Simplemente excelente, 100 prácticos tópicos de diseño.
Es ideal para los no-diseñadores, que quieren aplicar conceptos de diseño gráfico.

This is a great book if you are looking for short explanation about design principles.

What's great about this book is it's organization and brevity. The authors articulate the design concepts in clear manner and supply concrete examples (on opposing pages) to add weight and understanding to the written explanation. Furthermore all concepts are linked to the canonical papers from which they come as well as the more modern advances in the field.

It's a book your feel comfortable trusting.

A design book that takes the additional care to give the audience a conceptual table of contents (of concepts grouped by type) *as well as* an alphabetical table of contents is the type of book that is, well...

Well designed.

This book is indispensable for anyone looking for a grasp on design fundamentals without going to design school. The organization, examples and presentation are top-drawer. So intuitively done. For the non-designer, a wonderful reference and primer on classic design principals and why they matter. Should be on the desk of any marketer who works with creatives and wants a better understanding and appreciation of great design.

Universal Principles of Design is an accessible addition to design understanding. The information has been distilled into a consistent and clear format that allows key design principles to be quickly appreciated. It is the product of a considerable research endeavour; references sources are quoted allowing further exploration of the principles. The graphics and format, as to be expected in a book design of principles, makes delving into this book an enjoyable experience. I just wish I had a copy of this book as a student, many years ago, but you are never too old to learn and experience new ideas and perhaps reinforce design concepts that you have known for a long time.

Each of the 100 design guidelines ranging from photography to software design will present an explanation with references to relevant sources accompanied by one or more examples.

With this book you can simply recognize the good rules, not remember you read about them somewhere. ;)

This is, without a doubt, the best design book I have ever read. While everything in the Rockport Publishers tends to be wonderful, this book is the greatest. The book is very accessible to the average reader, no matter the level of experience in the field. On top of that, it is one of the most comprehensive guides I have found. The layout of the book is also superb, which helps set the mood for design brainstorming.

I should also add that because each topic is only two pages long, it is very easy to keep on the nightstand and read a few sections before bed each night. Again, this book is extremely accessible.

Great book to keep handy for quickly explaining design fundamentals (and several more complex concepts) to coworkers and clients. Each two-page summary is rife with annotations and diagrams. Buzzwords aplenty, but great stuff.

This is a collection of practical ideas and ways of looking at design. I'm using it for the design of technical illustrations, but it covers other design problems too. Each idea is captured in about a page of text, which is perfect for practical use. Best book I've found for practical ways and criteria for design that communicates difficult information.

I bought this book after reading Don Norman's endorsement of it on his blog. Needless to say, this book is a gem.

This book gives you exactly what the title promises: 100 design principles categorized in various ways. Each page provides a description of the principle, examples showing its application in various domains as well as references for understanding more about the subject.

Many of these principles you probably already know while some others you will see in a new light. This book is a reference, though so use it to jog your memory, not as a textbook on graphic design. The amount of information on each principle is not sufficient to really understand its application, especially to software. Also, these principles are the ideal and I wished more than once that there were more guidance about how to prioritize them in the face of costs or conflicts. However, if you are involved in design, you will find yourself coming back to this book for a quick opinion on what works.

I would suggest that this book be used as a way to categorize design knowledge you might pick up from other, more in-depth sources.

This book is a reasonably good and concise overview of the major elements of good design. Although the book has a small number of errors it is competently written and makes for a good touchstone for further reading. The further reading section within every "principle" are invaluable to putting the book into proper context.

This reminded me of an old textbook, having very few visual examples and loads of text. That said I have found it a good read with more information than other similar design books. It is a good book to grasp the whole spread of design.

I loved this book for its illustrations, organization & its selection of principles. It covers pivotal ideas from visual design, interaction design, industrial engineering, an communications design & cross-references each principle to related principles & sources for further exploration. It's hard to image a professional in any design field that would appreciate this uniquely valuable & enjoyable reference.

This book has great visual examples of the concepts in design. Designers, teachers and commercial art directors should have it on a shelf near by.

This book does have some useful and interesting principals of design. However most any person who is thoughtful and careful in designing a human interface will figure these things out without this book. In fact a fair percentage of the principals discussed are painfully obvious to anyone.

This is an invaluable resource for any designer. Well-organized and easy to read, with a multitude of cross-references. One of the best values I've come across in recent years.

I think this book is an excellent introduction and reference for all things design oriented. I am doing primarily graphic design, and although some of the sections don't even come close to applying, they give you a gleam of knowledge that you can use somehow... almost every section you can learn a little and apply a bit to whatever you are doing. If not it still gets your mind into the correct mindset quickly to help you get more creative instantly.

Very Good reference. Collates many ideas I've come across from different fields that apply to good design. Excellent book to have sitting at your desk for casual browsers.

