Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Ought to be required reading
Like most everyone else, I came across Ms. Williams through other books (The Mac is Not a Typewriter, The Little Mac Book), and was delighted to discover she was teaching a one-day seminar on design for non-designers a few years back. I could have saved myself the seminar fee since all she taught was presented in this excellent book. However... and this is the reason I stopped to write the review... Robin was a very entertaining and engaging educator. A number of reviewers (rightly) comment on her "blunt" style. I agree that it can be taken that way, if you misinterpret her intent. I found her irreverent attitude an expression of her wit. She's very funny in person. Please read her as such and you won't get hung up on her style.As to the _content_ of the book, my opinion is that it is essential reading. I don't know how many times I've referred other folks to the basics of design she taught me in this book. Well-illustrated examples drive home the fundamentals that you will carry with you to every form of communication you prepare: be it a letter, a web page, a brochure, or a hand-written sign for a garage sale. The personal computer and Internet are ushering in a new age of democratization, communication for everyone. Thank god Robin is willing to help us do so with some sense of grace and style. Combine this book with "The Mac (or PC... choose your flavor) is Not a Typewriter" and join the battle against mediocre design!
Rating: - Some clues for the clueless
This book has improved every document I've created for at least half a decade. Computing is my trade, but bookmaking and related paper craft are my hobbies, so I'm awash in text on paper and on the monitor screen. From flyers, signs and term papers to greeting cards, books, web pages and technical documents, I've been applying Williams' techniques to great effect. Her ideas are so simple, you'll wonder why you didn't think of them instinctively. The first half of the book focuses on four design principles: Alignment, Contrast, Proximity and Repetition. You'll be amazed at how supersizing a heading font or choosing a right side aligment can change a document. The rest of the book focuses on how to select and use fonts/type, emphasizing their use with the design principles. If you've been centering every item on an invitation or webpage or you've thought Times New Roman is the only font you'd ever need, this book will open you eyes and improve your work. There are great before and after pics and even quizzes on the reading and techniques. Don't worry, answers are included.
I've taken DTP courses and have purchased other graphic design books, but this book has pretty much become my design bible. Beginners and experienced designers alike will benefit from this book. Numerous examples of brochures, flyers, resumes, business cards and other items should spur your creativity for some time to come.
Rating: - A Resource for the Non-Professional
Robin has written a simple book on design and typographic principles. Her intended audience is the secretary or admin, the church volunteer, the small business owner, the student, or anyone who is occasionally faced with the prospect of designing the written word. Her advice will not make you a professional, nor is it intended to replace a formal education, but will give the novice insight on what works and why. I don't often use phrases like "life-altering" or "eye opening", but this book deserves them. The concepts taught can be used for a newsletter, flyer, brochure, term paper, church bulletin, letterhead, or resume. She includes plenty of good examples as well as bad ones, and little quizzes throughout the book. It's a small book that can easily be read in a weekend, but what you learn will stay with you forever. The first half of the book is dedicated to CRAP (contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity), four principles that, once
understood, will turn your so-so document into something that people will want to read. And once you learn CRAP, you'll see
it everywhere (she calls this the Joshua Tree Principle). You'll understand why this magazine article is so visually attractive,
while that newspaper ad has no appeal at all. The second half of the book focuses on typefaces (fonts), which so many of us love to collect. She describes the six main
categories and, more importantly, teaches us how to successfully mix font styles within a document (yes, even you can successfully
mix three or more fonts on a page, once you know how). I've been so impressed by Robin's style of writing and the information she reveals that I've purchased two more of her books
(The Non-Designer's Web Book and Robin William's Web Design Workshop), and plan to purchase more.
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