A visual guide to design

Kidd, C. (2013). Go: A Kidd's guide to graphic design. New York, NY: Workman Publishing. Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design is an ingenious introduction to the basic elements and history of graphic design. Written by Chip Kidd, creator of over 1,000 book covers, is himself an icon of contemporary graphic design. This guidebook begins with a brief introduction that explains the definition of graphic design, followed by 4 chapters that focus on its various elements: form, typography, content, and concept. Kidd approaches the task by showing, not telling, and each chapter provides numerous examples of its focus. The introduction contains a fascinating visual timeline of the highlights in the history of graphic design, beginning with the cave paintings of Lascaux, France.

Each chapter includes a brief, clear explanation of the concepts it introduces, followed by numerous examples. Not only is the book informative and useful, its very interesting to look at. The final chapter includes 10 design projects, such as creating a font specimen sheet or redesigning something that the reader loves. Readers interested in pursuing graphic design as a career path would be the most obvious audience for Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design, but anyone who has an interest in art or design find this title a delight from beginning to end.

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