Re: I need recommendations on technical illustrations books

Subject: Re: I need recommendations on technical illustrations books
From: Keri Morgret <kerilists -at- morgret -dot- net>
To: sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com,<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 11:48:19 -0700

The Before and After Magazine has put out a book titled _Before and After Graphics for Business_
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321334159/102-9148163-4980920?v=glance&n=283155

The author has also written _Before and After_ Page Design
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/020179537X/ref=pd_bxgy_text_b/102-9148163-4980920?ie=UTF8

I have paged through the Business book and liked what I saw.


Horton has also written _Illustrating Computer Documentation_, which I looked through at a bookstore and liked, but the drawback was it was published in 1991.
http://www.horton.com/html/bookintro.aspx


_Looking Good in Print_ is up to the sixth edition now. I have the fourth edition, and like how there are lots of examples and before and after pictures.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193309706X/sr=8-1/qid=1153334455/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9148163-4980920?ie=UTF8

Browsing these books on Amazon will give you links to other books that might also meet your needs.

A note on Tufte. I found a use for his books in a slightly different way. I needed to show coworkers and supervisors the need to redesign some graphics, and the difference that presentation could make (even when content was the same). Simple - I used Tufte's Challenger example. The reason it was successful was my work environment. I worked out at Vandenberg Air Force Base (in California, between San Francisco and LA) where the Space Shuttle had been schedule to launch in 1986. When the Challenger exploded, the launch plans were cancelled, and a lot of people lost their jobs or were transferred to Colorado or Florida. The housing market crashed as people just walked away from their homes as too many people were trying to sell at once. There are still a lot of people around who remember that the Shuttle was going to be launched out here, and signs of it still remain at Vandenberg. The Challenger example hit home for this audience, and helped show what a difference graphic design can make. May not help in your case, but it sure did in mine.

Keri Morgret


At 09:10 AM 7/19/2006, Sharon Burton wrote:

I'm looking for a book that explains how to create usable graphics in
technical manuals. I want my writers to learn about shades of gray,
effective color use, contrast, pleasing layout, what constitutes insanely
complex drawings and how to simplify, using callouts effectively, chunking
graphics to show more and more detail, that sort of thing. Examples and
before and afters are good. Product independent is best.

I know about Tufte and his books but they are too abstract for what I need.
Horton and his Icon book is good but I don't know that I can get the writers
to generalize from icons to half page drawings. I did a quick search of
google but there are too many to know what's great.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content delivery. Try it today!. http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy. Watch the demo at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
RE: Bank Holidays: From: Evans, Diane L (Rosetta)
I need recommendations on technical illustrations books: From: Sharon Burton

Previous by Author: Re: Career change to tech writing
Next by Author: Re: Interface Design & Human-Computer Interaction
Previous by Thread: RE: I need recommendations on technical illustrations books
Next by Thread: RE: I need recommendations on technical illustrations books


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads