Design for Hackers: Reverse-Engineering Beauty

Book Notes by Julaine

My review of the book Design for Hackers

The author recommends Georgia as an excellent alternative to Garamond for use on the web. 

I really like the font Adobe Caslon and Garamond is what I prefer for its replacement. I enjoyed the author's explanation of font choices. I really like that he helps his readers develop an understanding of where typeface comes from and the technologies and mediums that influenced their forms. 

Typography is bound to the properties of the medium in which the typography is created. I have more notes on typography on another page.

Creating for the web means using fonts that were created with the web's limitations in mind. Here is a list of tips he suggested:

  • Learn about the different types of typefaces, paying special attention to who designed them and how technology influenced the design.
  • On today’s screens (about 100 ppi to 150 ppi), stick with web-standard fonts at sizes below 30 px.
  • Feel free to use custom fonts from Typekit, Cufón, or other technologies at sizes above 30 px, but be sure that you understand the font and how best to pair it. 
  • Avoid using fonts designed for the screen in print applications. 
Design – more specifically, the design of typography – has always been about the conveyance of information. Ensuring that the right audience gets that information is part of the responsibilities of the designer.

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Pub. Date: September 6, 2011
Print ISBN: 978-1-119-99895-2
Web ISBN: 1-119-99895-6
Pages in Print Edition: 352 

Here is something I did not know

Probably the most misleading, and most often referenced, example of the golden ratio being found in nature is that of the shell of the nautilus supposedly being composed of a golden ratio spiral. 

Although the logarithmic spiral present in the shell of the nautilus is certainly strikingly beautiful, it is not, in fact, created from a golden ratio spiral. 


These are notes I made after reading this book. See more book notes

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