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RESOURCES
initialed by the reviewer. The site will be getting bigger and better as folks like you share favorite books, journals, organizations, and links.
McKim, Robert H., Experiences
in Visual Thinking, PWS Publishing, 1980. In the intro to his seminal book, Robert McKim writes, “One way to use this book is to view it as a manual of alternative strategies for expanding the power and range of your thinking.” Every exercise in every chapter is a strategy that can be applied to any problem.
FURTHER READING AND RECOMMENDED WEB SITES
What kind of learning set-up suits you? That’s a big question. The answer seems like it should be obvious, but often its not. We spend years in school and in the workplace being taught new skills, yet it requires precise self study to figure out how we respond to the dif- ferent sorts of learning aids available for the ever-advancing world of digital media. There are four obvious options for training and retraining yourself: (1) On-line help: It comes in every applica- tions. Often there is a search window or, better, an “ask a question” func- tion. (2) Tutorials: Many applications offer step-by-step case studies careful- ly formulated to lead you through the features and protocols of a program. My problem with these is that the case studies are usually so deathly boring. (3) Books: There is a vast library of soft-cover volumes that provide how-to information about all the major ap- plications of computer graphics. These range widely in their editorial/peda- gogical approaches. Spend time at a bookstore considering which type feels easiest to move around within. (4) On-
line instruction: The Internet provides help that comes in different flavors, too, including “movies” that show a computer screen being operated by an instructor whose voice track leads you through an application. This is my own favorite way to learn software.
The limited space here requires
a highly personal compilation. There was no other way to whittle down lists of lists into just four pages. So I am going with resources that have shaped my own thinking about personal media and that I found myself revisiting as I worked on this volume.
There is one more critically im- portant option. (5) Community: The best resources are people. The family member (often younger) who knows more than you. The techie at your com- puter store or workplace. The friends you make through online discus-
sion groups. People you get to know through classes and workshops about digital media.
Organizations
The resources that follow start
with three volumes about design and creativity in general. I strongly recom- mend you treat yourself to one or two of these, for they will nourish every aspect of your own work. Resources are then organized according to chap- ter categories. Mediapedia.net—this book’s companion Web site—has a far more comprehensive collection of re- sources. Each entry is annotated and
Lidwell, Williiam, Kritina Holden & Jill Butler, Universal Principles of Design, RockPort Publishers, 2003. This volume covers the core precepts of design—not just graphic or media de- sign, but design in its broadest range of disciplines. Very smart and beautifully presented. Its subtitle: “100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design.”
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Mu- seum: www.cooperhewitt.org. Located on 5th Avenue in NYC, it is a dynamic museum working in all aspects of design. Check out Education, National Design Awards and store with Design Books.
CREATIVITY & COMPUTERS
American Institute of Graphic Art- ists: www.aiga.org. The largest of pro- fessional associates with membership and also general education resources.
Maeda, John, The Laws of Simplic- ity, MIT Press, 2006. This slender vol- ume is the epitome of design thinking: clear, focused, useful, and elegant. Four simple words on the book’s cover point to the worlds it speaks most clearly to: Design, Technology, Busi- ness, Life.
How magazine: www.howdesign. com. How magazine has expanded to offer events, conferences, competi- tions and digital products—all for the professional designer. Good coverage of technology.
Periodicals
CMYK magazine: www.cymkmag. com. A quarterly collection of student