How to Be a Graphic Designer withou: New expanded version

This is book is a classic. It was very good when it came out years ago and it is simply a must today with this expanded edition. Its place is firmly in the syllabus of any course on visual culture, communication and graphic design. Several lines from the chapter about the required qualities of graphic designers are now posters on my wall. Read this book if you are practicing, studying, loving graphic design. Not only you will keep your soul intact, you will indeed expand it. Every single page seems to have been written - and designed, I might add, as even the book's page layout reads as powerful statement - with the purpose of igniting conversations well beyond graphic design.

Heard of book through a friend and love it completely! Gives advice on design details, business, dealing with clients, and improving yourself as an individual designer. Easy to read through and interesting through and through. Mentions other designers and books, as well as real-life examples, to bring things into perspective!

I loved this book and I think it gives young designers a really good lay of the land as far as career direction and the job market. I found a lot of her advice a little bit advanced for me. I am a junior designer and much of the book seems geared toward designers who are mid-level. For example there is a lot of advice on starting your own business, on freelancing full-time, etc. However the parts of the book on resumes, looking for jobs, specializing, and interviewing were extremely helpful. Overall I think this is a great book. What I think it lacks is a lot of actionable advice. The author definitely leaves much of her observation open-ended. Despite that small downside and the fact that much of the book's topics are a little too advanced for someone like me, I think it is a book that all designers should have in their design library.

I had to buy this book for class and I'm so glad I did. Definitely get the new version! (Most of the old one is available on google books for free anyway...) The edits are relavant to what's going on in graphic design now. As a student, I feel like this book contains a lot of helpful information not always taught in design programs. Get reading!

the book came in good condition. great place to get it if you are needing it for school at a cheaper price.

Needed this for my class this semester. Book had little wear and just a little bit of highlighter in it, but that’s no problem at all. Everything is completely legible.

I got this book with high hopes, since it came highly recommended by authors that I respect and love, as well as the Amazon community of reviewers. Also I can relate to the title ;) Unfortunately, I felt this book was only so-so; a few good points and insider chuckles, but overall, the author was very vague and drawn-out in his advice. And quite honestly, I disagreed with much of what he was encouraging others to do, especially if the point was NOT to lose your soul! For example, he makes the case of making your clients happy even if what they want is horrible design--at least that's how I took it. Granted, there's a fine line between satisfying your clients and being a commodity. I personally am trying to side more with David Airey's (Logo Design Love, excellent book!) philosophy--you're the expert, don't sell your soul and be a doormat. Which, in my opinion, this book was more or less failed to do, despite the title.

A gift for my nephew as a senior in college. Recommended by a well established graphic artist as one of the essentials for a library.

A staple in the graphic design world. A must read!

Excellent book, bought as used book at very low price. Only the cover is slightly damaged otherwise almost new book. Love it. Thank you Amazon and the seller.

Ottimo prodotto, consiglio a tutti! Nuovo e la spedizione velocissima! Nulla di cui lamentarsi... Proprio come in fotografia :-) !

Good product

After 19 years as a Graphic Designer and Photographer for a management consultancy, I recently grabbed voluntary redundancy. Phew! For the last five or so years I had begun to wonder whether I really enjoyed design or despised it. It was difficult to distinguish whether the problem lay in design, or designing for THAT particular company. So I began reading design again. Adrian Shaughnessy's 'How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul' reminded me what a wonderfully exciting and interesting profession it is. He seems to give us a very honest and candid account of one designer's experiences grappling with and growing within the design world; and starting, running and ultimately leaving a design studio to go off on his own again. The book goes way beyond graphic technique and the latest notions of 'cool' - to discuss things like retaining and promoting integrity in the design business, grappling with design BS (client BS as well as how much it might be necessary for you to dish out), some real-life insights into hiring and firing practice of graphic designers (and clients!). Shaughnessy spends some valiant time trying to get beneath the notion of creativity. Regarding design briefs, he offers some good suggestions: take up a role of scepticism and interrogation towards them, be wary of conventional wisdom, rely very much on common sense, and look for what is missing from the brief (which is often the key to unlocking really successful work). And - quite inspiring this - he gives us the green light to rely on our INTUITIONS, without apology. Nice. If you want a book about GRAPHIC DESIGN AS LIFE, this is it.