In week 1, we kicked off our course by looking at Point, Line and Plane. This surrounds the idea that different points, lines and planes can be used expressively to create a wide range of designs.
Point is a simple yet essential aspect of any design. A point can be large and attention-grabbing or as simple as a singular pixel on a screen, yet still carries a high-level of significance. During our lecture, we took a look at Josh Worth's ‘If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel’ project. Worth created a site which visualised the universe from the perspective of the moon being one pixel on a screen, creating a unique yet accurate visual map of the universe and its scale. This project is a key example of how point can be an excellent central-point of a design. Furthermore, Worth uses point as an interactive tool to connect with those using the website as they focus on each planet that they pass and examine its perspective compared to a single pixel.
Seed Media Group creatively use point as a key aspect of their brand, which was designed by Stefan Stagmeister. When designing a logo for Seed Media Group, he took a unique approach and used points to create a bigger picture, takin g inspiration from natural formations that appear in nature. This approach was extremely successful, as he has since continued using this approach with different colours to create countless different images. An excellent example which helped me to visualise this is individual photocards for workers, shown to the right.
Nicholas Fenton created a unique composition using point to map out the places he was over a chosen period of time. In this case, point was used to visualise time, with larger points representing locations in which Fenton spent more time. This annual report clearly illustrates the locations when he spent more time, such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘Mom’s House’, compared to less significant points that are often unlabelled.
We then looked at Line. Initially, I was honestly a little confused as to how something as ‘simple’ as a line could have such a signifigant impact on design.
I understood this much better when we looked at the HP logo. This logo is characterised by a 13° angle that has been consistent with any logo changes, and could continue to do so in the future. In this case, line has been used to combine consistency and modernity, as any changes to the logo to fit with modern times would still use the same line.
Furthermore, the examples shown to the right of Richard Chartier’s works helped me to expand my perspective on line, changing from viewing it as a simple shape on a page to something than can be used expressively and in countless different ways. Both of these images use the same structure and incorporate line as a key aspect of design, yet represent something different.
Brendan Dawes is a key designer is using line to create unique compositions and designs. He creates a range of designs which show a number of things, from cybersecurity to visualising algorithms, but his work on shipping routes particularly stood out to me. This work visualises the shipping routes of over 3000 ships across the world. This uniquely creates a map, as although land isn’t shows, it visualises the different locations where ships leave and travel too.
Planes are two-dimensional shapes with both a length and breadth. We looked at the work of Josef Muller Brockmann, which I found to be very interesting and eye-opening to the plane designing process and possibilities.
Shown to the left is one of Brockmann’s posters which I found particularly interesting. Evidently, countless planes are used to both create a design and give the poster a sense of uniqueness and depth. I felt that this was the key example that truly pushed me to understand that planes do not need to be ‘simple’ just because they are a two-dimensional shape, but in fact allow us as designers to express creativity.
We also looked at the work of Wim Crouwel, a Graphic Designer born in the Netherlands. Crouwel created a ‘New Alphabet’ which was created in 1967. Planes were used to create a unique alphabet that had a ‘technological’ feel. This alphabet was not intended to be a real alternative to the classical Latin alphabet that we use in today, but instead a statement on the growth of technology. I find this illustration of the typeface fascination, as the sharp edges and ‘blocky’ appearance illustrate how planes can be used to create a unique design that represents something, such as an alphabet.
Furthermore, we looked at Blanka Posters.
Screenshot from ‘joshworth.com’.
Examples of Stagmeister’s branding
The Feltron Report
HP logo illustration to show 13° angle.
Richard Cartier, Series.
Platts 360 Visualisation, 2018.
‘Musica Viva’, Josef Muller Brockman. (1957)
Wim Crouwel’s ‘New Alphabet’.
This exercise involved sketching and producing a series of images make up of points, lines and planes. It was recommended that we create a 3x3 grid of equal squares to use as a canvas for our designs. I created an initial sketch for each exercise and developed this into a final design using Figma.
In my 3x3 grid for Point, each box the first row consisted of 2 points, the second row 3 and the final row having 5 points. The points were not limited to a certain scale, which allowed me to create semicircles and other unique shapes for a more abstract and visually interesting design. This allowed for endless unique designs, which I began designing by roughly sketching them by drawing a 3x3 grid in my sketchbook.
Initial sketching (Point)
Final outcome. (Point) (Created on Figma)
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Similarly to the structure I used for point, I created a 3x3 grid of equal squared to create my point designs The first row would consist of two lines, the second consisting of three and the final consisting of five. Of course, I produced some rough initial sketched before jumping straight into Figma to allow myself to really think of what I could produce. By this point, I really understood the importance of taking a step back and beginning on paper instead of using software and computers straight away, as I found this slightly frustrating in the first exercise as I was excited and therefore impatient to begin the ‘p[roper’ designing, but was much more willing to produce sketches second time around.
Initial sketching (Line)
Final outcome (Line) (Created on Figma)