Design Language

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0961598468 ISBN 13: 9780961598464

Publisher: Brynmorgen Pr, 1997

Design Language brings fresh insight to students and practicing designers by examining the words they use. This compact volume presents 100 keywords with background etymology and commentary. Whether the word is as familiar as edge or perhaps new to you like synesthesia, you’ll find yourself moving easily from one entry to the next, intrigued by the rich layers of meaning you discover. Design Language understands that a book can’t teach design. Instead, it helps people learn design, by using vocabulary to explore style, form, and composition.

From the Publisher:

Design Language was conceived as an alternative to the traditional approach to design texts, which rely on photographs, didactic explanations, and an imposed hierarchy. While each of these factors has merit, they come at the cost of allowing students and readers to discover personal definitions of design. The low cost and open spaces of this book invite readers to add to the text, truly shaping it into a valuable, idiosyncratic language.

From the Author:

This book was born from my experience as a college teacher. I find I'm most effective when I sneak up on a student and whisper a brief aside. As they sort out the connection between what they were thinking and an apparently unrelated observation, real learning takes place-light bulbs go off. I hope Design Language captures a little bit of this magic on the printed page.