I though it was about time I get to some professional education reading and decided to finish a book I had started last year but could never quite complete (yes it still counts towards the total). As a designer communication is probably the most important skill you can have. I have always been a fan of how good information design can make complex subjects accessible to all. So I figured a book called The Information Design Handbook would be able to add some new insight to me.

The book itself is structured is written in more of a text book style format, where the topics are clearly laid out and there isn’t much narrative form section to another. I think this was part of the reason I could never get too involved in the book and would set it down frequently.

However it is filled with a lot of good information and because of it’s instructional style structure it works quite well as a reference book. You can pick it up  and read any section without having to reference those that preceded it. Each section is quick to read but rather in depth in information.

In the end it was good for me to brush up on some aspects of information design, but it seemed like most of it was a rehash of things I had learned before, whether through Design school or independent reading. It would be a great primer for any new designer (graphic, industrial, or interaction) and not a bad reference book for your office book shelf.