Reviewed: July 2014

A rapid (two to four pages each) illustrated look at the art movements and innovators that have inspired modern graphic design. A must for budding and experienced graphic designers, not to mention digital user experience programmers and designers. The pages are chock full of illustrations guaranteed to provide inspiration and example for your day to day work.

Obviously, any book like this must to a certain extent be a personal choice of the author, but there was one glaring omission which surprised me. That of the surrealists, whose influence on modern design has been massive. In fact a number of the designers featured cite Man Ray, for instance, as a major influence. A very strange absence.

Personally, I would have also included typographer Matthew Carter who produced the first digital fonts properly designed for screen display – the sans-serif Verdana and the gorgeous serif Georgia. But these are nit-picks. John Clifford has done an excellent job of providing something which is fun to read, educating, and inspiring of new ideas. Go for it!

Recommended.