Louisiana State University

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LSU Master's Theses Graduate School

2015

Nature's Geometry
Lin Feng
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College

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Part of the Fine Arts Commons

Recommended Citation
Feng, Lin, "Nature's Geometry" (2015). LSU Master's Theses. 3846.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/3846

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 NATURE’S GEOMETRY

A Thesis

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the

Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Master of Fine Arts

in

The School of Art

by
Lin Feng
B.A., Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, 2011
May 2015
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................iii

CHAPTER
1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................1

2 RESEARCH...........................................................................................2
Finnish Design….….........................................................................2
Design Principles………...................................................................5

3 PROCESS..............................................................................................9

4 FORMAT AND RESULTS....................................................................12

Symbols..........................................................................................12
Patterns..........................................................................................13
Illustration Poster Series................................................................18
Applications....................................................................................22

5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.......................................................23

BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................24

VITA.....................................................................................................................25

  ii
 ABSTRACT

The beauty of the natural world, from the literal to the abstract: color,

texture, shape, sounds, plant structure and anatomy, has continuously been the

source of inspiration for artists and graphic designers. Our natural environment

provides a readily available resource as a basis of visual study and exploration to

develop a unique visual language and construct compelling work. Therefore, the

aim of my thesis investigation is to create a new visual language and

communication based on the inherent beauty within nature and geometric forms

found in nature.

I began my investigation by developing a family of symbols based on

natural elements and geometry, for example flowers, water, mountains, clouds,

stars, etc. These symbols and shapes were then simplified into abstractions and

illustrations with geometric and organic characteristics. Next, I transformed the

family of symbols into patterns that formed the basis of raw material to develop

this unique visual language. The elements (line, shape, direction, size, texture,

color, value) and principles (balance, repetition, contrast, harmony, unity) of

design formed the building blocks to help create my design language.

These visual explorations are manifested into a unique design language,

and then applied to the methodology of visual communication and problem-

solving to promote the Helsinki Design Week 2015. This international festival, the

largest design event in Northern Europe, offers a city-wide meeting place and

discussion forum for design professionals. The program includes exhibitions,

fashion shows, seminars, galas, and workshops. Helsinki Design Week 2015 is a

  iii
noteworthy event that invites enthusiasts, professionals, and all friends of design

to participate in extraordinary happenings throughout the city of Helsinki, Finland.

Through these visual investigations and experimentations, introducing

typography and juxtaposing patterns, I was able to achieve my goal of

developing a unique visual vocabulary and adapt it to communication design.

  iv
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Today, more and more people experience stress in their daily lives. What

are our preferred solutions to relieve stress at the end of a long day? Listening to

music, exercising, or watching a movie? I admire the magic and enjoyment of

nature that can be a healthy way to relax and help relieve stress. One of my

goals of this visual investigation is to attract my audience’s attention and be in

tune with the natural world. As the saying goes, “Natural beauty is beyond

expression.” However, as a graphic designer, I am aiming to express this natural

beauty by developing a design language that is underpinned by this natural

beauty. As a form of visual communication, graphic design plays an important

role in our daily life, while combining art and technology to communicate ideas

(Poggenpohl). I believe this is an effective way of communicating with my

audience. Visual communication provides me with a new approach to problem-

solving through utilizing typography, pattern, color and other methods as part of

my tool box and skillset. This approach also places emphasis on design process.

1
 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH

Finnish Design

Scandanavia is the historical and cultural region in Northern Europe that

first comes to mind, when people discuss the subject of nature and its

relationship to design. People who live in the Nordic country of Finland enjoy

many natural resources such as blue skies and natural lakes. Scandinavian

design is a design movement emerging in the 1950s characterized by

functionality, minimalism, and simplicity. The purpose of Scandinavian design lies

in the concept that beautiful and functional objects are available to everyone,

regardless of social class. In the 1950s, Finnish design work appeared in

numerous international exhibitions, such as the Milan International Art Exhibition

recurring every three years. The influential Finnish designers Timo Sarpaneva

and Tapio Wirkkala have won various awards in the triennial because of their

avant-garde concepts of furniture for mass-production and industrial design

(Laurén and Koivisto). Finnish designers, who experienced a lack of material,

worked very hard to create a revival after the end of World War II. Designers tried

to meet public’s needs by using limited physical resources to realize the

demands of industrial progress and social transformation. Around the 1950s-

1960s, Finnish designers built and promoted the country's image and brand. This

strategy won a large number of followers from America, Australia, and Europe.

