Episodes
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EPISODE 25 - ORNAMENT
Ornament has always had an important meta function within the human psyche. It has been "outlawed" for the past 100 years.
RESOURCE LINKS
https://www.gadarchitecture.com/en/ornament-in-architecture
https://www.artforum.com/features/louis-sullivans-ornament-209337/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1354067x13515937?journalCode=capa
https://medium.com/the-thinking-of-design/ornament-as-an-abstraction-of-society-853bb29cdf08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PmydPmwrKA
https://dreamswork.co.uk/portfolio/how-ornament-is-functional/
https://designmanifestos.org/adolf-loos-ornament-and-crime/
AK links:
Four D Design - Organic Architecture, Geometry of Nature
www.fourddesign.com
Star Tile - Multidimensional Ceramics
www.star-tile.com
Star Tile Studio - Joshua Tree, CA
https://g.co/kgs/DUMmCLh
Contact:
WHY DO WE USE ORNAMENT? - SIGNIFIER
Social signaling - and this changes over time! Example tattoos - British nobility 1900-1920
Historically it was the demarcation of class and status - governments had rules about what colors and types of clothing could be worn, so that people could never be socially mobile-
Ornament on clothing has always been important for the military and in battle, people wore family crests / telling others who they were
The same went for houses - all ornament had meaning that could be learned (this is western)
Heraldry
WHY DO WE USE ORNAMENT? - SOCIAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL
Belonging is so important that people will go into debt to buy clothing that lets them fit into a social group, or a car, or jewelry etc - people are wildly craving belonging, and ornament is a way to show your tribe.
OTHER REASONS:
Repetition causes peace - relaxation of the nervous system
By creating the ornament, the maker can embody the energy of the thing that might be feared
Establish historic continuity - memory, legacy.
Spiritual Side of Ornament - Adornment, Defense, Totems, Enhancing Consciousness. META FUNCTION, embodied practice
Adorning parts of us that are vulnerable - defensive and actively stating who we are / calling in our guides.
HISTORY OF ORNAMENT
Industrial Revolution - 1851 - now possible to make cheap ornament / mass production
Attempt at standardizing the language - Owen Jones âGrammar of Ornamentâ - huge interest in revival of styles / what we would now call Cultural Appropriation.. started with Archaeology around 1750, people discovering ruins, Marie Antoinette wearing toile / chinoiserie
In victorian era, people started ascribing a moral judgment to the ornament -
Augustis Pugin: ornament should be flat if the floor is flat, not 3d etc.. canât be inappropriate. He was a CATHOLIC in England - super religious, championed gothic revival because it was faith-based
John Ruskin - wrote on architecture but also on geology, botany, ornithology etc - polymath
Said that the moral condition of a society could be determined by the ornament - ornament was being incorrectly applied-
Shows what is leading up to the birth of modernism, nothing happens in a vacuum.
What Happened - Loos, Modernism and the 1920s
As both Sullivan and LĂ©vi-Strauss indicate, ornament (as well as other factors) becomes a language of social structures, social experience and even social contradictions. It signifies the status and position of the building, which is itself a representation of the importance of its âownersâ and users. Here the manipulation of the image, or in architecture the adding of ornamental beauty to a structure, may increase its relative desirability and value. For buildings are models of ourselves and our society, communicating through form and organizational system the character of that society.
BUILDINGS REFLECT THE VALUES AND VALUE OF THE OWNER.
MODERNISM - WHAT HAPPENED?
Adolf Loos
Ornament and Crime
The evolution of culture marches with the elimination of ornament from useful objects", Loos proclaimed, thus linking the optimistic sense of the linear and upward progress of cultures with the contemporary vogue for applying evolution to cultural contexts.[2]
"The child is amoral. To us the Papuan is also amoral. The Papuan slaughters his enemies and devours them. He is no criminal. If, however, the modern man slaughters and devours somebody, he is a criminal or a degenerate. The Papuan tattoos his skin, his boat, his oar, in short, everything that is within his reach. He is no criminal. The modern man who tattoos himself is a criminal or a degenerate. There are prisons where eighty percent of the inmates bear tattoos. Those who are tattooed but are not imprisoned are latent criminals or degenerate aristocrats. if a tattooed person dies at liberty, it is only that he died a few years before he committed a murder."
