--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Graphic design, which evokes the…" description: "\"Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria of Vituvius, the dynamic symmetry of Hambidge, the asymmetry of Mondrian; which is a good gestalt, generated..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/paul-rand-14711_asymmetry_graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetri_184451.png" --- # Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria of Vituvius… ![“Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria of Vituvius, the dynamic symmetry of Hambidge, the asymmetry of Mondrian; which is a good gestalt, generated by intuition or by computer, by invention or by a system of coordinates, is not good design if it does not communicate.” quote by Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/paul-rand-14711_asymmetry_graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetri_184451.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/paul-rand-14711_asymmetry_graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetri_184451.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/paul-rand-14711_asymmetry_graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetri_184451.png) > “Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria of Vituvius, the dynamic symmetry of Hambidge, the asymmetry of Mondrian; which is a good gestalt, generated by intuition or by computer, by invention or by a system of coordinates, is not good design if it does not communicate.” [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design must communicate clearly; aesthetics alone are insufficient without meaning. **In simple terms:** Design needs clear communication. Key Takeaway Prioritize clarity over style. Themes design communication clarity Mood analytical creative Type practical theoretical When to use this quote - branding - web design - product packaging - advertising Key Concepts visual theory gestalt symmetry asymmetry Questions to Reflect On - How does your design convey its message? - When does intuition outweigh analysis? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on theory can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asymmetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asymmetry/) [Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Evokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-evokes-1964486/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Evoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evoke/) [Gestalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestalt/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-design/) [Good Gestalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-gestalt-1964484/) [Graphic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graphic/) [Graphic design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graphic-design/) [Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Symmetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symmetry/) [Symmetry Hambidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symmetry-hambidge-1964485/) ## Related quotes > [Good design doesn't date. Bad design does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/good-design-doesn-t-date-bad-design-does/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [The public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-design-than-good-design-it-is-in/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [The vector equilibrium is the true zero reference of the energetic mathematics. Zero pulsation in the vector equilibrium is the nearest approach we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-vector-equilibrium-is-the-true-zero-reference-of-the-energetic/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [The universe is an asymmetrical entity. I am inclined to believe that life as it is manifested to us must be a function of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/the-universe-is-an-asymmetrical-entity-i-am-inclined-to-believe-that/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [The real tragedy of human existence is not that we are nasty by nature, but that a cruel structural asymmetry grants to rare events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-real-tragedy-of-human-existence-is-not-that-we-are-nasty-by/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [“Her eyes were of different colors, the left as brown as autumn, the right as gray as Atlantic wind. Both seemed alive with questions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-willocks/her-eyes-were-of-different-colors-the-left-as-brown-as-autumn-the/) [Tim Willocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-willocks/) > [That's what's good about the digital revolution is it makes information asymmetry much harder to maintain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-dubner/that-s-what-s-good-about-the-digital-revolution-is-it-makes/) [Stephen J. Dubner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-dubner/) > [In what I like to call the Great Asymmetry, every spectacular incident of evil will be balanced by 10,000 acts of kindness, too often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/in-what-i-like-to-call-the-great-asymmetry-every-spectacular-incident/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Asymmetry is the rhythmic expression of funtional design. In addition to being more logical, asymmetry has the advantage that its complete appearance is far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-tschichold/asymmetry-is-the-rhythmic-expression-of-funtional-design-in-addition/) [Jan Tschichold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-tschichold/) > [“My point taken further is that True and False (hence what we call “belief”) play a poor, secondary role in human decisions; it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/my-point-taken-further-is-that-true-and-false-hence-what-we-call/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Why do we remember the past, but not the future?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/why-do-we-remember-the-past-but-not-the-future/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The universe is asymmetric and I am persuaded that life, as it is known to us, is a direct result of the asymmetry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/the-universe-is-asymmetric-and-i-am-persuaded-that-life-as-it-is/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [I wanted the American public to know that not everyone in Iraq and Afghanistan were targets that needed to be neutralized, but rather people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-wanted-the-american-public-to-know-that-not-everyone-in-iraq-and/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [Asymmetry is the rhythmic expression of functional design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-tschichold/asymmetry-is-the-rhythmic-expression-of-functional-design/) [Jan Tschichold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-tschichold/) > [For one to be free there must be at least two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/for-one-to-be-free-there-must-be-at-least-two/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) ## More by Paul Rand > [To design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit: it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/to-design-is-much-more-than-simply-to-assemble-to-order-or-even-to/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/if-a-company-is-second-rate-the-logo-will-eventually-be-perceived-as/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [Asymmetric balance creates greater reader interest. Pleasure derived from observing asymmetrical arrangements lies partly in overcoming resistances, which, consciously or not, the spectator adjusts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/asymmetric-balance-creates-greater-reader-interest-pleasure-derived/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [There's a certain kind of research you have to listen to - the factual stuff, not opinion. Facts are facts. Sugar is sweet -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/there-s-a-certain-kind-of-research-you-have-to-listen-to-the-factual/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [Being good is more important than being original. Originality is a product, not an intention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/being-good-is-more-important-than-being-original-originality-is-a/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [In the Orthodox religion, you don't draw the human figure. It's against the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/in-the-orthodox-religion-you-don-t-draw-the-human-figure-it-s-against/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [Everything is design. Everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/everything-is-design-everything/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [“In essence, it is not what it looks like but what it does that defines a symbol.