This paper intends to show the importance of visual form in the human environment. Form is herewith defined as gross three-dimensional shape. From the viewpoint of a visual designer, form is treated as a discrete dimension-one that should be considered of equal importance with other functions in the design process.
The reader is brought into contact with an area of design thinking that exists between the traditional form considerations of human factors-engineering (biomechanics, ergonomics, etc.) and the purely aesthetic-artistic (taste, beauty, etc.).
If we are to confirm “form as language,” it will be necessary to understand how form communicates, and what is being communicated. This concept is presented in two parts: the first explores man-made objects and environments as examples of “how” and “what” form communicates; the second part probes vehicular design as a logical area for application of a form-value system.