Where do we go from here - how do we start?
(HUMANS ALWAYS START OVER WITH FORMS FROM NATURE)
Architectural adornment or ornament, like cookingâthat most basic transformation of natureâis a way of being in and representing the world simultaneously, a world that in Sullivanâs words âprocreates manâs own personality, that fits him, that he might feel at home with himself,â a world of natural objects transformed by the hand of man. This is why Sullivan defined the architectâs task in a manner that reveals his belief in manâs transforming power: the architect as the agent who brings nature into community.
James Trilling - The Language of Ornament
Harvard-trained art historian, former Textile Museum associate curator, and independent scholar James Trilling expands here on many of the highly original themes that appeared in his The Language of Ornament (2001). He offers intriguing new views of the modernist movement in art and architecture, its puritanical hostility to ornament, and its manifold relationships to the history of technology, science, and industry in the phenomenon known as modernization. Trilling is a passionate advocate of ornament, and he makes a fervent plea for its revival, largely on the grounds that it gives pleasure and "makes people happy" (p. 227).
Ranging widely across cultures, time periods, disciplines, and topics, Ornament: A Modern Perspective is a densely layered book of formidable learning, imagination, and complexity. The argument is deceptively simple and difficult to summarize; as Trilling writes of Comte (p. 177), "it is rarely possible to give the bare bones of a utopian vision without making it sound naive."
Ornament for Trilling is a specific, intricate concept. He spends part 1 of his two-part book explicating this concept, by which he means the use of motifs and patterns by skilled artists/craftsmen, "the art we add to art" (p. xiii), in the creation of one-of-a-kind objects laden with cultural meaning and symbol, esteemed as art by collectors, connoisseurs, and knowledgeable art historians.
In part 2 Trilling traces the links between modernism and the rejection of ornament. Though the focus is on the period since the pivotal Crystal Palace exhibition of 1851, his book includes an impressive intellectual history [End Page 418] of the many ways in which ornament was repudiated as idolatry and artifice in numerous societies long before modernism. But after the triumph of mechanization and the ascendancy of efficiency, materialism, and positivism, the leading theorists of modernism thoroughly devalued and assaulted ornament. The most famous instance was Viennese architect and critic Adolf Loos's 1908 essay that seemingly equated ornament with crime.
Modernism's visionaries instead exalted functionalism and simplicity in architecture and design. They saw ornament as wasteful, inefficient, and, after the Industrial Revolution, as the product of dehumanized, debased workers far removed from the ideal of the skilled artisan/craftsman of the prefactory era. Modernism's subsequent long reign among intellectual and cultural elites (despite the thin, pale revolt of the postmodern movement), Trilling argues, has now all but blinded us to ornament, erased it from our collective memory and from art. Early modernist theorists sought to jettison the wealth of inherited patterns and motifs rather than welcoming their incorporation and reworking, as traditional crafts had done. (Ironically, one of Trilling's most original arguments is that modernism in fact had its own ornamental style, employing materials that had pattern and texture and creating art rooted in indeterminacy, "labile, ambiguous, unpredictable" [p. 217].) Trilling's mission is to restore understanding and appreciation of the rich, lost world of artisanal ornament. His book addresses artists, architects, designers, their clients and collectors, art historiansâtastemakers and all who care about taste.
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EPISODE 24 - HOW TO BUY PAINT
Take ALL the Paint Chips! Do not be shy - take them all and I mean all of them
Paint Decks - Good option if you're serious about color
Paint Brands - what is available in your area?
https://www.lifestoryresearch.com/2024-best-paint-ranking-review
Sheen - This is a huge decision. When in doubt choose Matte
https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/paint-sheen-guide/
SAMPLES - Actual Paint and Stickers / Visualization
https://samplize.com
https://store.benjaminmoore.com/storefront/us/en/color-samples/samplize/peel-and-stick-paint-sample
Refinement - YOU HAVE TO DO THIS / DONâT GO FAST
Stomach vs mind - immediate decisions vs emotional / somatic decisions
AK links:
Four D Design - Holistic Design
www.fourddesign.com
Star Tile - Multidimensional Ceramics
www.star-tile.com
Star Tile Studio - Joshua Tree, CA
https://g.co/kgs/DUMmCLh
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Missing episodes?
