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From: will@uunet.UU.NET
Newsgroups: comp.text.desktop
Subject: Re: DTP Books
Message-ID: <33630@sun.uucp>
Date: Wed, 11-Nov-87 14:51:28 EST
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Posted: Wed Nov 11 14:51:28 1987
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> On to books. I'm going to split this into three subgroups: Typography,
> layout fundamentals, and design fundamentals.

(nit: Typography generally refers to the study of typefaces and their
presentation, not to the contents of style manuals.) [chuq: oops]

> Finally, what you really care about. Design fundamentals.

There are two books that I would add to your list as ESSENTIAL reading:
  o Publications Design, by Roy Paul Nelson (there's a hyphen somewhere
    in his name I think).
  o On Advertizing, by Ogilvy (of Ogilvy and Mather fame).

Neither are "expensive" (they cost less than computer science texts)
and On Advertizing is in paperback.

Publications Design is much the strongest of the many books I've ever
read.  It is full, not only of common sense about design, but also,
of explanations and resumes of research into why some designs are
more effective than others (typography examples: why copy set in all
upper-case is harder to read, why serif typefaces are easier to
ead for multi-line copy, how the maximum length of typeset line
varies with the size of the type; design examples: the importance
of and proper use of whitespace, the placement of headlines, copy,
and illustrations).  A "bible" for design of publications of all
types (magazines, newspapers, newsletters, manuals, etc.).

On Advertizing talks more directly (of course) about advertizing and
the communication of ideas in a limited space format (one or two pages
usually).  Ogilvy being a copy-writer, he talks more about how to
write your ideas as well as how to present them visually.  Full of
interesting (and instructive) anecdotes.

Furthermore, both books are themselves excellent examples of good design
and of good writing -- the perfect marriage.

As you say, search out good examples, and see why they work.  Of
course there is a bootstrapping problem: if I don't know what works
how do I pick the good ones?  I suggest an experiment for those
interested: read Publications Design for design information and
On Advertizing for the writing.  But do this with a set of Apple
Computer's manuals, advertizing and product literature.  Go back and
forth the three.  Look and compare - see where things mesh and 
where they differ.  I think you will find the Apple Macintosh manuals,
advertizing, and product literature are terrific examples of good
style and good writing in the presentation of technical materials.

Apple publications are well-grounded in the foundations of effective
design (design that communicates as well as pleases) yet highly original,
and stretches some of the "rules" (type-size to column width for
example).  In fact, the Apple manuals practically look like
the designers had Publications Design by their sides -- the result:
a clean, consistent and elegant overall design, top-quality use of
whitespace, perfect blend of typefaces (the variety restricted to
important variations in the text), use of color, bold, and headlines
that reinforce the different points to be made without clutter and
confusion, readable typefaces, column widths in good proportion to
the size of type (a frequent major failing in LaserWriter output).
And they are very well written and illustrated.

	Will Neuhauser
	will@chorus.fr				(Internet)
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Chuq "Fixed in 4.0" Von Rospach			chuq@sun.COM	Delphi: CHUQ