Basics of Design—Layout & Typography for Beginners is a compact, visually-oriented guide for readers who need to create first-rate page designs for work or pleasure but who lack professional training in graphic design. The book's easy to grasp design concepts, combined with numerous "before" and "after" illustrations, provides everything needed to create pages as effective as the work of professional designers.

Part One introduces readers to important design principles and provides coverage on how to use color and images to add impact to designs. Part Two concentrates on the basics of typography. Part Three features a number of common design projects often encountered by beginners, including business cards, flyers, posters, newsletters, and more.