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The forward written by Sagmeister talks about why he enjoys being a graphic designer and  provides a brief history of the experience he has had. His advice to being a designer without losing your sole is to stop and think and reflect on what you are doing. By doing this you can internally evaluate whether you are satisfied with what your doing. This is good advice for anyone in any profession and especially for a student just about to graduate.

The introduction simply laid out what the book was going to cover and what it will not in the following chapters. Beyond this, the introduction discusses the problems newcomers to the graphic design field will face and explains that it is a guide book that can help students.

Chapter one listed philosophical and practical attributes needed to be a graphic designer. The list includes cultural awareness,communication, and integrity. As a designer you must have a cultural awareness of the world around you. Because communication is the most important part of your career, understanding symbols, puns, cues, and other cultural references for the audience you are targeting is vital to your success. Also communication skills is crucial for you in your business dealings, being able to discuss your ideas but more importantly, you being a good listener and learning from others. Integrity is a philosophical problem that likely will arise in this career. You may find yourself doing something you don’t agree with simply because you need the work. Money and conscience will need to be weighed and each person will have to search their own heart to decide.

    board game and new cards

Sagmeister touched on the topic of graphic design producing emotional responses in people. He listed some of the most memorible designs he had seen during his lifetime, then tried to see why they touched his heart so much. Sagmeister admits that most graphic design he sees is nice but is just fluff. As an examination of what makes a particular work special from a heartfelt viewpoint, he set out creating a list of qualities he felt contributed to an emotional connection. They include ability to change perspective, trigger memories, passion and guts, surprise, virtuosity, and beauty. Sagmeister feels that these qualities can help produce a heartfelt response from people, but in the end the most important thing about a design is that it comes from the heart and is true and sincere. If the designer is passionate than the work will reflect it and touch people. These guidelines can be a helpful guide to test my own work up against and a good source of wisdom to know as a designer.