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/in-essence-it-is-not-what-it-looks-like-but-what-it-does-that-defines/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [The public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-design-than-good-design-it-is-in/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [“All art is relationships, all art. Design is relationships. Design in a relationship between form and content... Your glasses are round. Your collar is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/all-art-is-relationships-all-art-design-is-relationships-design-in-a/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/design-can-be-art-design-can-be-aesthetics-design-is-so-simple-that-s/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/design-is-the-silent-ambassador-of-your-brand/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [I was too practical to want to be a painter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/i-was-too-practical-to-want-to-be-a-painter/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [Any system that sees aesthetics as irrelevant, that separates the artist from his product, that fragments the work of the individual, or creates by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/any-system-that-sees-aesthetics-as-irrelevant-that-separates-the/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [Providing, meaning to a mass of unrelated needs, ideas, words and pictures - it is the designer's job to select and fit this material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/providing-meaning-to-a-mass-of-unrelated-needs-ideas-words-and/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) [Explore all 45 Paul Rand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) ## More Asymmetry quotes > [For one to be free there must be at least two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/for-one-to-be-free-there-must-be-at-least-two/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Asymmetry is the rhythmic expression of functional design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-tschichold/asymmetry-is-the-rhythmic-expression-of-functional-design/) [Jan Tschichold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-tschichold/) > [I wanted the American public to know that not everyone in Iraq and Afghanistan were targets that needed to be neutralized, but rather people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-wanted-the-american-public-to-know-that-not-everyone-in-iraq-and/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [The universe is asymmetric and I am persuaded that life, as it is known to us, is a direct result of the asymmetry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/the-universe-is-asymmetric-and-i-am-persuaded-that-life-as-it-is/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [Why do we remember the past, but not the future?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/why-do-we-remember-the-past-but-not-the-future/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“My point taken further is that True and False (hence what we call “belief”) play a poor, secondary role in human decisions; it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/my-point-taken-further-is-that-true-and-false-hence-what-we-call/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Asymmetry is the rhythmic expression of funtional design. In addition to being more logical, asymmetry has the advantage that its complete appearance is far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-tschichold/asymmetry-is-the-rhythmic-expression-of-funtional-design-in-addition/) [Jan Tschichold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-tschichold/) > [In what I like to call the Great Asymmetry, every spectacular incident of evil will be balanced by 10,000 acts of kindness, too often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/in-what-i-like-to-call-the-great-asymmetry-every-spectacular-incident/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [That's what's good about the digital revolution is it makes information asymmetry much harder to maintain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-dubner/that-s-what-s-good-about-the-digital-revolution-is-it-makes/) [Stephen J. Dubner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-dubner/) > [“Her eyes were of different colors, the left as brown as autumn, the right as gray as Atlantic wind. Both seemed alive with questions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-willocks/her-eyes-were-of-different-colors-the-left-as-brown-as-autumn-the/) [Tim Willocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-willocks/) > [The real tragedy of human existence is not that we are nasty by nature, but that a cruel structural asymmetry grants to rare events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-real-tragedy-of-human-existence-is-not-that-we-are-nasty-by/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The universe is an asymmetrical entity. I am inclined to believe that life as it is manifested to us must be a function of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/the-universe-is-an-asymmetrical-entity-i-am-inclined-to-believe-that/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [The vector equilibrium is the true zero reference of the energetic mathematics. Zero pulsation in the vector equilibrium is the nearest approach we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-vector-equilibrium-is-the-true-zero-reference-of-the-energetic/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [The asymmetry of time, the arrow that points from past to future, plays an unmistakable role in our everyday lives: it accounts for why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/the-asymmetry-of-time-the-arrow-that-points-from-past-to-future-plays/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [I worry because there is a basic asymmetry, an imbalance, between the two parties. For the Palestinians, it is about status and sovereignty, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-foxman/i-worry-because-there-is-a-basic-asymmetry-an-imbalance-between-the/) [Abraham Foxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-foxman/) [Browse all 24 Asymmetry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asymmetry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria of Vituvius, the dynamic symmetry of Hambidge, the asymmetry of Mondrian; which is a good gestalt, generated by intuition or by computer, by invention or by a system of coordinates, is not good design if it does not communicate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Rand" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetria-of-vituvius-the-dynamic/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asymmetry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetria-of-vituvius-the-dynamic/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/paul-rand-14711_asymmetry_graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetri_184451.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/paul-rand-14711_asymmetry_graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetri_184451.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/paul-rand-14711_asymmetry_graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetri_184451.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria of Vituvius, the dynamic symmetry of Hambidge, the asymmetry of…” — Paul Rand", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Rand", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetria-of-vituvius-the-dynamic/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/graphic-design-which-evokes-the-symmetria-of-vituvius-the-dynamic/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```