A well thought-out work, with concise topics covered on each page. More of a reference work than a "how-to" book, but if there is a topic in design in which you are interested, this book will give you a great start.

My quibble, mentioned before by some others, is that the body text is done in a very small, light gray, sans serif font. To be honest, this is very hard to read, with my failing eyes. I am not sure why a book discussing the core elements of visual communication would be printed in a way that the content could not be read....

I'm afraid this book didn't quite live up to my (high) expectations, which was to learn something new and practical. The book is well done and contains good references, but the descriptions of the "principles" (none of which were completely new to me) are a bit superficial, IMHO.

A well thought-out work, with concise topics covered on each page. More of a reference work than a "how-to" book, but if there is a topic in design in which you are interested, this book will give you a great start.

My quibble, mentioned before by some others, is that the body text is done in a very small, light gray, sans serif font. To be honest, this is very hard to read, with my failing eyes. I am not sure why a book discussing the core elements of visual communication would be printed in a way that the content could not be read....

I'm afraid this book didn't quite live up to my (high) expectations, which was to learn something new and practical. The book is well done and contains good references, but the descriptions of the "principles" (none of which were completely new to me) are a bit superficial, IMHO.

I borrowed this book from a friend and have enjoyed it immensely. As another reviewer pointed out, the book follows good design principles and is laid out very well, making it simple to gather much information, whether you skim or read it in depth. Each two-page spread has a concept on the left, a quick summary, more detailed paragraphs, and graphics illustrating the concepts on the right.

In fact, this book was so facinating and well laid out, I am reading it with my 8-year-old son, who loves to understand how things work. The design of the pages, the illustrations, and the explanation of the concepts are done so well that my son can understand most of what is presented. I think that says quite a lot!

Now that I have seen so much of it, I am ordering my own copy.

I borrowed this book from a friend and have enjoyed it immensely. As another reviewer pointed out, the book follows good design principles and is laid out very well, making it simple to gather much information, whether you skim or read it in depth. Each two-page spread has a concept on the left, a quick summary, more detailed paragraphs, and graphics illustrating the concepts on the right.

In fact, this book was so facinating and well laid out, I am reading it with my 8-year-old son, who loves to understand how things work. The design of the pages, the illustrations, and the explanation of the concepts are done so well that my son can understand most of what is presented. I think that says quite a lot!

Now that I have seen so much of it, I am ordering my own copy.

The organisation of the book means whenever you've got an idea of a design issue you want to tackle, you can find the relevant section easilly. Most books like this I enjoy reading as a narrative, you can't do that with this book as it's set up to be a reference. But it's a great reference, spanning many aspects of design that can be applicable in many situations (although how I'll end up applying Waist-to-Hip ratio to web design will be a challenge).

Very well written, and it uses its own advise in a number of occasions.

The organisation of the book means whenever you've got an idea of a design issue you want to tackle, you can find the relevant section easilly. Most books like this I enjoy reading as a narrative, you can't do that with this book as it's set up to be a reference. But it's a great reference, spanning many aspects of design that can be applicable in many situations (although how I'll end up applying Waist-to-Hip ratio to web design will be a challenge).

Very well written, and it uses its own advise in a number of occasions.

Has topic is covered in a page. It's great to pick up sometime, flip to a random page and read about a design topic. It's like how some people flip open their religious text for spiritual guidance. This book is like that for design principles.

The title makes it clear this is not an in-depth treatise, but an overview. As such, the marginal references are excellent launching points for deeper research on any of the principles.

I'm also using it as a sort of checklist for design, watching for the application of these overarching concepts in whatever I'm creating. As a web designer, programmer, song-writer, and fiction writer, the concepts have application in virtually everything I design.

Since the design of every day things impacts the quality of our lives, most people have a strong interest in things that are designed well, but just how do you arrive at a well designed thing? This book offers an extensive typology of design principles gathered from a wide variety of fields (ergonomics, human factors, psychology etc.) that have relevance for any design discipline, from web usability to product design for manufactured goods. If you do not have a design background, but work with designers, you may find some of these insights very useful for collaboration on design decision making scenarios. Some of the principles, such as the 80/20 rule or the pareto principle were pretty obvious but others were less so, making the book an interesting exploration of some old and new concepts from a cross-disciplinary perspective. After reading through these 100 design principles, you will arrive at a fairly good understanding of the factors that influence our preference towards one design over another. Of course, the all important "context" is missing from these generalizations, however, you can easily read through them and draw your own conclusions on how they relate to your particular design problem.

This book is a tremendous book. While I think the target audince of this book are graphic artists it is useful for any industry or occupation. As an IT professional, the techniques offered in this book helped me design better interfaces for software systems.

