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Book Description

The design industry has evolved rapidly over the past decade. Effective and successful designers no longer need to just “make things,” they need to be curious thinkers who understand how to solve problems that have a true impact on the world we live in and how to show the power of designing for social good. Now more than ever, the graphic design industry needs a book that teaches the foundations and theories of design while simultaneously speaking to the topics of history, ethics, and accessibility in order to make designs that are the most effective for all people.

In Powered by Design, educator, designer, and public speaker Renee Stevens brings a truly up to date and thoughtful approach to an introduction to graphic design. As Assistant Professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Communication at Syracuse University, Stevens created this book to be at home equally in academia and outside of the school setting. With a conversational and approachable tone, Stevens’ book is for anyone who wants to gain a more practical understanding of what graphic design is today, and the power and potential it has: from students to novice graphic designers to anyone who wants to build a solid foundation of design skills so that they can work more effectively with professional designers. Stevens covers topics such as:

    • Choosing the right typeface
    • Hierarchy and visual weight
    • Creating design systems
    • Balancing tension
    • Visualizing data
    • Understanding color and mood
    • Defining a story structure
    • User testing and critique
    • Immersive design (designing for all the senses)
    • Determining when a design is finished
    • How to make a living with design

Woven throughout is the crucial idea that you must embrace empathy in everything you design in order to create work that is the most inclusive. Design has the power and potential to make real impact in our everyday lives, and this book will show you how to do that starting with your first design experience.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. About the Author
  7. Contents
  8. 01 Design Thinking.
    1. What is graphic design, really?
    2. Why is design so valuable?
    3. The design process.
  9. 02 Designing For Humanity.
    1. Empathy and experiences.
    2. Get curious about the why.
    3. The user and the designer.
  10. 03 Expressive Typography.
    1. Designing from the inside out.
    2. How do you choose a typeface?
    3. Read what I meant, not what I said.
    4. History and associations.
  11. 04 Relationships Are Hard.
    1. Hierarchy and visual weight.
    2. Type meets image.
    3. Balancing tension.
    4. Making systems.
  12. 05 Lay It All Out.
    1. The backbone of design.
    2. Breaking the rules.
    3. Visualizing data.
  13. 06 The Whole.
    1. Gestalt and the theories of perception.
    2. Make people feel smart.
    3. Isomorphic correspondence.
  14. 07 Emotional Design.
    1. Understanding color and mood.
    2. Visual fluidity.
    3. Define the story structure.
  15. 08 Do Less.
    1. You don’t need a belt and suspenders.
    2. Designing with constraint.
    3. When you know you need to start over.
  16. 09 Meaningful Experiences.
    1. More than a user and an interface.
    2. Experience the journey.
    3. Solving problems of the everyday.
  17. 10 Activate The Senses.
    1. The memory of design.
    2. Let's get personal.
    3. Accessible design for all.
    4. Design for voice.
  18. 11 Time And Space.
    1. Bringing it back to the third dimension.
    2. Creating anticipation.
    3. Breaking outside of rectangles.
  19. 12 Make A Living.
    1. Yes, you should even charge your mother.
    2. Your responsibilities.
    3. Per hour or per project?
  20. 13 Design In Circles.
    1. User testing and critique.
    2. Delivery and follow-through.
    3. When is a design finished?
  21. Designer Index
  22. References
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