Design Foundations: Perception, Technical Drawing, and Product Design Methodology

Vocabulary flashcards covering Theory of Perception, Descriptive and Project Drawing, and foundational Product Design methodologies.

Theory of Perception Analytical Grid

A methodological framework used to reconstruct the perceptive act of an observed object by analyzing its biological (neuro-physiological), psychological (psycho-perceptive and psycho-emotional), and cultural (anthropological, sociological, semiotic, and aesthetic) dimensions.

Mimesis

The conceptual principle of imitation and representation ('this is that') examined in perception theory in relation to shape and abstraction.

Gestalt (in Perception Theory)

A visual perception theory that studies how the mind organizes visual stimuli, shapes, and forms into coherent, unified wholes rather than isolated parts.

Descriptive Geometry

A branch of geometry providing the foundational principles and technical drawing methods—including orthogonal, volumetric, and perspective projections—used as essential design tools.

Monge Projections (Orthogonal Projections)

A technical representation method that projects points, plane figures, single solids, overlapping solids, and furniture layouts perpendicularly onto reference planes.

Volumetric Projections (Axonometry)

A drawing system representing three-dimensional objects on a single plane, specifically encompassing cavaliera (cavalier), monometrica (monometric), and isometrica (isometric) projections.

Central Perspective

A one-point perspective projection system used to represent flat geometric figures, geometric solids, and internal architectural spaces.

Vanishing Perspective (Prospettiva Accidentale)

A two-point perspective representation method applied to architectural elements and furniture using specific construction techniques, such as visual rays, diagonal points, and measuring points.

Method of Measuring Points (Punti Misuratori)

A geometric procedure in accidental or vanishing perspective used to establish accurate dimensions and true depths when drawing interior spaces and furniture.

Anonymous Design

A design methodology that studies and reinterprets familiar everyday objects whose original creator is unknown, forgotten, or secondary to the object's practical role, shifting the inquiry from 'What is this?' to 'What else could it be?'.

Molletta Bench

A large bench designed by Baldessari and Baldessari for Riva 1920, carved from a block of scented cedar with a metal spring, exemplifying Anonymous Design by scaling up a common clothes peg.

Hybrid Design

A design approach focused on intentionally combining objects, forms, functions, and materials in unconventional ways to produce new relationships, meanings, or tactile experiences.

Banco Transrock

A seating project designed by Fernando and Humberto Campana that demonstrates Hybrid Design by pairing an industrial plastic base structure with hand-woven natural Apuí fibre.

Oniric Design

A design approach originating from undefined stimuli—such as dreams, memories, unusual images, or 'What if…?' questions—that prioritizes emotion, narrative, and symbolism over strict utilitarian function.

Thin Black Lines

A collection by Nendo in which minimal graphic black lines are transformed into functional three-dimensional objects, blurring the line between a 2D drawing and a physical object.

"Thinking with Our Hands"

A hands-on design philosophy where physical making—such as sketching, material testing, and model-building—acts as an active mode of discovery and problem-solving rather than merely executing an already finished concept.

Sacco Armchair

A 1968 seat designed by Gatti, Paolini, and Teodoro that challenges traditional armchair conventions by using an unstructured, soft form that moulds directly to the user's posture.

Sisieda

An ironic, provocative concrete seat designed by Studio Lievito that challenges the necessity of conventional seating through an intentionally uncomfortable form.

Finger Biscuit

A thimble-shaped pastry created by Paolo Ulian that fits onto a person's finger, reinterpreting the routine gesture of dipping a biscuit into a beverage.

Cambio (Formafantasma)

A 2020 exhibition project presented at Serpentine North investigating the global timber supply chain to reveal the political, ecological, and economic layers of everyday material production.

Moka Express

An iconic 1933 coffee maker designed by Alfonso Bialetti that merged pressure-brewing mechanics, aluminium casting, and an octagonal shape to make domestic coffee preparation accessible.

Riso Verde (Bruno Munari)

A cooking recipe from the 1981 book 'Da cosa nasce cosa' utilized by Bruno Munari as a metaphor showing that the design process is an orderly sequence of testable, step-by-step actions.

Academic Grading System (Accademia Italiana)

An assessment framework evaluated on a 30-point scale where $18/30$ is the minimum passing grade, $30\text{ cum laude}$ denotes outstanding work, and attendance must not fall below $80\%$ under DPR No. 212 of 8 July 2005.