Design Dialogues

Rating:
Summary: Uneven but Solid
Review: Design Dialouges is a collection of interviews conducted with legends like Paul Rand and Massimo Vignelli and lesser known designers like Dan Solo and Rodney Alan Greenblat. The quality of the interviews are mixed. Bierut, Vignelli, Lupton, Wyszogrod, Wurman, Solo, and Rand are the cream of the crop making the book easily worth its price. Wyszrogrod's story of surviving the horror of concentration camps using his design skills is inspirational and Vignelli makes a great case for his theories on design. To the book's credit even the bad articles are bad in a good way. George Lois' interview may very well be the most grating piece of writing I have ever read. It's ten pages of him describing how talented and important he is to the world, but he gives some good case studies and after five or so pages he becomes the guy you love to hate.

Any student of design should read this book and the Looking Closer book series which are similar in format. This book lets you into the minds of the people who shape the design community. Invaluable information for any up and coming design profesional.