Symmetry is boring and to prove it I took a video of an online face symmetry test using two photos of myself. Symmetry is a marker of beauty — the more symmetrical your face the more beautiful you are. The photos I analyzed are an ID photo and the other a photo of my friends and I. I’d rather be happy and asymmetric than boring and pretty.
This article spoke to me in terms of making active choices as a designer. Playing it safe, making everything exactly the same is undeniably clean however also deathly boring. Not only do you have to break the rules you have to do so with purpose. I made a gif saying “symmetry is boring” because it is. I stayed away from my normal color palette and tried something brighter using shapes I wouldn’t usually choose to use. I had fun.
For this week’s reading and podcast I decided to create a webpage. I started with very calm colors green and yellow because the article and podcast had a very calming sense. rather than an argument or debate, they seemed like they were more of discussions. I then added the title Insides the Lines + A Fine Balance in a white courier font because I thought that really made it stand out from the rest of the text.
I then have two separate div’s. Both with green backgrounds. One has an image and is floating to the left and the other is floating to the right. The one on the right has a summary of the article and podcast while the one on the left has an image.
file:///Users/AllisonPinz/Documents/PSDM/year_1/semester_1/Basic%20Web%20Design/Journal2.html
Question: Is it possible to completely write off symmetry in all aspects of design?
In the article A Fine Balance, the writer Erik Spiekermann seems to have a oppositional view towards the idea of symmetry in design, instead favoring asymmetry. His reasoning for this is that symmetry is too easy and boring. He claims that asymmetry is more accessible and dynamic. He states that within the setup of a page, having elements find their natural position makes it more approachable and easy to read. I agree–partially.
I think that when Spiekermann talks about symmetry, he’s talking about the very generic idea, where two sides of something look exactly the same. However, I think that symmetry is necessary and always somewhat evident in a work, maybe not in a completely obvious and unnaturally even sense, but in other ways. Even if two parts of something don’t look exactly the same, there still needs to be an aspect of balance, so that the viewer does not becomes overwhelmed. In my opinion, asymmetry is not possible without a level of symmetry involved.
What is the most effective way to design a lay out, whether it is with text on a page or designing a space?
When designing a space it is important to think about the people that will be engaging with the space. For example, how could you encourage a younger crowd of people to linger in a certain area, or stay away from a certain area? Think about how you would want people to walk, mingle, and exit. I agree with Erik Spiekermann when he says in the article, A Fine Balance, that things that appear symmetric can feel easy, boring, or overdone. Yet, when things are symmetric they tend to please the eye and give off a harmonious feeling. Asymmetric things can feel exciting, original, and can feel inviting, while symmetric things can feel just the opposite. In the article he says “Now take a look at the spaces that make us feel at home and make us want to spend time sitting in cafes and watching children play. They are all asymmetric.”
Is web design really similar to designing a book? What are some issues with the idea of robots designing web pages?
The podcast compared the web design layout to the ways books are designed. On a superficial level this metaphor is useful but I think that the way web design can be viewed should be deeper than this. The fact that our society is so interconnected with the way digitally is viewed and used should push us to stretch our minds in order to think of new ways to see digital spaces instead of neutralizing it. The act of standardizing what websites look like implies there is a departure of web design from art as it becomes more about fitting the norm. This is also concerning when thinking of computers as opposed to humans creating websites which would ultimately yield to the end of intentional and thoughtful human interaction with digitally. The design of digital spaces and websites does influence the content we view and I think as creators it is important to stay involved.
How important is symmetry when we talk about design?
On the reading “ A Fine Balance”, the author talks about how boring is symmetry, praising, on the other hand, the asymmetrical. However, in some way, there cannot be asymmetry without symmetry. To understand asymmetry one has to first understand what is symmetry. And, on the contrary to what the author states, making something symmetrical is not always an easy task. On the same note, making something asymmetrical is also hard. Nevertheless, there shouldn’t be a competition about which one of these is harder. Both designs have their own difficulties. It is challenging to create something symmetrical without being boring and square. At the same time, it takes some skill to make something asymmetrical, but not messy and overwhelming. Maybe the author was right when saying, “Pure symmetry will hardly ever do”, because perhaps, a good design has to have a balance between symmetrical and asymmetrical, and so, pure asymmetry will also hardly ever do.
Regarding a fragment of the talk “Inside the Lines”, it is interesting to notice what one of the people say about websites starting to look alike, nowadays. The person states that maybe it is a good thing that this is happening, just like books that are laid out all the same, because people get more concerned about the content itself. It can’t be known if this is an absolute truth, but perhaps designers are trying to find a way to make the design look seamless, that is, flowing well with the content, which makes sense, because a good design is indeed a seamless one.