The Essential Principles of Graphic Design

Debbie Millman

Contents Essential Principles

4 FIRST PERSON

9 INTRODUCTION

10 TYPOGRAPHY

14 COLOR

17 LAYOUT

20 STYLE

Principles of the Creative Process

25 INTRODUCTION

26 VISUAL STRATEGY

30 RESEARCH

37 WORKING WITH IMAGERY

40 ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT AND WORKFLOW

45 PRODUCTION

Principles 49 50

Within 58

Disciplines 66 74

INTRODUCTION

Self-Promotion

Book Jacket Design

Print Collateral Design

Quarterly Publication Design

Catalog Design

Periodical Design

Magazine Design

Custom Publishing

Poster Design

Illustration

Annual Report Design

Design Identity

Brand Development

Packaging

Music Packaging

Structural Design

Industrial Design

Innovation

~ ~ ~ o g r a p h y Brand Strategy and Identity

Environmental Design

Wayfinding and Signage

Hotel Identity

Restaurant Identity

Exhibition Design

Museum Exhibit Design

Conference Branding

Merchandise Design

Window Display Design

Corporate Website Design

Personal Blog Design

Community Blog Design

Motion Graphics

Television Graphics

Sound it^^ 246 ON STARTINGAPROJECT

247 FIRST JOBS

250 ON MAKING MISTAKES

251 ON LESSONS LEARNED

252 WORDS OF WlSDOM

253 CONTRIBUTORS

254 INDEX

256 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Index account management 40-44 acquisitions 118 acronyms 121 Adams Morioka 221 Adams, Sean 223 Addison 112-17 Adler, Dehorah 146-49,246 Adobe 223-24 advertising 6-7,26-27,32,35,40,

103,117,134,156,232,248-49 Albion Presses 249 album covers 137-41 10:OOam 130 AIGA 82-85,184 Amiga 249 animation 242 annual reports 112-17,248 Antenna Design 214-17 anthropology 25,32-33 anti-big brand 133 Apelles of Kos 21 apostrophes 11 Aria1 159 Art Directors Club 249 Arts & Crafts movement 165 artwork 42 ascenders 157 212 Associates 172-77 attention deficit disorder (ADD)

26 -. auditions awards

hack-end technology 221 Bainhridge, Mike 30-36 Balthazar's 248 banners 202 Bantjes, Marian 10-13,66-73,

247,250-51 Baskewille 219 Baur, Ruedi 248 Beaudoin, Jean 193 Behar, Yves 150-55 behavioral psychology 25 Bennett Peji Design 168 Benyan, Michael 178 bidding 134,173 binding 47 Birdsall, Connie 118-27 Blechman, Nicholas 202-7 blindembossing 102 blindness 129 hlogs 165,221,224-35 Bodnni 136,159 Bodoni, Giambattista 22,159 bodytext 13 hold 10-11,157 Bologna, Matten 184-89, 248,251 Bolton, Chris 196-201 hook iackets 58-65.77.156.

bookplates 62,64 hooks 137,141,247 Bottle Design 142-47 brainstorming 27,62.96,121,129 brands 26-29,31-3540-41,

43.82.102.112.115.

128-34,i44, 148,153, 160-67,169,171,173,

184,202-7 Brighton, Katy 45-47 Bnnthurst, Rohert 13,157 hrocf;ures 69,72 Brodovitch. Alexi 136 browsers 225 Buchanan-Smith, Peter 136-41,

250,252 burnout 171

Cahan Associates 98-103,202-3 calligraphy 186,232 Canal 249 capitals 13,158 careers 252 Carson, David 19,22 Carver, Raymond 136 catalogs 82-85 CD covers 242 CD-ROMs 249 chalkhoards 202-5 Chantry, Art 19 Chen, Josh 50-57,246 chief executive officers 115.126 Churchward, Charles 5 Clarendon 178 Clark Michael 232 ClearRx 146-49 cliches 91,178 clients 15,25, 28,33-34,38,

40-44.46.54.69.72.86.91.

co-branding 120 coatings 47 Coca-Cola 28,32,121 coding 224-26

commerce 25,252 Commodore 64 249 communitywebsites 230-35 compensation 134 competitions 82,85,247-48,251 composition 95 comprehensives 223,225,228 computer games 249 computers 18-19,22,45,64,66,

77,142,144,146,157,186,196, 230-32,236,242,246-47

conferences 202-7 consistency 13,29,43,49,190 consultants 32,40-41,44,

132,173 content management systems

221 . . . . . . . . . . -. corporate identity 118-27 corporations 91,115,121,132,

163,205,218-23,225,248-49 covers 82-84,86,98,156 creativitv 25.30.32.49.86.92.