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An assortment of resources / stories about Paint.
https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/the-colorful-history-of-paint
History of Pigments - they all have a specific time period
Can look at the history of art through pigments
Basically people always paint if they can!
https://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/history.html#google_vignette
Things not always good for you! (or even will kill you or destroy your internal organs: Lead White
https://zotapro.com/blog/lead-paint-history/
https://www.paint.org/about/industry/history/
Pigments are Organic or Inorganic - and now we have Synthetics.
https://burnaway.org/magazine/a-history-of-paint-part-one/
https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/a-deep-dive-into-non-toxic-paints-and-vocs
https://www.roepaint.com/everything-need-know-alkyd-paint/
https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/is-paint-bad-for-the-environment
https://www.earthpigments.com/natural-earth-ocher-pigments/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw_ZC2BhAQEiwAXSgClnbwPlFU_PivAwZXUEDpoKvJxwIMjW9w6zgntUXe2LKt-iLlpmfBNxoCgsQQAvD_BwE
AK links:
Four D Design - Holistic Design
www.fourddesign.com
Star Tile - Multidimensional Ceramics
www.star-tile.com
Star Tile Studio - Joshua Tree, CA
https://g.co/kgs/DUMmCLh
Email Me:
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Choosing color shouldn't cause a panic - it can be a fun adventure, and it just requires meticulous attention to bring any beautiful color range into your design. Today's episode gives you professional advice for choosing colors and constructing palettes.
The next 2 episodes will be all about paint and how to work with paint chips!
Pro Tips (Summary)
1. Broad Categories - Color is not just one tone - have one part of the palette that is Broad / 3 tones - even better, multiple parts of the palette are 3 tones.
2. Everything has color - even Wood and Metal / have to be carefully considered.
https://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-color-of-metal.html
https://novacolorpaint.com/blogs/nova-color/metallic-colors-and-their-shades
https://www.minwax.com/en/wood-stain-color-guide/browse-color-stains
3. Choose Colors from photographs - use Technology
https://color.adobe.com/create/image
https://coolors.co/image-picker
4. How to Structure a Color Palette and Give Proper Weight
https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/color-rules
https://www.thespruce.com/timeless-color-rule-797859
5. How to Distribute Color in the room / 3x Rule
https://wideplankflooring.com/blog/home-decor-in-3s
https://www.homesandgardens.com/news/rule-of-three
6. Know your Whites - have a Go To shade - note people have a lot of opinions on this one!
https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/color-palettes/color-families/white-paint-colors
https://www.jennasuedesign.com/the-10-best-white-paint-colors-as-chosen-by-designers/
https://lovegrowswild.com/2023/08/favorite-white-paint-color/
7. Create a Palette and take the colors with You!
AK links:
Four D Design - Holistic Design
www.fourddesign.com
Star Tile - Multidimensional Ceramics
www.star-tile.com
Star Tile Studio - Joshua Tree, CA
https://g.co/kgs/DUMmCLh
Email Me:
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Do you ever treat rooms in your house differently because you know that guests will be coming over? What do you change about the rooms and why?
Today's talk is an exploration of the psychology (and physical reality check!) behind designing spaces in our own home for Guests, either real / specific or imagined.
AK links:
Four D Design - Holistic Design
www.fourddesign.com
Star Tile - Multidimensional Ceramics
www.star-tile.com
Star Tile Studio - Joshua Tree, CA
https://g.co/kgs/DUMmCLh
Email Me:
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People often ask about Feng Shui - and though I know a little about it I did a slightly deeper dive this week and am giving my report!
It's an ancient system of design which is both practical and mystical, concerned with the flow of energy and balancing elements in all of our spaces for optimum health and success. Some people think it makes no sense but others see it as a non-negotiable way of life. Where do you fall?
