Throughout my years in grade school I struggled hard trying to understand math and science. It was not until I began my career training as an advertising artist that I found many mathematical concepts very useful and easy to apply to my work.
Using Fractals in Illustration
I have always been an artist and until a few years ago always had difficulty grasping mathematical principles. I often was disinterested because there seemed nothing I could apply to my own use in my chosen profession. I learned about fractals on posters but did not realize until I was in college that I could apply this principle to save time completing nature illustrations. Creating in detail a small twig I could then enlarge this image to emulate the actual tree, the various twigs and branches. This application works especially well for the illustration on specific types of trees such as Evergreen trees. This notion is also very significant in the creation of patterns and textures.
Using Geometry in Paper Folding
Paper folding or origami is often thought of as a leisure interest, but many professions deem this art form important in model building. Architects, scientists, fine artists and engineers just to name a few need to utilize this Japanese art application to accurately conceive their projects on a small scale. The people in the fore mentioned professions need to visualize their ideas to scale so as to show their employers or clientele.
Geometry is a concept I could easily grasp as a visual thinker because it determines proportions. I use it often in the development of type face design, desktop publishing and page design. The Greeks used a concept known as the Golden Section, an asymmetrical layout that many great artists have used through out the centuries to create eye pleasing and proportionately accurate compositions. I have often correlated my training as a fine artist, studying the human figure to the fine balance of elements of type.
Trigonometry and Paper Pop Ups
I honestly never got to this level of math in high school but have found many parallels between trigonometry and the art of paper folding and pop ups during my time in college. Paper folding problems are often presented to trig students in the class room. This is another visualized science I easily grasped once it was presented to me in a form I could use. I have found many concepts I learned pertaining to trig to be very useful in the creation of pop up paper forms I have made for various applications, such as greeting cards and point of purchase displays.
I hope these concepts are easily applied to design concepts you as a student or novice designer may be struggling with. It took me along time to understand that both math and design are problem solving disciplines.
Join the Conversation