Three-dimensional design à la Wucius Wong: Serial Planes in repetition and gradation

Dordt College—Three-Dimensional Design Foundations
2014 © Wade D. Vollink
Serial Planes
16" w x 13" h x 7" d
photographs by versluis

This semester at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa a new course in three-dimensional design is being offered. In this student design project, titled Serial Planes, as Wucius Wong states, “Volume is represented by a series of planes, each plane is a cross-section of the volume. Thus, to construct a volumetric form, we can think in terms of its cross-sections, or how the form can be sliced up at regular intervals, which will result in serial planes.” (1)

The serial planes in the design above rely on the effective use of gradation of shape for impact. The positive curvilinear forms are contrasted with the negative circular shapes that move diagonally from larger to smaller and vice versa. The broad curves resonate and enhance the circular shapes.


It’s interesting when the same design is repositioned to a vertical elevation—the effect of the new perspective becomes very architectural.

1. Wong, Wucius. Principles of Form and Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1993. 247. Print.

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Close-cropped letterforms à la Norman Ives on the Paris Metro

In 1960 Norman Ives commented on his type collages by saying, “The forms grow from three considerations: the modular unit and its various directions; the area of the letter to be cut; and the weight, color and value of the letter form in relation to its neighbors. Letterforms are tightly cropped and reconstructed in a specific configuration.”

This photograph was taken in 2010 by versluis.

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An interesting juxtaposition of Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture and Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera’s exhibition mural

An interesting juxtaposition of Isamu Noguchi and Frida Kahlo at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. The mural for the Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Masterpieces of Modern Mexico is framed by the Noguchi’s Six-foot Energy Void. The Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Masterpieces of Modern Mexico was on view in 2013 at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Photograph by versluis.


Isamu Noguchi
American, 1904–1988
Six-foot Energy Void, 1971–85
Swedish granite
Collection of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

During the 1970s and 1980s, Isamu Noguchi often explored the subject of the void, saying it was “like some inevitable question that I cannot answer.” Regarding this work in particular, he wrote: “At the heart of the energy there must be a terrific void.… Energy and nothingness come together.” The concept of the void, or the space permeating a block of stone, is important to both modern Western sculpture and Japanese philosophy. A Buddhist sutra states “Form is emptiness and emptiness id form.” In Six-foot Energy Void, the void defines the sculpture as much as its mass of stone. The slight torque of the sculpture’s form is evidence of Noguchi’s extraordinary skill as a master stone carver. Six-foot Energy Void is carved from a single piece of granite, and rests upon a rectangular slab of the same material. (1)

1. The statement/didactic above is from the exhibition label and courtesy of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

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a classic student project (continued): playing with letterforms à la Norman Ives

In the two previous blog pieces in which we featured graphic design work from Dordt College students, we continue the theme here with more examples of students’ work.

This classic project of closely cropped letterforms was influenced by designer and educator Norman Ives and is commonly found in most graphic design programs. Each composition closely crops the lower case “a” letterform to suggest and reveal the intrinsic artistic form and character of the letter. One of the goals of the project is to enrich ones imagining powers by handling positive and negative space.


© Kit Drennon 2013


© Kit Drennon 2013

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a classic student project (continued): close cropping of letterforms à la Norman Ives

In the previous blog piece in which we featured graphic design work from Dordt College students, we continue the theme here with a couple of examples of students’ work.

This classic project of closely cropped letterforms was influenced by designer and educator Norman Ives and is commonly found in most graphic design programs. Each composition closely crops the lower case “a” letterform to suggest and reveal the intrinsic artistic form and character of the letter. The goal of the project is to develop greater thoughtfulness toward the communicative function of typography.


© Amanda Oberman 2013


© Nathan Walter 2013

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a classic student project: close cropping of letterforms à la Norman Ives (1923–1978)

This classic project of closely cropped letterforms is commonly found in most graphic design programs. In essence, this project was inspired by the work of designer/artist Norman Ives. Dordt College students in Graphic Design 1 this past semester completed the examples shown here. Each composition closely crops the lower case “a” letterform to suggest and reveal the intrinsic artistic form and character of the letter.

Norman Ives’s work celebrates and cultivates the typographic arts. Designer Rick Valicenti says that Ives typographic compositions promote “the poetry of organic curves and rigid structures found hidden deep within an alphabet…”(1) 

The tension created by the juxtaposition of positive and negative spaces—or the figure and ground shapes—articulate a wonderful visual rhythm and pattern.

1. Valicenti, Rick, et al. “Digital Glass Portfolio Series.” Thirst 3st. n.p., 12 June 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. http://www.3st.com/work/skyline-digital-glass-portfolio-series#5.

compositions by © Shelby Herrema 2013

compositions by © Tanner Brasser 2013

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Dordt advanced graphic design students explore the issues of childhood mortality

Records for Life: Reaching Children with Life-Saving Vaccines 
A Concept for Universal Child Health Records
poster size: 42 inches x 54 inches 

This semester, Dordt College’s advanced graphic design class responded to the call issued by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was seeking help in redesigning the look and feel of child health records. The above graphic shows the collaborative poster that explains and details the students’ concept proposing a UPC/QR identification system for universal Child Health Records.

Student designers included: Daryl Bruinsma, Hayley Dahl, Rebekah Dykhuizen, Teddy Getenet, Brett Jasper, Jayson Korthuis, Caleb Vugteveen and instructor David Versluis.

Six million children between the ages of 0 and 5 die annually, worldwide. In response to this global health crisis, Dordt students and non-governmental organizations convened on Wednesday, November 20 to dialogue and explore the issues of childhood mortality and to share their thoughts. It was at this event that the graphic design students presented their project. Approximately 300 people were in attendance..

The project was a culmination of the Dordt’s semester-long AGILE (Approaching Global issues through Interdisciplinary Learning Experiences) Project, which examines a critical global issue and looks at creative solutions. This year's focus was on child and infant mortality.

The introduction on the poster written by the graphic design students states:

Child and infant mortality rates affect families and communities around the world. Mortality rates for young children are caused by many variables including health, nutrition, cultural practices, lack of education, and more. Healthcare for both pregnant mothers and young children is essential to allow newborns to grow and develop in a healthy environment. Immunizations and vaccinations are essential for all children at a young age. Unfortunately, the health record system in many countries often allows children to miss vaccinations, failing to stop preventable diseases. A simple, universal system would allow doctors, mothers, and other health workers to confidently vaccinate and care for young children.

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