96;98, 102,112,115,117,120, 129,160,221,242,246,251-52

credits 39 cropping 38 cues 28 cultural anthropology 25,32 Curtis. Hillman 218-23.248 custom automation programming

85 custom publishing 6-7,98-103

dashes 11 databases 85,173,221,232 Davis, Paul 249 deadlines 42-43.141 dehossing 47 demographics 32,35 descenders 157 Deszo, Andrea 74-81,247

development 41-42 Devine, Carol Carson 58 DeWilde, Barhara 62-65 die-cutting 46-47 digital media 19.39.45

display text 12-13 documentation 173 Doyle, Stephen 160-67 drawing 74,77,91,157,165,203,

242,246-47 Dreamweaver 225 dumhing down 133 Duplessis, Rem 110 duplication 39 Duore. Xavier 70 dysiexia 129

Edelmann, Heinz 108 editorial design 6-7 em/en-dashes 11 embossing 46-47,102,165 embroidery 74 empathy 9,129,211,250 emphasis 10-11,13,157 employees 124,126 engineering 144,150,153,173 environmentaldesign 49,168-71 equity 120-21 ethnographics 33,44,169 etiquette 126 exhibitions 190-201,211,246 experimentation 252 eye tracking 35

fabric swatches 103 fabricators 173 fear 49,141,250 feedback 15,22,34,36,92,231 field trips 214 finalization 42 financial supplements 86-91 finishing 47,103 Flagstaff 174 flexography - 46 focus groups 32-34,173 foil stamping 46-47 folding 47 fonts 13,69,130,156-59,165,

178,188,242,245,247 Foster, John 17-19 found art 52,91 Rere-Jones, Tohias 156,158 Fulbrook, John 37-39

Gall, John 58-61,251 Gallup, George 32 Gardner, Chauncy 136 Gelb, Peter 219 genre 21 Gihson, David 172-77,248 eifs 225 till Sans 156 Girard, Alexander 103 Gladwell, Malcolm 32,34 Glaser, Milton 133,146-49 glossy paper 16 g l ~ ~ h s 188 Gomez-Palacio,Bryony 230-35,

250 -. . Gotham 158 gravure 46 grid systems 18-19,85,102,

223-25 Groot, Lucas de 12 Gutenherg, Johannes 49

bangs 12 headers 221 headings 11,13,159 Helvetica 18,159 HetaKuchkaexhihit 196-201 Hoefler & Frere-Jones 156-59 Hoefler. Jonathan 156 homeoaees 219.223 homew&k 15,126; 246 Horowitz, Eli 77 hotel identities 178-83 Hnwell, Nancy 186 HTML 225-26 hyphens

icons 32,34,118,126,133, 148.150

identity 118-31,153,160-68, 174,178-89,246,248-49

illumination 150,153 illustration 38-39,52,54,86,

96-97,102,108-11,202, 216,231,242,247-49,251

Illustrator 66.70.163.224.247 imagery 35,37-39,63-64,85,

91,102,104,110,196,198, 223,231,242,245-46,248

impact studies 169 indents 10 InDesign 72,85 industrial design 146-49 information processing 26-27 innovation 117,144,146,148,

1sn-ss ... .. installations 203,216 Integral Ruedi Baur et Associes

190-95 interactivity 82 internet 49.230-31 interstitials 238 isometrics 69-70 istar 112,115,117 italics 10-11,13,157-58

