
20
ANATOMY OF DESIGN
Graphic designers often enjoy performing illusionist feats, and like other sly
magicians they are fond of tweaking perception and deceiving expectations.
Because the basic two-dimensional surface on which they work has obvious
limitations, artists and designers throughout the centuries—at least since the
Greeks “invented” perspective back around 540 B.C.—have routinely attempted to
magically and cunningly turn flat into multidimensional space. They’ve done this
through classic trompe l’oeil painting techniques, where objects are rendered on
canvas or walls so precisely realistically they appear to be three-dimensional.
They’ve also ...