Product Description

At last, a mathematical explanation of how art works presented in a manner we can all understand. Kimberly Elam takes the reader on a geometrical journey, lending insight and coherence to the design process by exploring the visual relationships that have foundations in mathematics as well as the essential qualities of life.

Geometry of Design-the first book in our new Design Briefs Series-takes a close look at a broad range of twentieth-century examples of design, architecture, and illustration (from the Barcelona chair to the Musica Viva poster, from the Braun handblender to the Conico kettle), revealing underlying geometric structures in their compositions. Explanations and techniques of visual analysis make the inherent mathematical relationships evident and a must-have for anyone involved in graphic arts. The book focuses not only on the classic systems of proportioning, such as the golden section and root rectangles, but also on less well known proportioning systems such as the Fibonacci Series. Through detailed diagrams these geometric systems are brought to life giving an effective insight into the design process.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57489 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Review
"A fantastically interesting look at the role proportion has played in all manner of design projects...informative and insightful..." -- Design Issues, Summer 2002

"It's a great little book, one that all teachers and students should see." -- The Ballast Quarterly Review

"This small eye-opening paperback is a ‘rare gem’!" -- Choice

About the Author
Kimberly Elam teaches in the Department of Industrial Design at Ohio State University and is a principle partner in her design consulting firm.

Customer Reviews

Good book for designers
This coffee table book is one of my favorites. It doesn't go in depth into the subject matter but rather grazes over real-world examples with diagrams and simple explanations. Fun book to read, but not for the serious of study.

From Architect Perpsective
I bought this book primarily to see the studies of proportions in architecture. There are very few examples (really only 4 pages dedicated to that subject and 3 buildings analyzed) shown here. It does, however, give a myriad of ways to lay out different proportions using rectangles, circles, triangles, pentagons, etc. These, along with the examples of proportion in nature and on the human body were enough to spark my imagination as to how proportion can be used in design of buildings, but if you are looking for broad analysis of architectural proportions, look elsewhere. The examples that are given are mainly of poster design in the 1900s and Modern furniture design.

Inspiring Book
Want to be better or the best at what you do? This is the kind of book you use to fuel inspiration at a foundational level.