Universal Principles of Color by Stephen Westland, Maggie Maggio

Universal Principles of Color (Rockport Universal, #5)

by Stephen Westland and Maggie Maggio

A comprehensive, cross-disciplinary overview of color, Universal Principles of Color presents 100 core concepts and guidelines that are critical to a successful use of color. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, it pairs clear explanations of every topic with visual examples of it applied in theory and in practice.

The book is organized alphabetically so that principles can be easily and quickly referenced. For those interested in addressing a specific color challenge or application problem, the principles are also indexed by pathways based on nine topics of color study ranging from science, art and design, and industry. "

Each principle is presented in a two-page format:
  • The left-hand page contains a succinct definition, a full description of the principle, and examples of and guidelines for its use. Side notes, which appear to the right of the text, provide elaborations and references.
  • The right-hand page contains visual examples and related graphics to support a deeper understanding of the principle.
 
Whether in a branding campaign or a healthcare facility, a product’s packaging or a software user interface, the color we see is the culmination of many concepts and practices brought together from a variety of disciplines to increase appeal, influence perception, and enhance usability.
 
By considering these concepts and examples, you can learn to make more informed and ultimately better color decisions. This landmark reference is the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their understanding of and expertise in color.

The titles in the Rockport Universal series offer comprehensive and authoritative information and edifying and inspiring visual examples on multidisciplinary subjects for designers, architects, engineers, students, and anyone who is interested in expanding and enriching their design knowledge.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

5 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Universal Principles of Color is a well written and accessible theory guide by Maggie Maggio and Stephen Westland. Released 21st Nov 2023 by Quarto on their Rockport imprint, it's 216 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is a very useful and information dense textbook treatment of concepts of color: perception, light, object reflectivity, shape, nuance, and much (much) more. Each idea is presented on a 2 page facing spread with text explanation on the left side and facing illustrations/photos on the right. The text is easy to understand and there are surprisingly complex concepts presented in bite-sized pieces. 

Five stars. This would make a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, for home use, artist's studio collections, as well as for more formal classroom instruction in design, art, and allied subjects. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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Reading updates

  • 28 December, 2023: Started reading
  • 28 December, 2023: Finished reading
  • 28 December, 2023: Reviewed