy to reference, organized well
*All of it is written for "dummies" because it's for non-designers but it has a systematic feel still
*Very quick and easy read to reinforce confidence

Who I would recommend it to: This is another "entry level" book, and I'd recommend it especially to anyone who hasn't worked much with graphic design or graphic designers. It won't teach the depth of graphic design, but it's a great entry point, and I would recommend it before deeper graphic design or even UX design reads or courses. It's probably not that useful if you're already really skilled and confident in graphic design!

This content is from my LinkedIn post, originally written in September, 2022. Those reviews will be originating here from now on.