Sacred Web Design: Utilizing the Perfection of the Circle
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by Ellen Foster
ellen.foster@webdesignschoolreview.com
Web Design School Review Columnist
At this point in your web design study or career, you’ve probably developed an appreciation for geometric primitives, the basic shapes with which you construct your composition. You’re aware that this understanding can help web designers create the clean, clear designs that attract and keep site visitors. Knowing how to make a straight line unobtrusive or a rectangle less predictable is a valuable web design skill, but how does it work when you move to the third geometric primitive, the circle?
Web Design: A World of Squares
Why do web designers so rarely use circles? Why would a shape so beautiful—even considered spiritual or sacred in some cultures—get short shrift? First, the pixel-based computer screen makes displaying rectangles a snap and circles a potential disaster. Web designers wonder why they should inscribe a circle on a square canvas (screen). By definition the circle will never allow for maximized perimeter and minimized area—a common design objective—which can make it unfriendly for layout purposes.
Circle Out of the Shadows in Design
Despite the circle’s challenges, this enigmatic form deserves its day in the sun. If you can utilize circular design elements well, just think how aesthetically refreshed your site visitor will feel. Perhaps the trick is to incorporate the circle with rectangle and line elements. For example, you might consider cutting circular fragments out of rectangular graphics or images. Or, you could use the partial circle by rounding out aspects, images and logos, with 90-degree arcs. Merging a set of concentric circles clipped out by a rectangle can unite the soft perfection of the rounded form with the assertiveness of angular shapes.
Aiming for Conscious Web Design
Maybe a circle won’t always work, but by considering it and understanding why it isn’t successful for certain designs, you’re taking a step to make yourself a more observant, conscious web designer.
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About the Author
Ellen Foster is a freelance writer and teacher. She has taught students ages 5 to 45.
Posted at 10:53 AM on April 24, 2007
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