Nigel Holmes
Encyclopedia
Nigel Holmes is a British graphic designer
and theorist, who focuses on information graphics
and information design
.
in 1966.
From 1966 to 1977 he worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer in London, England for newspapers and magazines. From 1978 to 1994 he went to New York working for Time Magazine to design so called "explanation graphics" for the magazine. In that time he also continued other work as freelance designer, lecturer, and authored a book on "Wordless diagrams".
After a sabbatical in 1994 in 1995 he started his own illustration company, working for clients as Apple, Fortune, Nike, The Smithsonian Institution, Sony, United Healthcare, US Airways and Visa. He also continues to create illustrations and graphics for Harper’s, The New York Observer and The New York Times, among others.
. A selection:
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
and theorist, who focuses on information graphics
Information graphics
Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education...
and information design
Information design
Information design is the skill and practice of preparing information so people can use it with efficiency and effectiveness. Where the data is complex or unstructured, a visual representation can express its meaning more clearly to the viewer....
.
Biography
Holmes received a MA in illustration from the Royal College of ArtRoyal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in 1966.
From 1966 to 1977 he worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer in London, England for newspapers and magazines. From 1978 to 1994 he went to New York working for Time Magazine to design so called "explanation graphics" for the magazine. In that time he also continued other work as freelance designer, lecturer, and authored a book on "Wordless diagrams".
After a sabbatical in 1994 in 1995 he started his own illustration company, working for clients as Apple, Fortune, Nike, The Smithsonian Institution, Sony, United Healthcare, US Airways and Visa. He also continues to create illustrations and graphics for Harper’s, The New York Observer and The New York Times, among others.
Publications
Nigel Holmes published several books on various aspects of information designInformation design
Information design is the skill and practice of preparing information so people can use it with efficiency and effectiveness. Where the data is complex or unstructured, a visual representation can express its meaning more clearly to the viewer....
. A selection:
- 1984. Designer's Guide to Creating Charts and Diagrams. Watson-Guptill, NY.
- 1985. Designing Pictorial Symbols. With Rose DeNeve.
- 1991. Pictorial Maps.
- 1991. Designer's Guide to Creating Charts and Diagrams
- 1996. Best in Diagrammatic Graphics.
- 2003. The Complete Guide to Digital Illustration. With Steve Caplin and Adam Banks.
- 2005. Wordless Diagrams
- 2006. On information design. With Steven Heller.
- 2007. The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything. With Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir, and Nigel Holmes.