Samara Timothy. Design elements: a graphic style manual

A graphic style manual aboutunderstanding the rules and knowing when to break them
Rockport publishers Ink, 2007. 272 pages.This book is simply the most compact and lucid handbook available outlining the basic principles of layout, typography, color usage, and space.Being a creative designer is often about coming up with unique design solutions. Unfortunately, when the basic rules of design are ignored in an effort to be distinctive, design becomes useless. In language, a departure from the rules is only appreciated as great literature if recognition of the rules underlies the text. Graphic design is a "visual language," and brilliance is recognized in designers whose work seems to break all the rules, yet communicates its messages clearly.
This book is a fun and accessible handbook that presents the fundamentals of design in lists, tips, brief text, and examples.Chapters include:
Graphic Design: What It Is;
20 Basic Rules of Good Design;
1. Form and Space
2. Color Fundamentals;
3. Choosing and Using Type;
4.The World of Image;
5. Putting it All Together;
Appendix A The Right Design Choices: 20 Reminders for Working Designers;
Appendix B: Causin’ some trouble: When and Why to Challenge Anithing in This Book.