Adrian Shaughnessy is a London based graphic designer and art director who spent 15 years as the Creative Director of Intro. He now spends his time focused on design and editorial direction, and writing extensively about visual communication, including (among others) Look At This as well as How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul which, in itself, has established Shaughnessy as a leading voice within the design community.
I have several of Shaughnessy’s books and just picked up his latest, Graphic Design: A User’s Manual which offers students, novice designers, and battle-toughened professionals alike an insider’s guide to the complexities of current graphic design practice and thinking. Set out in A-Z style and written in a realistic, conversational, and insightful way, the book provides advice on the fundamental topics and issues that face designers in their daily lives. It looks at everything from kerning to presenting, from budgeting to dealing with rejection, from annual reports to interface design. Not to mention a forward by Michael Bierut.
Check out Fast Company’s recent Q&A with Adrian about his newest book, and be sure to grab a copy. I highly recommend it.
