Demystifying Beauty: Inspiration for Design (Skillshare)

This course is inspired by the 2016 exhibition Beauty—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial, the fifth installment in the museum's signature contemporary design exhibition series. With a focus on aesthetic innovation, Beauty celebrates design as a creative endeavor that engages the mind, body, and senses. In this Skillshare class, the exhibition is brought to life. See how beauty can move us to ask questions; move beyond the decorative; and drive change materially, structurally, and ethically. Every lesson is rich with visuals, examples, and insights that will transform the way you see both art and the world around you. This class is perfect for graphic designers, creatives, and enthusiasts alike. All you need is a passion for design, a curious eye, and a yearning to understand beauty.

Explore beauty by creating your own dot pattern!

Often when we think about beauty, we think about decoration and patterns. These could be intricate and complex, or simple and consistent. In this prompt, we want to challenge you to use play with one of the most fundamental and universal elements of graphic design — the dot — to explore the themes of this class. You can create something beautiful.

How will you play with material or process to create your own story of making? What colors will you use, moving between the polychrome and monochrome spectrums? How will you play with proximity and space to mimic natural patterns of growth? What will you combine in unexpected ways to create the serendipitous joy of the chance encounter?

Think about color, think about nature, and think about what inspires you. Have fun making a pattern with dots!