Python for Designers

Python for Designers is an introductory manual to the Python programming language and the drawing environment Drawbot. It is meant to guide graphic design students with no prior coding experience to write short Python scripts able to improve their workflow. The manual covers some programming fundamentals plus some computer graphics notions — for example, binary and hexadecimal numbers, encoding and digital typesetting.

Distinct, from most programming resources, this manual makes significant use of illustrations and diagrams to explain abstract concepts like boolean logic or data types. Illustrations, text, and code have been conceived simultaneously in a continuous exchange between the illustrator, Beatrice Bianchet and I.

I decided to start this project to support my teaching activity and to arrange a place where students could come back to revise any topic from my lessons. It is not traditionally published and isn’t intended to be printed. Python for Designers is free to read and free from advertising. Consequently, I consider it a work-in-progress resource which will be improved over time with contributions from others –through a public GitHub repository– and thanks to feedbacks from future students.