A few general guidelines, tips and tricks:
Note this is a long and complex tradition that takes years or decades to master, this is just an intro for the uninitiated, getting into a bit of the WHY behind various theories of design and building.
https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/design/feng-shui-rules-for-calm-space/
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-feng-shui-your-bedroom-1274334
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10558748/
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/does-feng-shui-really-work-i-tried-it-to-find-out-240682
https://www.yourchineseastrology.com/feng-shui/direction/
https://www.yourchineseastrology.com/feng-shui/bedroom/bed-placement.htm
AK links:
Four D Design - Holistic Design
www.fourddesign.com
Star Tile - Multidimensional Ceramics
www.star-tile.com
Star Tile Studio - Joshua Tree, CA
https://g.co/kgs/DUMmCLh
Email Me!
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Today's episode is an introduction to minimalism and the concept of styles being influenced by everything that came before it - that design can be a reaction to the previous generation, and minimalism can be seen as a response to excess consumption or decoration.
We'll look at the origins of Minimalism, its current place in popular culture, and see it through different lenses.
Below are a few links / additional resources.
Influences from Japanese tradition[edit]
See also: Japanese architecture
The idea of simplicity appears in many cultures, especially the Japanese traditional culture of Zen Buddhist philosophy. Japanese manipulate the Zen culture into aesthetic and design elements for their buildings.[30] This idea of architecture has influenced Western society, especially in America since the mid 18th century.[31] Moreover, it inspired the minimalist architecture in the 19th century.[24]
Zen concepts of simplicity transmit the ideas of freedom and essence of living.[24] Simplicity is not only aesthetic value, it has a moral perception that looks into the nature of truth and reveals the inner qualities and essence of materials and objects.[32] For example, the sand garden in RyĆan-ji temple demonstrates the concepts of simplicity and the essentiality from the considered setting of a few stones and a huge empty space.[33]
Proposed as a tool for Freedom:
https://www.theminimalists.com/minimalism/
https://www.breakthetwitch.com/minimalism/
New Yorker article - link below
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/02/03/the-pitfalls-and-the-potential-of-the-new-minimalism
IS IT A PHASE THAT WE ALL SHOULD PASS THROUGH?
True minimalism, Chayka insists, is ânot about consuming the right things or throwing out the wrong; itâs about challenging your deepest beliefs in an attempt to engage with things as they are, to not shy away from reality or its lack of answers.â I suspect that some recent converts to minimalism have already come to this conclusion. Underneath the vision of âlessâ as an optimized life style lies the path to something stranger and more profound: a mode of living that strips away protective barriers and heightens the miracle of human presence, and the urgency, today, of what that miracle entails.
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Here are a few links about the number 8 and its significance / meaning.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/number-symbolism/7
https://eyeofra.blog/2018/12/02/sacred-geometry-numbers-101/
GENERAL THEMES
Eternity - perfection / balance
Wealth
Reaching towards the Divine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rub_el_Hizb
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Ishtar
Lucky Number 8: The Symbol of Prosperity
In Chinese culture, the number 8 is regarded as one of the luckiest numbers. This belief is deeply rooted in linguistic and cultural factors:
Pronunciation: The number 8 is pronounced as âbaâ in Mandarin, which sounds similar to the word for wealth or prosperity, âćâ (fa). This phonetic similarity has led to the strong association of 8 with financial success and good fortune. Cultural Symbolism: The belief in the luckiness of 8 is also tied to historical and cultural significance. In ancient China, the number 8 was associated with the Emperor and the ruling class, making it a symbol of power and authority. Balance and Harmony: In terms of its shape, the number 8 is balanced and symmetrical, representing harmony and balance. This association extends to the idea of a balanced and prosperous life.https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/lucky-number8.htm
https://christbythesea.net/news/the-eighth-day
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Both the hexagon and the Merkaba symbolize the number 6. It is the first perfect number, meaning that 6 is both the sum and product of its factors:
1 + 2 + 3 = 6 1 X 2 X 3 = 6
https://www.britannica.com/science/perfect-number
The number 6 is the symbol of the Law of Correspondence, i.e. as above so below. In other words, it is the equilibrium between the microcosm and the macrocosm which mirror each other. It also represents the concept of fractals which are repetitive patterns that can be scaled to any size.