Since Scandinavian design has influenced the entire world, Finnish design

became gradually more popular.

Finland has outstanding advantages of modern design that affects the

2
whole world. For instance, Helsinki was identified as the capital of world design in

2012 and design has become an entrenched element in cities throughout Finland.

Design and its role in people’s lives can be seen everywhere, especially in

Helsinki. For example, Kokoro & Moi, a full service creative agency focusing on

strategy and identity, have developed corporate identities for airport spatial

design (Figures 1 & 2). The visual elements of the World Design Capital Helsinki

2012 are built around the concept of openness. Creative elements are reshaping

Helsinki’s economy and at the same time increasing the living standards for

residents. In addition, design in urban planning, architecture, industrial design,

services design and some broader perspectives, play fundamental roles in the

development of urban services.

Figure 1, Helsinki airport spatial design by Kokoro & Moi, 2012

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Figure 2, Helsinki airport spatial design by Kokoro & Moi, 2012

The theme of “Open Helsinki – Embedding Design in Life, Global

Responsibility, and Roots for New Growth” has pushed Helsinki to the forefront of

design thinking and function. Pekka Timonen, executive director of World Design

Capital Helsinki 2012, says, “The World Design Capital’s task is to highlight the

significance of design; indicate the intended usage of contemporary design, and

to increase the demand for design.” He says, “Our projects have succeeded

brilliantly in all of these. Helsinki and its partner cities have concentrated on

building better cities and initiated development work that utilizes design.” (qtd. in

Horton).

In short, design in Finland is particularly important in citizen’s lives. A lot of

people can tell its story and the narrative derived from a chair, a vase, or a lamp.

Many Finnish citizens pay more attention to details of household articles and life

qualities such as space and light, material and texture, color and shape. I believe

4
Finnish designers play a crucial role in creating a blend of the modernism,

tradition, natural resources, democratic spirit, and a good ecological system.

Design Principles

Kenneth Bates, who was known as the “Dean of American Enamelists”,

said the task of artists is to organize elements into a comprehensible whole by

simplifying, organizing and unifying. I think the secret of a successful design work

is that the designer incorporates the use of design principles to communicate the

functional message effectively. Design principles help designers arrange images

and texts on the page, so that it feels more comfortable to audiences and makes

a profound impact. Each part of a design work must fit together in order to ensure

a consistent whole. The whole will be more than the sum of its parts, and it is

very hard to isolate the parts and think of them separately. Unity is based on

italicize theory, meaning that the structure is unified and the viewer is looking for

a unified whole (Zelanski and Fisher). The traditional concepts of design

principles are nevertheless still important and timeless in contemporary design.

As a graphic designer, this argument of unifying principles is a significant theory

to my development during my thesis research and process. Therefore, I set out

to explore my process through repetition, variety and balance.

Repetition

Repetition is the process of repeating elements to strengthen the unity

throughout a design (Smith). A coherent visual structure is generated by the

repetition of similar lines, shapes or colors. Andy Warhol's use of repetition

should be regarded as a classic example, like his Marilyn Monroe pop art (Figure

5
3). He repeats the same image of Marilyn Monroe in order to give the work an “all

over” quality. There is no focus point on any particular piece of the composition

so that audiences can understand the relationship between these parts easily.

According to Matt Smith’s experiences, there are a few methods to apply

repetition in graphic design. For instance, once can limit the different number of

elements, weights and colors before repeating them. Secondly, the style of

graphics should be kept the same. Furthermore, a grid system is helpful to keep

consistent across a design with some pages, like book or magazine design. If

designing several items for a brand identity, that includes a logo, business cards,

letterhead, posters and brochures, designers have to share design elements

between each (Smith).

Figure 3, Marilyn Monroe design by Andy Warhol, 1962

6
Variety

Variety is one of the most important aspects of well-designed principles by

a designer to create visual interest throughout a design. Variety means changing

the character in a slight variation or strong contrasts (Zelanski and Fisher). The

design work will be chaotic and intangible without unifying principles, and the

design work will be dull and boring without variations.

