Subliminal Design: Revealing the Grid Charlie Francis Subliminal Design: Revealing the Grid Maryland Charlie Institute Francis College of Art Master of Arts in Graphic Design August 2019 Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid Introduction 6 Abstract 10 Problem Definition 16 Exploration 24 Research 32 Design Process 42 Outcomes 66 Conclusion 80 Bibliography 86 Acknowledgments 91 Introduction Introduction Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 8 9 Being a designer is one of the aspects I enjoy most about my life. I don’t think of design only as a career, but rather see it as one of my most defining traits. Like a teacher lives to educate and nurture, a designer lives to solve problems and create. Teaching others about design brings forth opportunities for sharing what I love, in hopes that others may benefit from it. I see Subliminal Design: Revealing the Grid as an opportunity for me to both create something I love, and begin to think about how I can educate others about it. This thesis is a study of grids—displaying an example of how they are used in the things we encounter everyday. Abstract Abstract Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 12 13 Grids are all around us—from the pages of a book, to the very streets we walk. If you look close enough, they can be found anywhere. A grid, in its essence, is an invisible structure. They are the underlying principle that guide form and function, while also being a pivotal way to structure information and content in all forms of design—both 2- and 3-dimensional. Subliminal Design: Revealing the Grid studies grid systems utilized in various areas of design, while exposing the invisible patterns we interact with every day. Featuring articles and excerpts from designers of the past and present, this book promotes a human- centered approach to understanding design. With easily-digestible content and supporting graphics, the purpose of this book is to educate the non-designer and designer alike. Abstract Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 14 15 Problem Definition Problem Definition Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 18 19 Related terminology. Design influences our day-to-day lives. As I continued to think about this idea, I started creating a list of terms It’s the backbone that supports us as our that resonated with my thoughts on design and what makes it so minds focus on everything else. Dieter enticing to me. Rams, a German product designer whose designs are the inspiration for today’s Apple products, is known for declaring that “good design is invisible.” The goal of design is to not make people think about how to do something, but to provide them with an intuitive system that allows them to just do. The goal of my thesis is to reveal these hidden aspects of design that ultimately guide society. Problem Definition Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 20 21 To put this into a different perspective, our bodies are perfect example Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, of hidden structures. All we see on the outside is skin, but underneath Roman Architect. “Nature has designed are hundreds of systems working to allow us to think, act, and live. the human body so Understanding how these systems work on the inside helps us to under- that its members are duly proportioned to stand much more about ourselves—how to know when something is the frame as a whole.” wrong, how to treat ourselves when we feel pain, where our capabilities The Vitruvius Man is an lie, etc. Likewise, understanding design can open doors to all sorts of iconic representation that our bodies are valuable knowledge, improve the quality of your experiences, and ulti- natural examples of mately open your eyes to a whole world of hidden treasures. a grid called the Golden Ratio, commonly found elsewhere in nature, and used frequently by designers in their own work. Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 23 Exploration Exploration Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 26 27 Charlie Sanders Before narrowing down my topic to focus Pierce’s Theory of Signs: “I define a sign as anything on grids, I directed my research toward which is so determined by something else, understanding semiotics and the relationships called its Object, and so determines between signs and their meanings. The semi- an effect upon a person, which effect I call its interpretant, otics model can be explained using a simple that the later is thereby mediately determined by the diagram that shows the connections between former.” signs, interpretants, and objects. A sign, in this case, is something that conveys meaning, which directly relates to something that gives meaning to a sign (interpretant) and what is evoked in the mind by the sign (object). A stop light (sign), for example, is a red light (interpretant), which tells your brain to stop (object). This concept intrigues me because the world is full of signs and symbols that cause us to respond without even thinking. An icon depicting a person results in the immediate understanding that there is a restroom nearby, and we don’t even have to think about it. Exploration Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 28 29 The idea of semiotics led me to a study on words and images that A digital dictionary convey the same meaning and evoke an emotional response. studying tone, typography, and I designed a website with a collection of terms related to the topic Typographic Tone Semiotics. What of semiotics and how images can convey meaning that could otherwise can be explained with words can be described in words. Using a simple grid as its structure, the site, also be expressed called Typographic Tone, displayed thumbnails images to evoke through imagery curiosity in the user. When the user hovers over a thumbnail image, and typography— this site identifies a box appears on the right side of the screen displaying the full image, the relationship a term, and it’s definition. The idea is that the image conveys the between images and their meanings. same meaning as the word. Soft Having a pleasing quality involving a subtle effect or contrast rather than sharp definition. Easy to mold, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch. Typographic Tone Typographic Tone Prickly Rough Having or causing a tingling or itching Having an uneven or irregular surface; sensation. not smooth or level. Liable to cause someone to take Coming out with difficulty so as to offense. sound harsh and rasping. Not finished tidily or decoratively; plain and basic. Exploration Research Research Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 34 35 In my research All books start with an idea. Subliminal on grids, I gathered books, articles and images to read Design: Revealing the Grid was born from the and study, with the intent of curating pieces that explain idea that design is all around us—whether we how grid systems are used throughout see it, or not. The obvious of these invisible design. I studied the writing of design scholars surroundings, and the one that relates to of the past and present—Joseph Müller-Brockman’s all areas of design, is that of the grid. A teachings of how to use a grid in grid, in its essence, is a structure. All things print design; Le Corbusier’s secrets to successful city are based around it. But the grid, though planning; Michael Hann’s dissection of grids and their omnipresent, is also often rarely visible to the appropriate forms. These writings, and many others, everyday being. Subliminal Design seeks to became the meat of my research, highlight this ever-present structure through and as a result, the main content for a human-centered approach. The publication the book I produced. does not merely seek to reveal the grid, but to educate readers about its influence. Research Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 36 37 Thinking With Type, Ellen Lupton Research Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 38 39 Grid Systems in Graphic Design, Joseph Müller-Brockman Research Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 40 41 The ideas of Le Corbusier on Architecture and Urban Planning, Le Corbousier & Jacques Guiton Design Process Design Process Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 44 45 As I considered these questions, the idea of this project being human- My research about grids, their many forms, centerd came back to me, and I determined that the grid of the book that teaches people how to see grids, should be easily noticeable to readers. and applications, ultimately resulted in a I decided on a simple two-column, modular grid that would effectively organize varying hierarchies of typography and images throughout each culmination of my research into a tangible section. This level of organization keeps the book consistent throughout, while also allowing room for subtle breaks. I added an opening spread object that both showed what I studied and at the beginning of each section, which allowed me to showcase a differ- provided an example of it—a book. Choosing ent type of grid by way of illustrations. the medium of a printed publication design felt natural. All books start with a grid. A book about grids must, of course, have a grid of its own. In planning the grid for subliminal design, I considered many different forms— Should it be complex? Should it have several different grids within it (maybe a new one for each section)? Should the grid be broken? Design Process Subliminal Design Revealing the Grid 46 47 In the beginning stages of creating the layout for Subliminal Design, I determined the boundaries of the modular grid. I used rectangles to see how information would fit within the bounds, and how the mar- gins could be utilized for captions.