[.ca] MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New ... (ISBN 0735711658)

From Amazon.co.uk:
With his first book, Flash Web Design, Hillman Curtis quickly earned "Flash Guru" status, and deservedly so. MTIV expands upon that. Like the coolest mentor one could ever hope to find, he strikes a chord with his audience by sharing, not just the nuts and bolts behind his creations, but his ideas on good design methodology. Here he shares his respect and excitement for New Media, gives a blueprint for design challenges of all types, taps into the myriad of visual and literary inspirations that fuel his imagination, and shows readers how to get past their own moments of "designer's block". Curtis is a fine storyteller. He takes anecdotes of coffee breaks, book tour lectures, work, life and art, and weaves them around design maxims. For every morsel of advice, there are three or four personal stories that illustrate how he arrived at it and puts it to use. He shows how books, movies, print ads, just about anything, can be used in the search for creative solutions. The seven steps in "Process" comprise the bulk of the book. These are the exact steps Curtis' design team applies to each project. Without giving too much away, they are: Listen, Unite, Theme, Concept, Filter, Justify and Eat the Audience. (Well, you'll just have to get the book to find out about that last one.) In "Inspiration", we learn that Curtis draws from Hemingway, Mies van der Rohe, Sidney Lumet, David Mamet, Leonard Cohen, Mark Rothko and Joseph Müller-Brockman, among others. And the book finishes with a bang in the third chapter "Practice", a collection of helpful tips in typography, colour theory, XML, grids and much more, from experts such as Joseph Lowery (author of the Dreamweaver Bible) and usability authority Steve Krug. MTIV is not just an easy read; it's fun, warm, encouraging and, yes, inspiring. A self-taught artist, Curtis has made MTIV the perfect Boy Scout manual for those who have stumbled on design as a new career or just languished through too many uninspired afternoons in front of the computer. --Angelynn Grant

The Tao of Design:
Hillman encapsulates what is seemingly basic. As we move ahead in design or any field, experience often tells us what is basic. These are the very principals that need review-refinement. Hillman at times seems to harp on that which is obvious, but with good reason. Doing the simple expertly makes the difficult simple. The contributors insight into technologies that seem esoteric (XML,XSLT), are prophecy indeed. If in doubt take a look at some of the files in MAC O/S 10 or at XML.com. An insightful read but not for those looking for a cookbook. Inspiration, which I value more than how-to, at a great value.

MTIV: Probably not worth the retail price!:
I don't know, maybe it's just me.. but I wasn't all that inspired by this book. I'm more of a programmer than a designer, but I don't think that's the only reason why I didn't get this book. MTIV is a book that focuses on client relations, places to go for motivation/inspiration, and basically just outlines what Hillman Curtis does when he goes to develop a site. The client releations stuff is decent, but the bottom line is making sure you are kind of flexible, and reminding the client that your time is money and that some small changes he might want done will end up costing him more. It's about common sense things that some might take for granted, and what others might not. I would hate to give the book any more than 3 stars since I did not come away from with that much. His artwork was nice, but it wasn't like he was going to teach me how to do any of his cool designs. I don't know, its just one of those books that might be good coffee table book, or maybe its more of just a bury yourself in the corner of Borders and skim for the hour it will take to read it.

Interesting:
This book was a very good look into the mind of a new media designer. The creativity ideas in it were very strong. The "process", or the more technical side of it was a very good start to someone who has no background, but very very basic if you have a strong background in any of the disciplines he is trying to teach.

Good writing, good examples, good analogies,but...:
Hillman makes a good pied piper. I really enjoyed his writing. He has wonderful insights on the most obvious lesson of business...listening to the client. I loved how he summed up our jobs as designers and communicators: "Making the invisible visible". His concept of "Eating the audience" is , well, right on. Best of all, these inspiring musings apply to all designers and artists, not just new media designers. The book is divided into 3 parts: Process, Inspiration, and Practice...it was all so good until Hillman stopped writing. The "Practice" section was horrible! I appreciated the "Process" model he set forth, the techniques for problem solving and client dealings used at hillmancurtis, inc. It is a great outline as to how to approach new projects -- a lot of the ideas I already employ, but some were new to me. That alone is worth the purchase price of the book. The "Inspiration" section included a varied treasure of real world examples of "out-of-the box" creativity, with sources ranging from film to paintings, and of course more quotable quotes. Hillman discusses how his company sparks new ideas by sharing inspiration. I hate to say it, but this is when the let down began. I always enjoy hearing about what inspires people and this section was entirely too short, with the unused space taken up by the next section, "Practice", like a big black hole. Don't get me wrong, I understand where Hillman was going with this. He wanted to make this book relevant for new media designers and not just a general book on inspiration. But he waited until the very end to have guest writers include their takes on certain design rules and new technologies. My biggest problems with this section have to do with the technologies discussed like xml (a technology that has yet to surface as a true standard in web publishing) and articles like web layout, that only a newbie could learn anything from.

A book full of inspiration:
This book was recommended to me as I first began studying web design. It really inspired me then, and it continues to inspire me everytime I read it. This book is written like a friendly conversation, and you can't help but feel encouraged. Because Mr. Curtis lets you know that someone else has had the same problems and issues that you have, and he shows you how he's worked them out. It isn't so much a "how-to" book as it is a "how-to-be" book. He illustrates how you can be a more effective new media designer in all areas: client relationships, innovation, production. A wonderful book. Buy it today, and you won't be sorry!