Listening To The Pigeons

Below is an extract from Bob Gill’s book, 'Design as a Second Language', a practical resource that highlights the fundamentals of design. He gives you important insights into how to develop original work.

“Have you ever seen autumn leaves, after they fall to the ground, arrange themselves in a very boring composition? I haven’t.”

“What about pigeons stopping for a rest in a pavement square? Do they arrange themselves in a boring layout? I’ve never seen it.”

“The spatial relationships found in these random arrangements of leaves or pigeons or almost any natural accidents are never mechanical or predictable or uninteresting.”

“This lesson that nature teaches us is simple, but very important. If you prefer to relate space mathematically (by using a grid), go for it.”

“Otherwise listen to the pigeons.”