Great book

Every designer should own this book. It codifies an abundance of principles about usable design into a very useful reference.

This book is an exceptional resource to anyone involved in a creative design discipline. Many of the principles and ideas have been explored in other books and publications, but they are assembled here into a single reference text that is easy to read, clear in communication and powerful in arrangement. A complete read will awaken the reader to a host of ideas that will support any ongoing creative work. The book describes each principle, and provides examples on the adjacent page in order to better emphasize the benefit of the idea. Not all examples are home-runs, but the collection of ideas and their sub-categorization based on occupation and taks makes for easy reference. Additional research, books, and web-sites are also provided for further learning. Design is currently very high-profile, and this resource will provide new ideas and enhance existing concepts.

Don't even think it's a book about DESIGN PRINCIPLES.

The better name for it would be "100 assorted facts from all over you may want to know". The authors acknowledge that by writing in the introduction:

Quote from page 10:
"The concepts in this book, broadly referred to as "principles," consist of laws, guidelines, human biases, and general design considerations."

So, broadly referred to as "principles," eh ? Why not "fundamental laws of nature and humanity" ? The only thing that ever came close to being a DESIGN PRINCIPLE was the "Occam Razor".

And why would a book on design principles have design flaws in itself ? Sure, there are delighted reviews below saying "The book itself is a piece of art" and such, but let's take a closer look.

The first thing you note when you take it is its unusual format. Aha ! (you think), the unusual sides ratio probably has to do with the "Golden Section", to increase attractiveness for free. Guess what, you are right (see page 96). This already violates the "Form Follows Function" principle. Ok, I can see there could be other reasons - the book sticks out on the shelf all right, and wider pages allow for squeezing more text on them.

And there comes more deficiencies. Because of the big idea of having each principle to occupy a two page centerfold (text on the left, pictures on the right), all the text has to be put on a single page. This implies that the base font is small (about 9 points), and the sidebar font is even smaller. This violates the "Accessibility" principle. On top of it, it's printed on glossy paper, which (guess) reflects the light. This makes the book readable only in certain light conditions.

On the principles themselves. These are no principles, but rather a peculiar facts from many areas - from visual and computer interface design to math and iron construction. They would take a lot of thinking to become principles. How about this imaginary example:

* Principle of aboveness: if one thing is above the other, it's perceived as better.
* Principle of belowness: if one thing is below the other, it's perceived as worse.
* Principle of levelling: if two things stay beside on the same level, they are perceived as equal.

3 design principles right there, not bad huh ?

If you haven't been taught math, the normal distribution (aka bell curve) would make a nice design principle, no ? Or, in case you would want to build the next Eiffel tower - what more would you need to know except for the "Structural Forms" principle which says that in building there are solids, frames and tubes ?

So I believe the key problem here is that design has many meanings - it's the process and it's the result and in broadest meaning it's everything people do, so there is one design per discipline. So, which one is discussed here ? No answer.

All in all, it's not a book on design principles, it's a very cool illustrated album you can brag to your immediately envious friends.

This book is for someone who has a teacher or instructor who can guide the reader to be really effective. Self instruction with this book is possible, but difficult.

This book is a must for any design student or working professional. It is a FABULOUS desk reference for so many important concepts. Even the design of the book itself incorporates the principles of usability. One of my best purchases on the subject!!(And there have been many...)

This is an excellent book that touches upon the basic properties of design. Don't expect this book to go into exaggerated details on topics, its simply a cliffs notes on design. However it should, and will become a staple for all design students to own, regardless of concentration. Every University should make this book a mandatory purchase. Definitely worth checking out.

This book is so well designed that it makes the contents a pleasure to read. Each principle is on two adjacent pages, with a clear definition of the principle, applications of the principle, and some examples in beautiful illustrations. The design of the book is a demo of applying those design principles. I'd recommend this book to a wild variety of people who even just want to have some sense about what a good design is about.

I was really pleased to delve into this terrific book! It's organized in such a way that you have two-page references to 210 design considerations and you can use that information to organize further searches, if necessary. There is a dual indexing format that uses both aphabetical and categorical listings to help you find a topic, even if you don't know the right terms.
My interest is in design of wooden objects and I found several references within the book that were truly useful. I recommend the book as an anthology that will educate and open other doors.

This is a great book for anyone thats into graphic design. It gives you short descriptions of design elements and shows you a example of the elements. The descriptions get right to the point of how to use the element or principle and the examples helps emphasize the point. Defently a book you will keep and use for the rest of your art design career.

I'm a senior in a Visual Communications and Design program. One of my professors highly recommended this book, so I decided to buy it after looking at the price here on Amazon. I didn't know what to expect.

