Jannis Maroscheck · CLIENT: Jannis Maroscheck
Shape Grammars is a designer's handbook on generative shapes. The book explores how unique pieces can be mass produced. Twelve production systems were designed and programmed to generate an unlimited number of individual graphic shapes. The soft-bound catalogue holds 836 pages and presents 150,000 generated shapes, sorted from the strictly geometric to the organically free. Both the content and the layout were produced with custom generative software. Shape Grammars shows some potentials and limitations of generative design and serves as a source of inspiration at the desk.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Shape Grammars is a study on generative shapes, asking: how can unique pieces be mass produced? 12 production systems that can generate an unlimited number of individual graphic shapes were designed and programmed. The result is a designer's handbook which, in addition to 150,000 generated shapes, shows some potentials and limitations of generative design.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Soft-bound catalogue, digital print. 836 pages. 185x235x45mm
- Tags
- generative, shapes, book, massproduction, graphic production, shape collection, dictionary of shapes
- Production Technology
- The content as well as the book layout was produced with custom generative software.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was to create very simple rulesets, which are able to generate a high variety of shapes. Simple means, their logic can be expressed in a sentence, that is easily understood. Simple also means they make use of a core geometrical principle. Detailed decorations were not allowed.
- Project Duration
- The development of the book started in Wuerzburg in October 2019, was completed in Tokyo, and published by slanted publishers, Karlsruhe in July 2020
- Operation Flow
- The 836 page book is meant as a tool. The format is balanced between having enough space to show the shapes and being handy enough to be used during work at the desk. The weight and thickness of the book is a result of and communicates the sheer endless collection of shapes, that can be discovered, and used as a source of inspiration.
- Research
- Graphic shapes and systems were collected, categorized and reverse-engineered. A broad range of geometrical principles for shape generation were translated into machine readable code.
Furthermore layout and sorting programs were developed. - Inspiration
- Noam Chomsky has tried to formalize all sorts of languages that obey some rules. With Shape Grammars I have made a similar attempt for graphical systems. Of course, this could never be completed, but at least I wanted to try to cover as large a spectrum of geometric principles as I could.
- Image Credits
- all images by Jannis Maroscheck
- Patents
- © 2020 – 2021 slanted publishers & Jannis Maroscheck
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