Book Bytes special guest review by Barbara “Mrs. Nemo,” editor of PaperWorks Journal.
Layout Index
by Jim Krause
How Design Books
ISBN 1-58180-146-7, 311 pages (small format)
$22.99 US, $35.99 CN, £14.99 UK
As an English major at University of Wisconsin in Madison, I pretended to study literature in the stacks of the college library. But I was constantly being drawn to its collection of graphics magazines. Layout and design tempted me as I attempted to study other people’s words: Shakespeare, James Joyce, or John Barth.
Now I’m a beginning book artist, studying in Tucson, Arizona, with Beata Wehr. In PaperWorks, our Sonoran Collective of Paper and Book Artists, I am editor of PaperWorks Journal, a quarterly publication written and designed by volunteers, mostly visual artists.
As editor it is my job to dream up articles and then find willing writers to donate 450 words per topic. Layout Index helps me when working with Jackie Richards, our art and layout director, and when attempting to organize my book projects. (I can’t comment on this book’s sections on web design, because I have no experience in it.)
This well-organized book’s most compelling topics cover: brochure, poster, flyer, advertising, newsletter, and page layout. Each section builds on the previous, and concludes with a “Focus On.” Using the final comments in Flyer II chapter as an example, “Focus On Voice” asks: “If this piece were a voice, what would it sound like?” Being a poet and book maker, the concept of “voice” is at the heart of the challenge of doing a successful layout.
The author is at his best when showing the many ways a page can be presented, then asking the readers to respond to the ones they prefer. He encourages us to trust our visual intuition while learning to understand the rules of successful design.
This compact (small but thick) book fits nicely in my hand. I easily can slip Layout Index into and out of my purse or backpack to sneak a peak at a long stop light, or while waiting in line at the post office. At 4.5 x 6 inches x 1 inch thick, the book’s size is ultra-convenient, but I wish the text and font dimensions were consistently a little larger. My eyes aren’t 20 years old.
John adds:
This impressive little gem is overflowing with valuable examples and tutorials. Layout Index almost (but not quite) makes me wish I was thirty years younger, taking the plunge into professional page design.
The publisher has other books and magazines for graphics professionals and students, so take a peek at their HowDesign.com site. I’m delighted Barbara and Jackie introduced me to How’s many resources.
My personal favorite attributes in the book are the ways specific pages and units are themselves designed for learning via enjoyable presentation. Layout Index is perhaps the smallest coffee table volume in our house, and visitors spend a lot of time with their noses between the covers.
Rugged physical construction gives confidence the book will withstand the rigors of years of heavy-duty use, including spine-bending days on end and spilled drinks of all types. I’m having a difficult time wrapping up my thoughts, because I’m distracted with enjoyment flipping through the chapters.
I’m not a graphics guy, but if I were I would immediately become acquainted with this publisher and everything they produce, starting with Layout Index.
MyMac.com Book Bytes rating: very strong 4 out of 5.
