Aimed at the independent-minded, it addresses the concerns of young designers who want to earn a living by doing expressive and meaningful work and avoid becoming a hired drone working on soulless projects.

The book goes way beyond graphic technique and the latest notions of 'cool' - to discuss things like retaining and promoting integrity in the design business, grappling with design BS (client BS as well as how much it might be necessary for you to dish out), some real-life insights into hiring and firing practice of graphic designers (and clients! It also discusses the benefits/downsides of getting a job in a studio, in-house, as a freelancer, or setting up your own studio. I'm glad I continued because the rest was a gem, full of discussions and ideas that I've been thinking and talking about for years. Designers are quick to tell us about their sources of inspiration, but they are much less willing to reveal such critical matters as how to find work, how much they charge, and what to do when a client rejects three weeks of work and refuses to pay the bill. I admit, I was a bit worried about the "without losing your soul" in the title of the book before starting, but Adrian Shaughnessy turned out not to be nearly as romantic as I expected; he even argues that self-initiated projects ("personal projects") usually are not a good way to promote oneself and get new clients – something that doesn't resonate well with the title, and something I don't agree with even though I don't believe in souls.That said, the advice given seems very good, and I will perhaps revisit this review once I have been able to implement some of the techniques from this book and measure how effective they really are. I think the book is mostly suitable for a freelance designer or a designer thinking to start her/his own business.

In the first chapter, Shaughnessy discusses attributes needed by the modern designer and I found myself nodding along with him in agreement – I spent my childhood copying lettering off everything I coudl without even realising what it was I enjoyed about it, and some of the habits he discusses are definitely habits that I have picked up since becoming a designer. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. It informs readers about freelancers, small offices, larger ad agencies and corporate in-house in the contemporary work place. This books gives great insight on the structure of the graphic design world from the perspective of successful working designers.

It covered a lot of the less glamorous areas of becoming a designer: things like actually getting a job and dealing with difficult clients. This new, expanded edition brings this essential text up to date with new chapters on professional skills, the creative process, and global trends that include social responsibility, ethics, and the rise of digital culture.