Creating effective, eye-catching designs for layouts, logos, posters and more is a matter of both inspiration and practical know-how. Graphic Design Essentials is the ultimate guide to great design for aspiring designers. Written by a leading teacher and practitioner, the book integrates clear explanations of the concepts behind great design with instruction in the use of the core software packages available to turn these designs into reality, including Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. Illustrations and analyses of classic images by great designers sit alongside step-by-step introductions to both the design and the software skills necessary to achieve powerful results.

Joyce Walsh Macario is a professor at Boston University. With academic and professional backgrounds in both the arts and technology, she has developed courses integrating design fundamentals with software skills since 1995. Experienced in all areas of graphic design, her work has been featured in publications, exhibitions, and corporate art collections.