Andy Warhol created Ethel Scull Thirty-Six Times that is based on the

unifying principle (Figure 4). This work is an excellent example of achieving unity

by using the method of variety, because the variety of a colorful grid shows us

multi-appearances and emotions of Scull within harmony.

Figure 4, Ethel Scull Thirty-Six Times design by Andy Warhol, 1963

Balance

Another fundamental method in which designers may consider to achieve

a unified whole is to balance elements. Balance is based on the apparent weight

and how it is distributed (Zelanski and Fisher). Generally speaking, visual weight

is influenced by position, size, texture, isolation, value, orientation, color and so

7
on. Symmetrical and asymmetrical are two main types of balance. Symmetrical

balance is an even distribution of elements by arranging them to the left and right,

or top and bottom from the center. On the contrary, asymmetry is an

arrangement of uneven weight on each side of a layout. For example, one object

will draw viewer’s attention if it is in a light value or bright color.

In addition, rhythm, emphasis, and economy also can help designers to

organize their works in a unified whole. These principles are not absolute rules

that designers have to keep in each work, but they are worthy to be considered in

the execution of work or design process.

8
 CHAPTER 3: PROCESS

In addition to my study on Finnish design and its principles, I have

developed research on natural elements during my three years of graduate study.

When I first studied here in the United States, Baton Rouge was the first city

where I lived. Thus, as a Chinese graduate student, Louisiana State University is

the most familiar place to me. During my graduate studies, I have continuously

explored my passion for landscape photography on the LSU campus. I focused

my efforts primarily on composition and invoking a unified thematic narrative for

each post card. From there, I began to study in depth of native trees in Louisiana.

The following information graphic example was developed based on these native

tree studies to help the citizens of Louisiana to preserve and enhance their

beautiful trees (Figure 5). The information graphic is suggestive of native and

well-adapted trees from our region. There are twenty-seven native tree species

selected for this design, which includes common names, tree types, heights,

spreads, moisture conditions, and a brief narrative commentary. Moreover, in the

project of public information display (Figure 6), I redesigned a smartphone app,

trail signs, trail map, tree labels and educational information for the Burden

Museum & Gardens in Baton Rouge. The informational displays were designed

to offer discovery and adventure through historic, natural and educational

experiences. The primary target audience was people who are interested in the

flora and fauna of Louisiana’s lush landscapes and agricultural heritage, as well

as students involved in an outdoor educational curriculum.

9
Figure 5, Native Trees in Louisiana, 2014

Figure 6, Burden Museum & Gardens Public Information Display, 2014

10
 After gathering the topics of recent projects, I was inspired by the world of

trees. I developed a series of symbols of natural elements such as flowers,

water, mountains, clouds, stars, etc. (Figure 7).

Figure 7, Nature’s Symbols, 2014

Based on my research of Finnish design, I found inspiration from the

campaign designs of New Finnish Design CITY by Tsto (Figure 8). Tsto is a

design agency in Finland that services the fields of graphic design, art

direction and consultancy in both digital and printed media. New Finnish Design

CITY was a series of events held in New York City in 2012. The themes of this

event revolved around Finnish architecture, design and the famed school system

in Finland. I decided to test different applications to promote Helsinki Design

Week 2015, since the aim of my thesis investigation is to create new visual

communication from natural elements to promote a global campaign.

Figure 8, New Finnish Design CITY design by Tsto, 2012

11
 CHAPTER 4: FORMAT AND RESULTS

Symbols

Symbols can represent words in order to convey meaning more efficiently

as it should be understood quickly in a single glance (Hyland and Bateman).

Symbols that are categorized as geometric shapes can be easily recognized

based on their simple forms. Geometric symbols are an important expression for

communicating with my audience. For this thesis project, I gathered several

common elements that related to the natural environment, and transformed them

into a unique visual language. I created nine single geometric symbols and

arranged them in a 3” x 3” grid (Figure 9). This series focused on nine natural

elements: branch, leaf, snow, iceberg, cloud, star, tree rings, flower, and water

waves. As I had mentioned previously in my research chapter, design principles

can help designers arrange images so that it is perceived as logical and makes a

profound visual impact to my audiences. Using negative and positive lines and

shapes allowed me to represent a visual balance.