In the Merkaba, the descending tetrahedron represents Spirit or the divine feminine principle, while the ascending tetrahedron represents matter and the divine masculine principle. It symbolizes the embodiment of the Divine (your light body, your soul) into the organic form. In this state, creation naturally occurs and it becomes easier to connect with higher frequency beings and Source.
https://www.flowerofsound.com/the-hidden-meaning-behind-the-hexagon
https://www.aurahealth.io/blog/spiritual-meaning-of-a-hexagon
https://www.soul-flower.com/blog/hexagrams-meaning-sacred-geometry
HUICHOL art - the truth of space time
https://www.museumofbeadwork.org/blogs/news/teaching-tuesday-huichol-beadwork
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Some further basic reading on the properties of the number 4 and the square.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://geo-numerology.com/the-number-4-numerology-geometry-and-psychology
https://www.ganeshaspeaks.com/numerology/life-path-numbers/life-path-number-4/
https://geo-numerology.com/square-symbolism
In Buddhism, the square reflects the 4 sacred truths.
The square is often associated and depicted with the 4 noble and sacred truths: Dukkha, SamudÄya, Nirodha, and Magga. To summarize, these truths are the truth of suffering, the truth of sufferingâs origin, the truth of the end of suffering, and the path to the end of suffering.[4]
The traditional Buddhist mandala also contains 4 squares, representing the gates to the 4 stages of life.
In Islam, the square is a symbol of strength and establishment.
Geometry is deeply important to the design and symbolism of Muslim art and architecture. The square, alongside with the circle and triangle, is one of the 3 foundational shapes in Islamic art. It emphasizes the power of the mosque, the foundation of the faith, and the strength of the religionâs building blocks.
https://www.wikihow.com/Symbolism-of-the-Square
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significance_of_numbers_in_Judaism
https://www.gods-abcs.com/numbers-1-to-40-defined
Daleth is a door in Hebrew. In biblical numerology, four is the number of the earth, or the material creation of God. On the fourth day of creation the material world was finished (Gen. 1:14-19), thereby allowing God to furnish it with living creatures.
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Today's episode looks at the history of the "Architect" in the modern sense and the decisions made along the way that created a divide between the people who use buildings and the people who design them.
Architects are notorious for having their own language, with some words that are necessary and some that are not. This episode takes the entire issue apart piece by piece, and ultimately proposes a way forward.
Some further reading (very entertaining!)
https://slate.com/culture/2011/02/architecture-speak-an-essay-on-the-ridiculous-way-architects-talk.html
Great interview / rant against Archispeak:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSbYH8AC-Yo
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/seven-words-architects-should-never-use-william-schmalz-faia-csi-
About Architects being terrible
https://archinect.com/forum/thread/150052085/why-are-there-so-many-rude-architects
https://blog.miragestudio7.com/dear-architects-i-am-sick-of-your-shit/1307/
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Design is intimately linked to the workings of your sympathetic and parasympathic nervous system. I hope for a world in which we all understand how buildings can serve as a powerful tool to help us be the most powerful and healthy versions of ourselves.
Even simple steps can have a huge and lasting effect.
Some resources mentioned in the podcast:
Color Temperature:
https://www.westinghouselighting.com/color-temperature.aspx
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8979406/#:~:text=Our%20main%20results%20were%20as,color%20temperature%20of%203000%20K.
https://www.benq.com/en-us/knowledge-center/knowledge/what-is-the-best-led-color-for-reading.html#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20review%20of,3000K%20can%20improve%20sleep%20quality.
Color Viewer
https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/personal-color-viewer
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EVERYONE can learn design thinking.
I know this as a fact, being a professor of design - the steps are simple and it just takes an interest in the field and a willingness to learn.
Classes start soon at 4D Design:
In-person workshops in the Joshua Tree area and virtual classes coming soon!
www.fourddesign.com/classes
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What is design thinking?
Simply put, âdesign thinking is a methodology that we use to solve complex problems, and itâs a way of using systemic reasoning and intuition to explore ideal future states,â
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-design-thinking
Whatâs important is that IT IS A SYSTEM - meaning simple principles can be learned, and then itâs just putting that system to work. You donât need to understand every outcome.
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to creative problem solving that combines what's desirable with what's technologically feasible and in the long term, viable.
