What are the best resources for learning graphic design concepts?
June 7, 2017 9:25 AM Subscribe
I've been working as a 'graphic designer' in a very niche segment for almost 15 years, without actually needing to know basic graphic design principals. Now I'm job hunting and realize I need to do a crash course on all the basic theory (grid layout, whitespace, color theory, typography...etc..). I have a lot of skill with the tools (Adobe CS) but not the theory behind the practice. What books, websites, videos etc should I be reading?
Skillshare has some pretty great options as well.
posted by helloimjennsco at 11:15 AM on June 7, 2017
posted by helloimjennsco at 11:15 AM on June 7, 2017
coursera.com has a good graphic design track...I found the Fundamentals of Graphic Design course to be quite a good refresh, or at least a place to start.
posted by coevals at 11:36 AM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by coevals at 11:36 AM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
I absolutely *love* John McWade's Before & After site. The videos and various tutorials have taught me SO much about design through the years. He's got books and magazines. I've not read his books, but have bought some magazine bundles through the years. He's currently on Lynda.com and LinkedIn, and continues to put out a video through those sites. There are so many great threads on his site too - the commentors are all top-notch as well. It's truly a community of designers all learning from each other.
posted by hydra77 at 1:15 PM on June 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 1:15 PM on June 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
Here's John McWade's other site - it's more of a blog. He discusses design decisions he made and that others have made. The comments are helpful too.
posted by hydra77 at 1:36 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 1:36 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
Re: Lynda.com, many local libraries offer free membership if you sign in remotely with your account.
posted by fritillary at 5:40 PM on June 7, 2017
posted by fritillary at 5:40 PM on June 7, 2017
I'm a landscape architect who needed to get a grasp of graphic design and How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaunessy has proved very, very useful
posted by unearthed at 9:13 PM on June 7, 2017
posted by unearthed at 9:13 PM on June 7, 2017
It's sorta ancient (the original copyright date is 1979), but I still refer to it occasionally: Notes on Graphic Design and Visual Communication, Gregg Berryman
Simple, concise (about 48 pages), and very handy.
posted by Bron at 4:49 PM on June 8, 2017
Simple, concise (about 48 pages), and very handy.
posted by Bron at 4:49 PM on June 8, 2017
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posted by Thorzdad at 10:15 AM on June 7, 2017