macOS Recommended intro to visual design for code geeks?

[foidulus]

As my career progresses it's becoming quite obvious that while my technical skills are alright, my visual design skills leave something to be desired, and of course are becoming just as important as my coding skills.

As a total code head, I'm lost when it comes to things like Illustrator and Photoshop, as well as visual design in general. Anyone out there know of any good intro materials for people such as myself? What are the tools you guys use to create and present data?

As a CS grad student, being unable to create Powerpoint presentations and posters that aren't just globs of text is becoming quite a problem....

 

[chown33]

Ggood visual design doesn't come from the tools, any more than good code comes from the compiler.

I don't know why you'd ask about visual design on a programming forum. If you were an artist, would you ask about programming on an art forum? Try asking on a forum that covers visual design.

Consider taking an art or visual design class at your local community college. Like programming, you won't get it just by reading a book; you have to practice. A lot.

Oh, and see any or all of Edward Tufte's books. The titles alone tell you what to expect from the content. And the books themselves are exemplars.