Generative Design: Visualize, Program, and Create with Processing

by Hartmut Bohnacker, Benedikt Groß

Generative design is a revolutionary new method of creating artwork, models, and animations from sets of rules, or algorithms. By using accessible programming languages such as Processing, artists and designers are producing extravagant, crystalline structures that can form the basis of anything from patterned textiles and typography to lighting, scientific diagrams, sculptures, films, and even fantastical buildings. Opening with a gallery of thirty-five illustrated case studies, Generative Design takes users through specific, practical instructions on how to create their own visual experiments by combining simple-to-use programming codes with basic design principles. A detailed handbook of advanced strategies provides visual artists with all the tools to achieve proficiency. Both a how-to manual and a showcase for recent work in this exciting new field, Generative Design is the definitive study and reference book that designers have been waiting for.

Genres: Design, Art, Reference, Computer Science, Programming, Nonfiction, Coding

472 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generative Design is the book for those who, like me, already know the basics of how to code and want to build up a solid foundation of standard generative design techniques. The gallery of artist work in the opening section is inspiring and gorgeous, but the real meat of the text is in the references: everything from basic color choice to perlin-noise vector fields, generative typography and 3D model manipulation.

I still have some work to do in exploring the techniques covered in the book hands-on myself, but I suspect this is one book I'll be returning to periodically to try out something new and expand my skills, rather than trying to cram it in all at once. And as such, it works well as both a reference and as a textbook progressing from basics to advanced examples.

I nearly went the cheap route of just exploring the code examples on the book's site - and the authors and publisher should be thanked for making those available openly - but I'm glad I got the full print book. The images are fantastic, and I was surprised at how some techniques which seemed dry to me really came to life in the examples chosen for the book. It inspired me to keep looking closer and explore further.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book with great explanations and visuals. My only beef is that I wish they could have included full code listings to make it easier to follow, but then the book would have been 3 times larger than it already is, which is large.

[Javier Melgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es una maravilla tanto en diseño como en contenido, unos ejemplos muy útiles que te ayudará mucho a empezar en el mundo de código, cada pagina es una obra de arte.

[nylki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on generative design or creative coding. It serves well as introduction to the java-based language/library Processing, with which all examples in the book have been produced.
The book features an interesting mix of different kinds of visualizations including 2D and 3D animations, Agent-based automation, particle systems, image manipulation, color, visualization of text and data.
Its great as a programming introduction (if you are already familiar with basic concepts) to Processing, but visually its also very pleasing. The overall print quality is superb, as well as the design of the book itself.

[Enrico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Running code that you can experiment with. Also (mainly) running with Javascript version of Processing P5.js