Figure 9, Nature’s Geometry: Symbols, 2015

12
 Patterns

Pattern is more than decoration. It is a type of perceptual grouping which

is a vital necessity for recognizing objects through vision, thus a powerful

approach to help me communicate and differentiate my work. Composition,

graphics, and colors all help to engage the viewer. I continued my design

process by developing symbols into patterns and applying the principles of

repetition, contrast, and scale to create intricate symmetrical and asymmetrical

compositions. I designed four different patterns: tree rings (Figure 10), branches

(Figure 11), water waves (Figure 12), and icebergs (Figure 13). Each large

square layout consists of four small square pieces. It also encourages the

patterns to have a consistent appearance in each piece. Unifying principles

create further embodiment by using the same visual elements, similar scales,

and comprehensive spacing. This visual consistency and juxtaposition of

principles creates a context for my audience that is compelling and recognizable,

and provides viewers with a high level of interest and sense of balance.

Color palettes within my visual language represent a controlled system

based on color associations from nature. By taking cues and associations from

plants in our environment as a design strategy, I have been able to develop a

color system. For example, the red tone is prevalent in nature is found from the

sun to flowers, and humans. I have adopted it as a symbol of warmth, energy,

resilience, and courage. The green tone is another familiar tone to us that means

growth and prosperity. The blue tone is inspired by the sky and sea, and it

symbolizes depth, peace and heaven.

13
Figure 10, Nature’s Geometry: Patterns, 2015, Tree Rings

14
Figure 11, Nature’s Geometry: Patterns, 2015, Branches

15
Figure 12, Nature’s Geometry: Patterns, 2015, Water Waves

16
Figure 13, Nature’s Geometry: Patterns, 2015, Iceberg

17
 Illustration Poster Series

My aim in applying my visual language to graphic communication is to

promote events of the Helsinki Design Week 2015 by designing illustrated

posters. Helsinki Design Week is the largest design festival in the Nordic

countries. Over 150 design events from workshops to seminars and fashion

shows spread throughout the city.

I created four posters based on my symbol and pattern investigations.

Each poster has its own primary theme to promote design week. The first

illustrated poster within this series promotes the “Design Talks” (Figure 14). The

Design Talks are comprised of six well-respected native Finnish designers who

share their special experiences in the process of design and unique views on

design trends. The most prominent element within the composition: a three

quarter circle, represents an open mouth that can speak and share information

with participants.

The second poster presents the subject of “City Jam” (Figure 15). City

Jam is a service design workshop that focuses on independent living for elderly

and disabled people. The water waves was incorporated into this poster and

constitutes a large numbers of road mazes, which represent a structure of a city

map.

The theme of the third poster is “14°C, Still Summer” (Figure 16), which is

an exhibition of a pattern collections printed on silk scarves. The prominent

symbols, an Iceberg, representing winter, and the sun identifying the summer

season. These two symbols are combined to represent 14°C, the standard

climate during Finland’s summer, although it is winter in other countries.

18
 The fourth poster represents the architectural event “Open House

Helsinki” (Figure 17). The event organizes guided walks in fascinating interior

spaces, interesting parts of the city as well as old and new architectural points of

interest. The main illustration in “Open House Helsinki” is based on branches,

which can be considered to represent many directions of trails throughout

Helsinki.

For the composition of the poster series I considered the relationship

between the typography and illustration. I tried to keep a consistent layout

throughout in order to achieve visual hierarchy, consistency, and variation

interplay within the series. Each element on these posters was an iterative

process, highly selective, and organized accordingly. I enjoyed creating my own

illustrations to express the themes of the different events. The iterative process

allowed me to keep thinking and experimenting continually in order to enrich

myself during the design process and execution. Additionally, the color choice in

the posters is an extension of my patterns and the themes they represent.

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 HELSINKI 0 9. 0 3

DESIGN –
09 . 1 3

WEEK The Old Student House,

Mannerheimintie 3

2015
September 5, 2015
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

DESIGN TALKS

SPEAKERS:
Peter Griffith, Dany Garand, Eero Koivisto, Harri
Koskinen, lrina Viippola, and Iina Vuorivirta.

www.helsinkidesignweek.com

Figure 14, Helsinki Design Week Poster – Design Talks, 2015.

0 9 . 03
Loft Helsinki, Iso Paja, Radiokatu 5
September 09, 2015
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
–
09. 13

HELSINKI
DESIGN WEEK
2015 WORKSHOP: City Jam
City Jam is an open one-day service design workshop with
a focus on independent coping for elderly and disabled
people. Welcoming all citizens, city officials, designers and
design students.

www.helsinkidesignweek.com

Figure 15, Helsinki Design Week Poster – City Jam, 2015.

