Design by Nature: Using Universal Forms and Principles in Design

by Maggie Macnab

In Design by Nature: Using Universal Forms and Principles in Design, author Maggie Macnab takes you on an intimate and eclectic journey examining the unending versatility of nature, showing how to uncover nature’s ingenuity and use it to create beautiful and compelling designed communications.

Written for designers and creative thinkers of all types, this book will guide you through a series of unexpected a-ha! moments that describe relationships among nature, art, science, technology, and design. Through explanation and example, you will learn about natural processes, consisting of everyday patterns and shapes that are often taken for granted, but that can be used effectively in visual messaging. Explore the principles all human beings intuitively use to understand the world and learn to incorporate nature’s patterns and shapes into your work for more meaningful design.

By recognizing and appreciating a broad range of relationships, you can create more aesthetic and effective design, building communications that encompass the universal experience of being part of nature, and that are relevant to a worldwide audience.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Art, Art Design, Science, Nature

293 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2011

About the author

Maggie Macnab is a self-taught designer from New Mexico. She began Macnab Design in 1981 and her work has received international recognition for over 30 years. With a lifelong passion for the creative problem solving process, Maggie’s work, teaching and books encompass the observation of how nature solves design problems and how to practically apply these principles to design. She teaches for various universities in New Mexico and speaks internationally for institutes, conferences and schools. She is author of Decoding Design and Design by Nature; both have received awards and are translated into multiple languages, including the Farsi version of Design by Nature that won best translated book in Iran in 2014. Designing Effective Logos, a learn by video series produced by Peachpit Press, released in late 2014.

Reviews

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource for burgeoning and experienced designers who like to dig deeper. Inspirational, thought-provoking, good stuff.

See my review with Local iQ magazine:
http://www.local-iq.com/index.php?opt...

Excerpt from review: "Maggie Macnab thinks we are all designers deep down if we just open our eyes and hearts to the best teacher possible: nature. She believes this so passionately that she’s written a book to encourage the masses to tap into their creative side and make the world a more aesthetically pleasing place. Design by Nature is Macnab’s lovely soapbox for this and several other big concepts that challenge us to think differently about design."

[Erik Engström · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deep dive into creativity for a designer, but at the end of the day I was like “okay...”

[Sanaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

به نظرم کتاب خوبیه ولی بیشتر مناسب کسایی هست که تازه وارد عرصه هنر و طراحی شدن، چون در واقع داره مهارت های ابتدایی رو با یه رویکرد طبیعت انگارانه بیان میکنه

[Meredith is a hot mess · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a designer, but I do design (slides). Geeky, but I enjoy crafting a set of slides that distills complex ideas into a compelling story that is simple yet communicates the essence. Looking for ways get away from traditional pyramid/architectural approach. Looking to learn from visual designer. This book teaches design philosophy and basics of how designer should think - which I found very helpful. Best line from the book

"Simplicity is at the heart of complexity bec. complexity arises from simplicity."

Also

- Synchronicity is meaningful coincidence
- Emptiness emerges as a vessel for audience. Breath between ideas
- Simplicity distills info to its absolute
- Problems are opportunities for creativity
- Nature is completely economical. Perfect balance of past and future - always appropriate in its response.
- Energy is neither lost nor gained in the process of transfer. It is simply re-ordered.
- Form of an object is a diagram of force
- Square: Stability and security
- Circle: Origin of all shapes
- Triangle: transformation
- Spiral: in motion returning to previous reality. Regeneration
- Structure and flow are inextricably related
- People ignore design that ignores people

[irfan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A definite reading material for students of design, this book has managed to weave interesting ideas originating from nature, and its impact in man-made designs. Readers would be elucidated with big but basic ideas behind everyday patterns around us, the obvious, and the ones that requires a certain degree of observation. From the relationship of 5 and 6-petaled flowering plants, to the application of various dimensions of symmetry, to the common concept of the Golden Ratio; the use of case studies also adds an authentic element to making the book more engaging.

[JayeL · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never actually finished this book, though I thought it had a lot of potential. I couldn't get past the tone of the author. She is unashamedly self taught and has disdain for education. She clearly does not believe that any education in design is necessary ever. I actually sold this book back to Amazon.

[Kaylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie McNab has crammed this book full of thought-provoking and interesting illustrations of practice not only for designers but for anyone. It is not a read from beginning to end but a reference book I know I can pick up whenever I need to. It is great!

[Mike Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her description of science and history giving context to design principles has helped me look at work in a new way. I have already begun using metaphors and examples from the book in my work.

[Oleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book with deep analysis of design's "whys"

[Whoof]

chill a.f.