Over the years, I have come upon several books that do a great job of teaching the elegance of good visual display or just good design. There are multiple purposes to design - for example, you could be trying to design a compelling website, express quantitative data in easy to understand graphs or to design a logo or PowerPoint presentation or design a blog post. While I in no way have figured it out myself, I have come across some great resources.
Web Copy That Sells
We all write online and publish in some way whether for work or for pleasure and this book talks about the right way to design web content. A must have for online publishing.
Presentation Zen
Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery. Presentation is about the transfer of emotion and this book walks the reader through preparation, design and delivery. Backed by Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin, Presentation Zen is a good guide to PowerPoint / Keynote.
Slide:ology
Another great book on presentations only this one is by the Duarte team - a prestigious design agency in Silicon Valley - and reviews comprehensively visual story development. From animation, to picture taking to text on slides.
The Minto Pyramid Principle
For THE guide to logic in writing, thinking and problem solving, I highly recommend this classic. Coming from a management consulting background, this was our bible. Every presentation, every problem was structured in the Minto way.
Say it with Charts
An easy-to-read guide to creating simple, compelling charts. Also includes worksheets and exercises to practice.
Don't Make Me Think
One of our favorite books at Fresh Consulting. This is the guide to common sense web usability. A must read for all web designers.
Universal Principles of Design
One of the best books out there on design. It's tagline says it all: "100 ways to enhance usability, influence perception, increase appeal, make better design decisions, and teach through design. This is the first one-stop reference and resource for designers of all disciplines - from graphic design to architecture to user-interface design. This is one of my favorites.
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
The seminal book on displaying complex quantitative information by Edward Tufte. He has written several other books, but this one in my opinion really is the most powerful and applicable for my profession (business consulting). The Strunk and White of visual design.
Information Dashboard Design
All about information technology or business intelligence, this book is a must read for anyone who has ever worked on or developed a dashboard. This book gets to the core of building a quality dashboard that communicates complex information clearly and easily. This is an art and Stephen Few is one of the best.
So that is quite the large range of design-oriented books - from web copy, to website, to graphs to architecture. I would love to learn of any design books that you love.
How about Information Dashboard Design by Stephen Few. I saw it on your desk, so I assume you're reading it already. :)
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