- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press (16 Sep 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1568984480
- ISBN-13: 978-1568984483
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 18 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
54,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #34 in Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Graphic Arts > Typography
- #54 in Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Architecture > Techniques & Tools > Drafting
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A new addition to our best selling series, Design Briefs, Thinking with Type is a straightforward primer that presents practical information about typographic design that can be immediately applied within the context of design history and theory. It is divided into three sections - letter, text, grid - each accompanied by an essay explaining key concepts, and then a set of practical demonstrations illustrating that material. The lessons of Thinking with Type are applicable to typographic design wherever it is practiced: printed materials of all kinds, Web sites, television screens. A companion Web site, will provide examples of design on screen, and provide other information (lesson plans, exercises) for readers and teaching professionals. Thinking with Type is a state-of-the-art pedagogical tool, that will be essential reading for students, teachers, and anyone else who wishes to improve or brush on their design skills.
About the Author
Ellen Lupton is one of America's preeminent design educators and PAPress's all-time bestselling author. Her books include Skin, Inside Design Now, Design Culture Now, Mixing Messages, and Letters from the Avant Garde, among others. She is director of the design program at Maryland Institute of Art and Design and Curator at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Typography in different media and for different audiences,
By
This review is from: Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students (Design Briefs) (Paperback)
I must admit that typography wasn't always my favourite field in design. Until a couple years ago fonts and texts were mere supporting actors of the design movie. My mind changed when I finally realized that typography is as important as the shapes, the colours and the styles used. One of the books that helped me get there was Thinking with Type, by Ellen Lupton.
Overall idea of the book Always using history as a guide, the author shows how the letters and texts can influence the way we see a piece of design and how we can improve readability by following some rules. Personally, one of these tips that really caught my attention was: When using stacked letters - like the ones on spines of books - we should always use small caps with centred column. Maybe this is common sense to some people, but for me it was something that I had never realized. The book is also very rich on examples. Fonts familiar to most designers - or anyone in the field - are presented and described throughout the pages. Futura, for example, was designed in the late 20's by Paul Renner who sought on "honest expression of technical processes". But be warned, as the author constantly says, this is not a book about fonts. "The relationships among letters in a font are more important than the identity of individual characters." History or Design Book? If you are not into history and want to get straight to the technical part you might want to skip a few pages, but by doing this you'll miss the best part of the book, like when the author explains the reason of the terms uppercase and lowercase: in the old printshops, they used to store the case of the capital letter in the upper drawer). Historical fact or plain curiosity, at least it helps to make the reader more comfortable with the subject. Conclusion From letters to text, grid layout to html, Thinking with Type is a book that explains the use of typography in different media and for different audiences. This may not be your ultimate guide about it, but will surely be on your mind in your next designs.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A lovely book about a fascinating subject,
By
This review is from: Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students (Design Briefs) (Paperback)
This was recommended by a designer friend of mine as a resource for studying design principles and it has turned out to be a delightful book in and of itself. It's well-written and beautifully, thoughtfully designed. The author outlines and then explores the significant role type plays in design. There's a fascinating lexicon of select type faces and fonts. Lot's of ideas, tips and reasons why things work the way they do in design. I bought this as a way to learn about the practical deployment of type in design. I like it because it is so much more.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (66 customer reviews) 114 of 119 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A much needed book,
By reader and maker - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students (Design Briefs) (Paperback)
This is a well-structured and well-written text with refreshing examples from a wide range of designers. These examples reinforce the concept that successful design and typography come from critical thinking and that there is no one style or approach that is "correct."
I plan to require this book in the undergraduate typography class I teach, but because it is accessible even to a novice, I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in type. One of the strengths of the book is its succinctness, but that may be one flaw as well. When a book is so well done, you want more... (Fortunately there is a website which does have supporting materials for those who want more.) Also if you want a meaty book on the specifics of type, then you should also get Robert Bringhurst's phenomenal book "The Elements of Typographic Style." It pairs so well with the overview and examples from Lupton's book. It is a terrific value and well-produced. 180 of 192 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for the lost,
By Elizabeth M - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students (Design Briefs) (Paperback)
Personally, this has probably been the most influental design book that I own. I felt like I was a better designer after having read half of it, without once touching my mac. i just knew that what I had absorbed was going to come out in my work, and it did. The book takes an overview look at design, and speaks in plain english about many things that I've heard or dealt with. But catagorizes stuff and explains things in a fluid manner so that the different bits of information come together and make sense. It is good for the novice and the struggling self taught. Full of great examples. It's too elementary for the serious designer. But for someone who did not go to Design School, but now works with design, its the perfect basic "education in a book".
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must for new designers and those who have to work with designers,
By Shawna Forester "hack and flack" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students (Design Briefs) (Paperback)
This book and some of the other books from the Design Briefs series, have become an integral part of my working resource library. Ellen Lupton's book has been one that I have used over and over again. I often reference it when I am faced with a blank page that I am having a hard time laying out.
The section on typography, the largest section of the book, was a very interesting read. I enjoyed learning about the history of printing and typography. Beginning designers will appreciate the categorizing of typefaces. This leads into the discussion of electronic typesetting and the limitations and challenges that has created for designers. Lupton's book shed a lot of light on different strategies for organizing type, graphics, and pictures on my own layouts. Unlike many other books on graphic design, Lupton's book was down-to-earth and was easy for a non-designer (like myself) to understand. It used some meaningful practical examples, instead of relying on art school projects that have limited real-life applications. The section on grids was one of the most easy to understand that I have ever come across. It also gave many examples of grids that can be incorporated for page layout. Lupton also gave a decent low-level overview on the golden section, but she did not give enough of examples of how the golden section can be used as a more flexible grid. One of my favourite parts of her book is the section on proofreading where she has one of the best proofreader's marking charts that I have ever seen. I have used this resource on complex projects like annual reports with agency graphic designers. No more second-guessing edits, Lupton's list captures it all. In fact, a lot of the designers and account reps who have used it with me consider it to be a time (and money) saver. This book is probably too basic for seasoned designers, but if you just bought a copy of InDesign, or you're working in a corporate communications department and expected to create some basic layouts, you will take away a lot of good ideas and principles from this book. It covers off on many of the principles of good design without leaving you feeling overwhelmed. |
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