Typographic Systems of Design,   ISBN:9781568986876

Customer Rating: 

On one hand, this book offers great examples of different methods for laying out type on a page. On the other hand however, this book reads similarly to a classroom textbook and beyond the sample images with tracing paper overlays (Very nice touch).

This book is a quick read and you may come away from it with something, then again, maybe not. I would suggest this book more-so to intro design students looking for good pictorial examples of methods for laying type on a page than I would to more advanced designers, But then again, I have referenced back to this book once or twice in search of some inspiration.

Customer Rating: 

This book teach us how can design better, based in some systems, like, grids, axial, radial, etc.
Is a good tool for learning.

Customer Rating: 

This book is geared toward students, but is a valuable resource for the working designer. Elam's book is full of examples of each type system in use by both students and professionals. This is the only book of its kind that I've encountered, and is a welcomed edition to my design collection.

Customer Rating: 

There are many typography and design books out there - but this book is rare in that it actually SHOWS whats its talking about. After all we are in a visual field, how much sense does it make to not get a grasp on how this stuff actually looks. As a graphic design student, this is really the only book my teacher assigned that i actually care at all about.

Customer Rating: 

This book examines interesting ideas about alternative type layout and design. It is missing an introductory chapter that examines the traditional grid system and offers guidelines about how to break the rules, but for experienced designers this book offers a solid argument on breaking the grid, backed up with good historical references on how the grid has been broken in the past. It would be nice if Elam had addressed the reasons behind why designers are looking for alternative ways to work with type. This is strictly a reference book, with little or no discussion on the conceptual ideas behind breaking the grid. Tons of interesting illustrations and historic layouts back up the samples, also a nice touch, the tissue overlays that "map" out the different strategies. Overall, a good book for your typographic library and an excellent student reference.