Basics Design: Format

Introducing the brand-new, extremely visual BASICS series, which will eventually incorporate 5 titles, each representing a fundamental aspect of graphic design. Format, the first entry, concerns the physical dimensions of a product and the space one has to present the graphic elements of a design: the size of a book, the scale of a poster, the folds in a brochure. This instructive handbook examines in detail books, magazines, posters, direct mail, brochures, and Web pages to see how effectively they communicate, how appealing they look, and how strong an impact they make on the user. The original ideas showcased throughout are inspirational.

Gavin Ambrose, a graphic designer, is the author and designer of books on branding, packaging, and editorial design. He lives in Kent, UK.

Paul Harris is a freelance writer, journalist, and editor, and an author on books about packaging design and design principles. He lives in Chile.