Impractically Designed

Graphic Design for Non-Designers:  Essential Knowledge, Tips, and Tricks Plus 20 Step-by-Step Projects for the Design Novice by Tony Seddon, Jane Waterhouse, Rick Landers (Illustrator)
   
I've been looking for some practical graphic design tips for doing my own design work on the cheap, and thought this was bound to be the perfect little volume! Verdict? Just OK. The concepts were more abstract than practical, and Seddon veers towards saying that "there aren't really any rules, so just do what looks good." I got an earful about watching out for so-called "trapped white space," but didn't learn anything new about alignment, color, or any concrete aesthetic principles.

My hunch is that graphic design has got to be like any other creative pursuit: you have to learn the rules first, and then you learn how to break them. So, I guess I was just a little disappointed that Seddon didn't give me more rules to break.

Rachel - Programs