I was greeted with nice satin-finish hardcover with no dust jacket (I dislike those anyway). When I opened the book, I noticed that each spread is completely new principle of design. The right panel has amazing illustrations or photographs VISUALLY explaining each principle, while the left panel explained the principle in a way that I have a new level of understanding and presented in a way that makes me appreciate all the genres of design (from Architecture to product design to marketing). As if this was not enough, each article has references to the complete "seminal" work that started this principle and usually a more up-to-date reference that explores this principle in today's world.

I join along with my Professor, BUY this book. You will be gaining such a treasuretrove of knowledge that my four year degree has only taught me to appreciate and learn. This is concise stuff that runs the gamut and I am finding exceedingly practical. If there can be a book where all you need is right here, then this is it.

When I become a professor, years down the road, this will be a mandatory book for all design students.

i found the book to be a good support when approaching a design. it lays out a series of axioms which help the designer to look at various design stratagies at the initial design stages.

If you want to make some money, I recommend you buy a couple copies of this book now and put them away for 10 years. With absolute certitude the "Universal Patterns of Design" (UPOD) will be a future "classic" design book. There are very few books that fit this category, but this will be one. The author's have done an absolutely stunning job of condensing the patterns format in codifying 210 design principles which human beings need to relate to products and works of art. This book rivals ANY other design work I have ever read. Absolutely highest recommendation.

This book is a great introduction to many themes relevant to all form of design. Many references are given for anyone wishing to further develop their understanding of the theme discussed.

This is a great book for people who want an overview of the most abstract design principles that can then be applied to everyday life. Equally at home on the coffee table, work desk or washroom magazine rack, this book quickly opens up the structure behind the seemingly fluid world of design.

This isn't a book about design, it's a collection of distinctions revealing the human experience. I've already used many of them to improve my marketing materials, my websites, how I speak to clients, and how I relate to the world. It's a just a wonderful ontological exploration. The wonderful references alone justify the cover price.

The problem, it seems, as manifested by places like The Design Museum, is that the concept 'design' has become equated with appearance. This narrow perspective allows designers to shirk the responsibilities they have to end users in the design process. All too often a newly graduated designer will seek to stamp their personality or ideas on a product, flagrantly disregarding the basic principles of design.

In one fell swoop, this book destroys any excuses designers may have. It is itself an elegant, highly accessible and successful example of good design. Each concept is covered in narrative, by reference and by example(s).

From Occam's Razor, Affordability, Hick's Law to many areas not immediately obvious, the breadth of the book is wonderful, and no subject is anything other than easily understood.

This coverage is no mean effort, and the beneficiaries cross all industries.

Mandatory reading and reference for anyone who calls themselves a designer.

---"The best designers sometimes disregard the principles of design. When they do so, however, there is usually some compensating merit attained at the cost of the violation. Unless you are certain of doing as well, it is best to abide by the principles" from the Introduction.--- Really a cross reference whether you are designing for screen, print or industry, to tune and power up your designs. Simple 100 design principles laid and explained clearly by example. You will be amazed how instantly it works out. But if you are looking for an inspiration look for other items like "Big Book of Design Ideas"

Much of Universal Principles of Design lacks depth. The reason for this is that the text needed more colloboration than it appears to have asorbed. For something that aspires to be a sort of objective compendium, the topics (and particularly the examples used) are grounded firmly within the author's sphere of knowledge. I correctly guessed both where the authors lived as well as their occupations long before I had finished reading merely because they use so many examples from Houston and software. Unfortunately, this lack of research and colloboration outside of the two authors and their own knowledge creates a shallow, uninformed book.

Universal Principles of Design is far less academic and objective than it proports. For example, if I had based one of my principles on an example I would have researched it beyond merely using internet heresay (DVORAK v. QWERTY, for example). That's not to say it isn't enjoyable, as the text itself is neat, modernist, clean and is, at times, interesting and informative. However, Universal Principles of Design lacks the academic depth needed for usability and never extends beyond introductions and formalities. The book is something that aspires to belong more on the coffee table as a chic relic of interest in design than as a usable, practical text to earmark, underline in, and really utilize as a day to day guidebook.

Wonderful resource, well-written and attractively designed. I can't imagine any designer in any field not finding this invaluable. Ideal for any experience level as well. Hopefully this will become a standard book.

This is one of the best books I've seen lately, combining theory from usability, perception and design. The book consists of small explanatory texts on the left pages, with examples on the right. The chapters of the book are in an alphabetical order; this means for instance that principles from the Gestalt Psychology are devided over different chapters (closure, constancy, good continuation etc.) However, on the bottom of every page is a 'hyperlink' to related chapters. To categorize the chapters the book has a categorical table of contents, with categories like perception, learnability, usability, appeal and design decisions. Students from technical courses, to whom I showed the book, immediately liked it.