Stage 1: EmpathizeâResearch Your Users' Needs. Stage 2: DefineâState Your Users' Needs and Problems. Stage 3: IdeateâChallenge Assumptions and Create Ideas. Stage 4: PrototypeâStart to Create Solutions. Stage 5: TestâTry Your Solutions Out.https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process
https://www.viima.com/blog/how-might-we
https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/what-is-design-thinking
https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-design-thinking
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General Info:
(Everyone has Cognitive Biases!)
https://www.scribbr.com/research-bias/cognitive-bias/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases
LISTS OF COGNITIVE BIASES + LOGICAL FALLACIES:
Cognitive Bias Codex
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Cognitive_Bias_Codex_-_180%2B_biases%2C_designed_by_John_Manoogian_III_%28jm3%29.jpg
https://www.designhacks.co/
Critical Thinking Cards
https://thethinkingshop.org/products/critical-thinking-cards-deck
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I'm inviting you to take a look at your home design through the lens of your core values - to see if you are supported in being exactly who you were born to be.
Even small shifts in furniture arrangements, art, space for specific activities can give you the feeling that your home is supporting you AS IT IS MEANT TO DO.
Done properly, our home can be a battery pack that constantly encourages and recharges us. Time to listen to those inner feelings.
DETERMINING YOUR CORE VALUES
If you don't have a list of your core values, there are tons of resources online to look at including lists and quizzes. Here is a (non-endorsed) list of some sites.
https://medium.com/@scoutcoaching/core-values-what-they-are-why-they-matter-and-how-to-define-yours-93164383eada
https://jamesclear.com/core-values
https://www.mindtools.com/a5eygum/what-are-your-values
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The big secret: you don't need to know how to draw to enter the design world! Today I'm telling personal stories of not knowing how to draw at all, having no art background, and how I finally found my footing and skills in the world of Architecture. I also explain what is important in design drawings, and what different types of drawings exist in the world.
Drawing is a truly a skill that can be learned, and there are countless online resources.
Here are a few of the many platforms for creating your own floor plans, from free services to paid subscriptions.
https://www.edrawsoft.com/ad/floor-plan-maker-edrawmax.html
These have 3d imaging (for those of you who think better in 3d)
https://floorplanner.com/
https://www.livehome3d.com/
Note: I have not used these platforms so this is not an endorsement, just a reporting of things I found online.
What I use for floor plans: Autodesk Revit 2024 (BIM Modeling)
and Chaos Enscape for 3d Rendering.
Complex Geometries: Rhinoceros
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Repetition is one of the most basic design principles, but it's also one of the most versatile. Repeating elements can make you feel safe, they can firmly establish brand identity, they can be ridiculous and humorous - or they can make you want to join the party!
Come see how repetition affects our human minds, which crave a certain degree of conformity but reject it when it's too much.
Some links that explain how this works:
https://www.thirdwunder.com/blog/the-importance-of-repetition-in-design/
https://venngage.com/blog/design-principle-repetition/
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Symmetry is one of the most common, primal and powerful ordering systems available to us in the world of Design.
My intention is to take you through the basic concepts that you would be taught in architecture school, minus the late nights, fluorescent lighting and bad coffee!
It all has its origins in Biology:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry_in_biology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilateria
Bilateral Symmetry in Nature
https://biologydictionary.net/bilateral-symmetry/
BUT WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH DESIGN?
We recognize symmetry more quickly than any other type of ordering system.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6458647/
which gets into Unconscious Inference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_perception
TYPES OF SYMMETRY IN ARCHITECTURE
https://www.mi.sanu.ac.rs/vismath/kim/index.html
https://insights.jonite.com/the-art-of-symmetry-in-architecture
Symmetry and Well-Being (this is a very good article!
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/10/12/249
Symmetry is satisfying - do you look for symmetry in design?
https://slate.com/culture/2008/05/why-is-architectural-symmetry-so-satisfying.html
We need to be aware of symmetry because it's literally controlling our movements sometimes - have you ever aligned yourself with an axis? Look at camera angles in photos and see the power symmetry has over us.
Symmetry IS us.
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Why are some people afraid of the number 13 and what does it really represent? This episode is a quick look at superstitions, traditions and various interpretations of this prime + fibonacci number.
It's supposed to be unlucky but is also baked into the graphics for the United States government? It also corresponds to the moon and the octave in music, Death in the tarot.
Let's explore - next week we go back to basic design school :)
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