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DSGN 105 - Visual Design Systems: Home

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Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled (Elemental Sculpture) c. 1953 image via Artsy.net

This guide provides recommended research tools for your DSGN 105 assignment.

Related Research Guides

Strategies for Finding Images

Databases and search engines aren't as smart as people. You might not be able to type in "paintings with strong use of line" and find a result, but you can ask yourself questions and use other phrases or keywords to help sort through the millions of digital images in library databases and online.

Why should I use these databases instead of searching the internet?

  • Our books and databases have very high-quality, authoritative images - you're getting the best of the best.


How can I search based on a concept or idea like "strong horizontal lines" or "balanced composition"?

  • Try those ideas as keywords! Search "composition," "balance," "proportion," "linear perspective," etc.
  • Are there specific mediums that lend themselves well to those concepts? Printmaking, for example, lends itself well to strong use of line or graphic use of color and shape, depending on the specific printmaking technique.
  • What kinds of art or which artists use these design principles in their work? Try searching their names.
  • What movements or periods of art have a strong focus on design elements? (e.g. Surrealism, High Renaissance)

Subject Guide

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