Shapes: Geometric Forms in Graphic Design

by Wang Shaoqiang (Editor), Genis Carreras (Foreword by), Korbinian Lenzer (Foreword by)

Overview

A book dedicated entirely to geometric shapes, widely used by graphic designers and applied to all fields of communication.

Basic geometric shapes and their various combinations are hugely popular in graphic design. The creative possibilities they offer are limitless, and viewers continuously interpret them consciously and unconsciously. In this book, now in paperback, you will find many examples of why geometry is still very much relevant in today’s graphic design industry and how it is a crucial part of our visual language. Beyond their colour and size, forms and shapes determine the character and the mood of a layout, without us even realising it. They provide order and harmony in a world of imperfection and chaos. Designers know this and have been using geometric shapes as a tool for communication and visual impact since the very beginning of the profession. The broad range of case studies featured in this book demonstrates how familiar shapes can be transformed and used to convey new concepts and trends in design.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788417656447
Publisher:	Hoaki Books
Publication date:	10/26/2021
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Wang Shaoqiang is a professor at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (China) and Doctoral Supervisor at the College of Arts and Humanities of the Macau University of Science and Technology. He is a prolific editor whose titles focus on design, art and lifestyle. He is also the editor of Design 360° magazine and Asia-Pacific Design yearbook. He has been invited to lecture at numerous universities, design academies and organizations, and he has been a jury member for China’s most prestigious design and illustration awards.

Read an Excerpt

"When I design, I always use the same approach, whether what I am working on is a personal project or a commission, whether it is for a big client or a small one, or whether it involves creating a single poster or a whole visual identity. I design by instinct and rationality, and I use a minimal amount of visual elements – color, shapes, and type – and give meaning to each of them. In a world that is so visually saturated, a whisper can stand out more than a scream.

Geometry just comes naturally to my working approach. For me, geometric shapes are the building blocks that I use to visualize my thoughts. I usually start a project from scratch and use the simplest shapes: circles, squares, and triangles. I spend a lot of time playing with the same simple elements and changing their size and composition until I achieve something visually interesting. Sometimes these shapes will turn into something more complex, while at other times they will stay the way they are: pure, unaltered, and rational." From the foreword by Genis Carreras, Founder of Studio Carreras.

"I warmly recommend to designers that they start experimenting with shapes and use them as a starting point for a different kind of design process. Many different design areas have at some point applied this creation method. The ubiquity of shapes, which are not just one of the first design elements taught in design schools but also the starting point even in experienced designers’ creation processes, tells us much about their salience in the world of design." From the foreword by Korbinian Lenzer, Cofounder of Moby Digg.

Table of Contents

Preface
Big Ideas in Simple Shapes by Genis Carreras
Shapes and Transformational Elements by Korbinian Lenzer
Projects Points & Roundness
Triangles, Rectangles & Polygons
Mixed Figures
Three Dimensions
Index
Acknowledgements