Designa (Wooden Books) Hardcover – October 7, 2014

I thought this would be one of those large-format books, like a magazine with better covers. But it's 8 inches by 6 inches and 1.5 inches thick with 410 pages including a 5-page Index at the back for cross-reference.DESIGNA is packed with examples from thousands of years: Graphics and Architectural styles from around the world as well as Scientific examples of ideas like symmetry and repetitive examples from Nature. All sorts of patterns, from strict order to random fields. An arcane tour of relationships compiled for those who can take advantage of this information and not have to reinvent the wheel. It's fascinating reading, and going through the illustrations there are Artistic designs you may have seen (for example in works by M.C. Escher) that are broken down into their elements to show how they work, both visually to massage the brain through the optical cortex, and aesthetically, as they show you WHY they are beautiful. You could view this as someone seeking a specific solution to a problem or as a tourist who just wants to explore where they've never been before. There are carved pieces from 200,000 years ago that are just as modern-looking as Art made yesterday, using the same designs for the same reasons, proving that early humans were more like we are now (and maybe even more, because considering the difficultly level of those pieces, the nameless creators were geniuses.)I wasn't quite sure what this book would contain and now I'm pleased (and amazed) at the depth and scale of the resources that were assembled to inform as well as entertain.

Nearly every page of this book could become an entire book on it's own. It's a treasure trove of fascinating topics that can be appreciated by beginners and experts alike.

This was much better than i expected. Covers lots of design aspects that my other books do but in more detail. This was a good addition to my library

I am fastinated with these complicated pattern that I can used for free motion quilting as well as knowing they are based on mathematical equations. I will use them at there most simple lines or take it to the max.

Pack full of designs from ancients. With enough reference lines left for me to figure out how patterns were drawn I can draw them with only compasses and ruler, and experience the joy of past without modern technology.Brief introductions of uses in history make this book not only a great collection of patterns but a delightful history book.

I am a digital art designer, as well as many other art hobbies, and I bought this book recently as resource to a college essay on the Golden Section.The Golden Section chapter is great.This series of books is downright amazing, they have all the secrets to everything you ever really wanted to know about design, I also have Quadrivium and its everything you ever could want to know about qualitative math, math in art, math in music and math in nature.I can’t imagine my life without these and I plan to enjoy them for ever

These books hardback are very fragile but they do not ship them as fragile so when you buy them as new they arrive with torn edges scuffed up corners.I'm not doing a second return, but I am very displeased with the quality of these hardbacks because you don't value your product enough to ship it where it won't be damaged.

Haven’t been disappointed yet. Not as good as the quadrivium but it’s a beautiful necessity for anyone crafting Celtic mosaics or is curious about the principles behind some of the most intricate designs inside Islamic countries and others.