A Book about Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good

by Mark Gonyea

Published by Henry Holt, 2005
144 pages
ISBN: 0-8050-7575-5

Ages 8-18

Are you looking for a way to explain to kids why they don’t need to use every available font the next time they are creating a project on the computer? This is the book that’s up to the task. “Design is all about the perception of size, shape, and color,” writes Mark Gonyea at the start of this inviting and enlightening volume. He tackles a different aspect of design in each chapter to underscore his message: keep it simple to make it effective. Gonyea’s highly visual approach teaches basic design concepts by placing the emphasis on showing rather than telling. His primer on design teaches about color, line, shape, ratio, balance, and contrast, blending bold lines and bright colors that illustrate each concept with concise explanations in a conversational tone that implies a friendly relationship with readers. A great book for teaching visual literacy, this volume will be of special interest to art teachers, as well as kids and teens who are aspiring artists and designers. (MS) ©2005 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

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	CCBC Bibliographies & Booklists Charlotte Zolotow Award Book of the Week CCBC Specialized Information CCBC Book Discussions CCBC - Net Awards & Best-of-the-Year Lists Review Journals A Book about Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good by Mark Gonyea Published by Henry Holt, 2005 144 pages ISBN: 0-8050-7575-5 Ages 8-18 Are you looking for a way to explain to kids why they don’t need to use every available font the next time they are creating a project on the computer? This is the book that’s up to the task. “Design is all about the perception of size, shape, and color,” writes Mark Gonyea at the start of this inviting and enlightening volume. He tackles a different aspect of design in each chapter to underscore his message: keep it simple to make it effective. Gonyea’s highly visual approach teaches basic design concepts by placing the emphasis on showing rather than telling. His primer on design teaches about color, line, shape, ratio, balance, and contrast, blending bold lines and bright colors that illustrate each concept with concise explanations in a conversational tone that implies a friendly relationship with readers. A great book for teaching visual literacy, this volume will be of special interest to art teachers, as well as kids and teens who are aspiring artists and designers. (MS) ©2005 Cooperative Children’s Book Center