Gavin Ambrose is a practising graphic designer whose client base includes the arts sector, galleries, publishers and advertising agencies. He has written and designed several books on graphic design, branding and packaging. Paul Harris studied at the London College of Communication and has gone on to become a freelance writer and editor. His work has appeared extensively in magazines and journals on both sides of the Atlantic, including style bible Dazed & Confused.

This book clearly sets out a broad range of principles and approaches associated with the problems facing the designer in the structure and organisation of visual material ... As one would hope, it is well organised and clear in layout, making it easy to follow and concise in its presentation of information ... a great primer and starting point for more detailed study.

• Introduction. How to get the most out of this book. Historical context: Classical principles; Early manuscripts; The development of printing; The impact of moveable type; The Renaissance; The Arts and Crafts movement; Art Nouveau; The Bauhaus; Art Deco; The rise of Modernism; International Style; Graphic design today; Postmodernism; Deconstruction. Principles: The process of design; Relative and absolute measurements; Proportion; Number sequences; The vocabulary of layout design; Zeitgeist. Grids and formations: The grid; Columns; Fields or modules; The baseline grid; Representation and reality; Matrices. Objects on a page: The narrative - What we read; How we read a page; White space; Balance; Juxtaposition; Alignment; Broadside; Leading and fonts; Hyphenation and justification; Indentation; Hierarchy; Layers; Colour; Texture; Pace; Picture boxes; Passepartout; The gutter. Application: Typography; Music; Interior design; Furniture; Architecture; Newspapers; Magazines; Books and brochures; Packaging; Websites; The built environment; Quantitative information; Identity programmes. Reference: ISO; DIN (Deutsche Industrie Norm); ISO Envelope sizes; Book sizes; Outdoor media sizes; Standard templates. Conclusion. Glossary. Index. Acknowledgements.