Jay, John C. 92 Jiae Kim 92-95,250

jpegs justification 225

12,231 juxtaposition 38,64,83,248

Kalman, Maira 136 Kant, Immanuel 21 kerning 12-13 KhoiVinh 224-29,248-50 Kingsley, Mark 20-22 Knopf 58 Krieger, David 50

laheling 144,147-48 landingpages 223 launches 126 layers 242 layout 9,12,17-19,38,173-74,

218,223,231-32,242,249 lead times 92 leading 12-13,223 LEAF lamps 150,153,155 Leal, Fernando 242-45,249,252 LED tasklights 150,153,155 Lee, John 92-95 Lerow Michel 32 letter spacing 13 letterforms 62,64,69,157,165 letterpress 46,178 line lengths 12 line spaces 11 links 223 Lippincott 118-27 lists 12,136,196

INDEX

lithography 22,46 logos 25,27,69,92,120,124,

163,165,168,174,184,186,219, 221,232,238,245,248-49

lowercase 157-58 Lucic, Branko 142-45,250 Lukova, Luba 104-7,248 Lupton, Ellen 13 luxury brands 117

McCracken, Grant 25 McDonald's 251 McNally, Keith 184 Macromedia 248 Macs 129 magazines 92-98,102 Magnum 39 managingprocess 41-42 Mannerism 21 marketing 26-27,30,33-35,43,

132,148,214 marketplace 22,25,41,120 mastheads 92,102 matte paper 16 mechanicals 42 menus 188 merchandise 208-13 mergers 118 messaging 173 Miles, Reid 19 Miller, Herman 98,103,150 Millman, Debbie 30-36 Milton Glaser, Inc. 146-49 Mineur, Etienne 249 mistakes 141-42,171,228,

232,250 mock-ups 92,141,173,224 models 97 Mollerup, Per 249,252 Monheim, Fabian 178-83,

208-13,246,252 montage 238 Morioka, Noreen 221 Morris Street Partners 128 motion graphics 236-41 MovableType 232 Mucca Design 184-89 Miiller, Lars 248 museums 49,150,196-201 music packaging 136-41

navigation 19,35,172,221,223 Nelson, George 98 neon lights 216 neutral colors 15 TheNew York Times Magazine

108-11,202 The New Yorker 11 Nielsen, A.C. 32 Niemann, Christoph 108-11,

202-3,249 Nike 121 Nobel Prize 62 nomenclature 174 Nonobject Inc. 142-45 notebooks 86,224 numbered lists 12

objective portfolios 85 offset lithography 46 O'Hora, Zachariah 54 Oliver, Vaughn 19 on-demand printing 46 online applications 26,36,120 online radio 248 Open Type 188 Optima 165 OrangeLife 96-97 outdoor design 26

pacing 102 packaging 25-26,32,35,46,49,

52,82,84,132-41,146,153,208

painting 74,77,91,129,248,250 paper 16,46-47,62,91,144,146,

159,186,224,231,246 paper cuts 74 paragraphs 10-11 Pasadena 249 passion 9,18,28,36,128,133-34,

163,228,248,250-51 Peji, Bennett 168,248 pencils 74,77,91,129,142,

146,165,246-47 Pentagram 219 Pepsi 28 PerceptionResearch Systems 35 perceptions 14,20,25,31,120,

129,133 Periodic Table 64 periodicals 86-91 personalprojects 252 photography 21,38-39,52,83,

96-97,102,104,115,133, 137,223,251

Photoshop 38,66,136,224-25, 242,247

picas 231 Pierce, Jennifer Tolo 54 pitch work 249 planning 42,173-74 plaques 165 plays 104 plexi-tubing 147 point of purchase 35 point size 231 Porter, Michael 25 postage stamps 18 postcards 52 posters 18,46,49,70,77,104-7,

178,248 Postscript 22 prepress 45 presentations 54,121,184,

231,251 pricing 134 primes 11 print 16,18-19,26,66,171,

173, 226 print collateral 66-73 printers 16,45-47,72,250 printing 19,46,49,91,178,

247,250 production 45-47 professionals 39,41,45,49,91,

141,249,251 profit 134 programming 173,238 programs 70,72 project management 25.40-41,

