"Design refers to a formative activity or construction activity that has a sense of beauty, use, and commemorative functions."
The word design comes from the Japanese translation of the word "design" in Chinese characters. In the Japanese translation of the word "design", in addition to the word "design", "design" was used to mean "designer", "pattern", "constitute", "form", and other Chinese characters.
So when we understand what "design" is, we can explain these words first:
English "design" comes from the Latin "de-sinare", which means "make-mark". Starting from the Italian "desegno" in the sixteenth century, there is the meaning of "design" nowadays, which was later passed through the intermediary of French and quoted in English, becoming "design" in modern English.
In English, "design" has the following meaning:
a. Design, plan.
b. Draw sketches and gradually complete exquisite designs or works.
c. For a certain purpose of the reservation and cooperation.
d. Planning and planning.
e. intention.
f. Use stamps to express and recognize events.
Among them, items a and b are closest to what design professional calls "design".
The "ideal craftsman" of Chinese characters in Japanese means "meaning processing", and "design" is the work of mind processing. "Pattern" is relative to "copyright." Copywriting refers to the use of “text†for illustration; pattern refers to the use of “map†for illustration. That is, drawing. Then it refers to the graphic production activities that can be expressed in an express sense.
The "constitution" of Chinese characters in Japanese refers to the combination of things (including articles, images, events, etc.) and the pursuit of formal accuracy and aesthetic activities. "Formation" refers to the formation of "form", which is the creation of environment, form and image.
The "design" of Chinese characters in Japanese means setting specific goals and then accomplishing the goals by (creating) physical objects.
However, it is even more interesting to “design†these words and explain them in Chinese. In <<Shuowenjiezi>>, the meanings of the words "set" and "count" are as follows:
Design: Shi Chenye, from the government. Battle, make people also. "Design" means the display. Words refer to the completion of language. Confidence, refers to the thing that can be run, it means to serve. From the side of words, it is the expression of words to serve the servant. Count: It will count. From the ten words. The plan is the meaning of total and calculation. Words to think. Ten, refers to the specific number (relative to the abstract number). From the side of the word and ten, expression is the calculation of the specific number by thinking and using words.
Therefore, in terms of the Chinese language, "design" is defined by some people. This definition is actually another more commonly used word in Chinese: "creation", and the word "construction" is also called "building" or "building a house" in Japanese. At present, the word "architecture" in Chinese is derived from the Chinese translation of the word "architecture" and it is returned to the Chinese language as a daily language; it is just like the word "design" is the Chinese translation of "design" in Chinese characters. Words come back to Chinese as a daily language.
However, if we look at the development of Western design, before the rise of modern design, design is not only equal to architecture, it is also equal to art. In particular, in the course of Western Art History and the Royal Academy of Arts Education, from the beginning of the Renaissance, it was slowly formed on the basis of architectural professional skills, combined with the professional skills of painting and the professional skills of sculpture. These three are collectively called the art of shaping. , collectively referred to as "design."
From this point of view, we can easily understand the definition and explanation of “Design refers to the creation activity or construction activity with aesthetic sense, use, and memorial functionâ€.
In general, the three aspects of aesthetic experience, use function and commemorative function will be different from the object. At the same time, the so-called aesthetic experience and use of functions, not only by the creators to feel and judge, but also by the producers, consumers to judge. Commemorative functions are often very different depending on the object.
On the other hand, since the industrial revolution of the 19th century, the art of handcrafting (painting, sculpture) has gradually separated from architectural design, poster design, or product design. The former is made by hand and one at a time; the latter is produced by machinery and can produce dozens, hundreds, or thousands of identical things. The former is called pure art and craftsmanship, and the latter is called "design." However, no matter how the distinction is made, whether pure art, craftsmanship, construction, or design are all required to meet the conditions of “having aesthetic experience, using functions, and commemorative functionsâ€.
"Visual communication design" is a kind of activity that uses words, symbols, and shapes to capture the sense of beauty, capture and express images, express ideas and attempts, and then achieve the effect of communication and persuasion. Perhaps we will have different views on the so-called beauty of beauty, but there is no doubt about the "design" to capture the beauty, especially the design of visual communication.