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The Crystal Goblet, or Printing Should Be Invisible

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This essay by Beatrice Warde is reproduced here from a PDF of the essay on readings.design , which credits the text to http://gmunch.home.pipeline.com/typo-L/misc/ward.htm. Beatrice Warde's image: Adapted from an original image from Wikipedia; by Unknown photographer, 1925; Original publication: Eye Magazine , Immediate source: Eye Magazine. In this seminal 1932-essay on typography, Beatrice Warde compares typography and printing techniques to wine glasses. She says typography is a vessel for thought, and its design should not interfere with the message. She adds: "[T]he most important thing about printing is that it conveys thought, ideas, images, from one mind to other minds. This statement is what you might call the front door of the science of typography." Now please check the end note and explain why she had written under a male pseudonym. Imagine that you have before you a flagon of wine. You may choose your own favourite

Design: A Plan for Arranging Elements to Accomplish a Particular Purpose

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Bucket chair by Charles and Ray Eames, 1951 (Adapted from a Wikimedia Commons file by Sandra Fauconnier) Contents Introduction One of the most legendary American design duos, Charles (1907–1978) and Ray (1912–1988) Eames, revolutionised architecture, furniture design, industrial and graphic design, manufacturing, and the photographic arts. They had not only dabbled but also excelled in filmmaking too.  In a 1969 interview taken by Madame L’Amic, curator of the exhibition Qu’est ce que le design? (What is Design?) of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Charles Eames answered 29 questions about design: these included what design is, how it works, how we can balance form and function in design, how a computer affects creativity and many more. The interview, which is both timely and timeless, was later included in a short film titled Design Q&A (see below) that was made in 1972. No doubt, such an iconic designer can find an audience with no effort. But more than any other factor, t

Dieter Rams' Ten Principles for Good Design

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Image: Adapted from a file on Wikimedia Commons Dieter Ram is synonymous with industrial design. He is also known for his affiliation with Braun GmbH, a German consumer products company where he worked for nearly four decades. He was a pioneer in bringing in the concept of sustainable development in design.  Ram belonged to the functionalist school of industrial design and his career peaked in the Seventies. His visual consciousness of the world has made a profound impact in the world of design. Needless to say, Ram came up with the ten principles for good design, which is the effort of a genius. Objectivity is difficult to maintain in design. But here we have, his ten commandments: Good design is innovative Good design makes a product useful Good design is aesthetic Good design makes a product understandable Good design is unobtrusive Good design is honest Good design is long-lasting Good design is thorough down to the last detail Good design is environmentally-friendly Good desig

Design Is a Process of Creation. Design Is Also the Created Product.

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Contents Definition Design is creation. One of the most interesting things about design, for All Kaps Design , is that it is the very process of creation as well as the created product. As a matter of fact, any deliberation on design can be approached from two two perspectives: Design as a process Design as a product In simple words, it is an act of creating something creative and useful. We know there are always, again, two elements that we can consider: (i) functionality and (ii) aesthetics. So, design is a process of creating with the elements of functionality and aesthetics into considerations. A concept such as design thinking defines how we can elaborate on this process of creation. Design Thinking We will talk in detail about design thinking in another. For a rough idea, for now, design thinking implies that we understand, plan, test and create a thing by considering and emphasizing on the requirements of end-users. In the words of Interaction Design Foundation :  De
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