171 promotions 6-7,26,35,84,

130,245 prototypes 98,102-3,

147-48,190 psychology 32 publishing houses 52 punctuation 11,158

quality control 36 quantitative eye tracking 35 QuarkXPress 13 quarterly publications 74-81 quotation marks 11

ragged text 12,46 Rea, Brian 202-7,247,251 readability 19 rebranding 163,219,221,236-41 recycling 155 refinement 42-43 Reformation 22 registration 18,129,218 rehearsals 104 relationships 40-43,46-47,62,

69,104,126,134,219

Renaissance 21,26 rendering 224-25 research 2530-36,41-42,

49-50, 102,104,108,146,153, 165,169,173,184,230,246,251

restaurant identities 184-89,248 Reyes, Joseph Richards, Todd

136 202-3

Rigau, Alherto 246,251-52 Roberts, Lucienne 247, 249-50 Rosburg, Klaus rotogravure

148

Rousseau, Lisa 46

14-16

SafeRx 146 safety shots 38 Sagmeister, Stefan Sainsbury, Mark samples 33, 98 saying no schematic design 21;; Scher, Paula Schmelling, Michael scoring 47 Scott, Ridley 21 screen printing 46 sculpture 74 search engines 91 section starts 11 self-publishing 52,224-29 senior management 118 shelf life 120 shopping dynamics 33 side effects 148 signage 49,120,168,172-77,

193,202,246 Silicon Genetics 249 site maps 221 sketches 38,58,66,69,74,104,

142,146,203,224,230-31, 242,246-47

Smith, Helen 249 social sciences 32 Society of Typographic

Aficionados (SoTA1 66,69-70 sociology 32 software 66,85,130,153,

226,247 Sommese, Larry 63 special needs 129-30 Spector, Max 54 Spiekermann, Erik spin-offs 118

252

squint test stakeholders 112,171,173,221 standalone symbols startingup 246J:+ stockimagery storyboarding 38-:; storytelling 22,64,102,171 strategy 25-29,34,115,120-21,

"2. l44, 153,,l;;i-2 structuraldesign 142-45 style 9,20-22,38,102,133,156,

196,208,221,223,245,2; style sheets subjective covers 82-84 subjectivity 25,29 subpages 218,223 Subtraction 224-29 supervision 173 sustainability 150,172,174 Swanson, Cheryl 26-29 Swiss 18-19

tabbing 10,12-13 tasklights 150,153 taste 21 television graphics 242-45 templates 221 testing 42 texture 28,46,97,242

theater 104,193,219 Thomas, Patrick 86-91,247 thumbnails 115 time management 42 timeframes 126 timelines 42-43 Times Roman 159 titles touchstones

10,245

trademarks 218

129,238 Trajan 165 trapping 45 Trollbiick &Associates 236-41 trust 41,43,205,242 trying 41 Tweedy, Jeff 137,141 Two Twelve Associates 248 type 52,64,69,133,165,173,

218,223,236,242,245 Type Directors Club 184,248 TypeCon 2007 66-73 typefaces 92,156-59,178,

188,196 typesetting 45,85,225,249 typography 9-13,37-39,69,

84-85,95,120,156-59, 173,198,231,234,248

10 united* 128-31 URL 232

Valicenti, Rick 82-85 Vasari, Giorgio 21 Vault49 96-97 vector art 66,247 vernacular 251 video 221,223 visual brand essence 132 visual impairment 130 visual strategy 26-29 Vit,Armin 230-35 vocabulary 28-29,173 votingdemographics 32 Vreeland, Diana 4

Wakeshima, Satoru 40-44 Wallace Church, Inc. 132-35 warehousing 144 warm colors 15 Waterfall, Simon 246,249-50,

252 wayfinding web development

168,172-77 130

websites 26,50,130,153,218-23, 226,230-35,249,253

wete 208

::FtS 124,126 234 zzOw 136-41

214-17 218

Ludwig 252 62,64

19 Woodward, Fred 249

232 word spacing 12 workbooks 133 workflow 40-44 wo'ksho~s 168 wrap-up 230

Xeroxes 19,186

Yahoo! 223 Yale 248 Young, Doyald 247,249 Young, Elliott 35

Zetter Hotel 178-83