In college I took an upper level math class called "Art & Math" thinking it would be easy. The focus was mostly on the works of M.C. Escher, so how hard could it be, right? Wrong.

Ever heard of Structures in Plane, Euclidean Geometry, Irregular Tessellations, Cyclic Expansion, or Dodecahedrons? Ack! Probably not. And why should you? But as designers you’ve probably unknowingly used this so-called math.

That’s why I find Geometry Daily by Nürnberg-based designer and teacher Tilman Zitzmann so refreshingly simple and inspirational. The geometric structures beg for prolonged stares and, at least to me, really blur the line between art and math. They feel completely unstructured at times, yet totally cohesive. It illustrates how a plain old circle can be sliced and rejiggered hundreds of different ways. And it forces you to approach design differently.

The math at work in Geometry Daily is just as apparent as the art, and it’s easy to digest without the use of a calculator—or professor. In other words, there’s a simple design lesson contained in every composition.

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