20
 09 . 0 3
EXHIBITION: 14 °C, Still Summer
–
A group of designers from China explore their own ways of
encountering Finnish summer. 14°C, Still Summer, a pattern
09.13
collection printed on silk scarves, exhibits this journey.

HELSINKI Flower Shop Andante,

Fredrikinkatu 20
September 04 – 13, 2015

DESIGN
WEEK 2015

www.helsinkidesignweek.com

Figure 16, Helsinki Design Week Poster – 14°C, Still Summer, 2015.

HELSINKI Around Helsinki,

September 12 – 14, 2015

DESIGN
Check tour schedules online:
www.openhousehelsinki.fi

WEEK 0 9 . 03
–
2015 0 9 .1 3

ARCHITECTURE: Open House Helsinki

Open House Helsinki organizes guided walks in fascinating
interior spaces, interesting parts of the city as well as old and
new architectural points of interest. The walks are guided by
designers and specialists.

www.helsinkidesignweek.com

Figure 17, Helsinki Design Week Poster – Open House Helsinki, 2015.

21
 Applications

Nature’s geometric symbols are essentially design templates and can be

systematically applied to design applications, and in my particular design

application, to promote the Helsinki Design Week 2015. The typography logo is

an important visual element to communicate with my audience and used as a

branding element to unify the series. I had chosen one geometric sans-serif

typeface and developed variations within my concept of nature, simplicity, and

peace (Figure 18). The geometric patterns were developed as the basis for the

visual identity in various applications. For example, paper bags, cups and T-

shirts for Helsinki Design Week 2015 (Figure 19).

Figure 18, Helsinki Design Week: Typography Logo, 2015.

Figure 19, Helsinki Design Week: Paper Bags, cups, and T-shirts, 2015.

22
 CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, primarily my thesis work is based on exploration and

experimentation. Through this entire investigation, I embraced the challenge by

opening up my mind, and through my personal lens, developed a strategy to

express my thoughts and design approach in a distinctive visual language. The

experimental process gave me an opportunity to research natural elements that I

am interested in the wide-ranging natural world. This process allowed me to

discover and exercise various design principles and investigate unusual styles as

a graphic designer and visual communicator. For instance, on the basis of my

profound research of unifying principles, I applied this theory into my patterns

and poster designs. Further research and discovery of contemporary Finnish

design gave me a new understanding of global campaign design and how to

incorporate those ideas into my work. Ultimately, as a graphic designer, this is

what is most important to me.

My artwork is composed of creative symbols, elaborate patterns,

illustrated posters and applications for a global visual identity campaign. Each

category and the various avenues that were explored are clear directions to

pursue, allowing me to develop further investigations and areas of visual inquiry.

I plan to continue with my study on geometric patterns, which can be pushed

further into other fields of applications such as packaging design for natural food

and beverage products. Moreover, interactive mediums are more attractive for

people. My further experiment on user interface and web design for campaign

design will provide people with additional useful information and tools to navigate.

23
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Horton, Robin Plaskoff. “Turn Table Urban Garden Sprouts in Old Railway Bay”
Urban Gardens. 7 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

Hyland, Angus, and Steven Bateman. Symbol: The reference guide to abstract
and figurative trademarks (Mini). London: Laurence King, 2014. 8. Print.

Laurén, Uta and Kaisa Koivisto. The golden era of the Finnish glass. Helsinki:
Tammi, 2014. 326. Print.

Poggenpohl, Sharon Helmer. Graphic Design: A Career Guide and Education

Directory. New York: American Institute Of Graphic Arts, 1993. Print.

Smith, Matt. “The Principles of Graphic Design: How to Use Repetition

Effectively” Edgee. 18 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

Zelanski, Paul, and Mary Pat Fisher. Design Principles and Problems. New York:
Susan Katz, 1984. 16. Print.

24
 VITA

Lin Feng was born in Qingdao, Shandong, China in 1988. She received

her bachelor’s degree of Art and Design from Beijing Institute of Graphic

Communication in 2011. She has worked as a user interface designer in

Qingdao. Feng plans to receive her Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State

University in May 2015.

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