DIAGRAMM ING
All drawings are, to some degree, abstractions of a
perceived reality or an imagined conception. lndesign
drawing, we operate at varying levels of abstraction. At
one end of the spectrum lies the presentation drawing,
which attempt sto simulate as clearlyas possible the
future reality of a design proposal. At the other end is
the diagram, which has the ability to explain something
without necessarily representing it in a pictorial way.
• The hallmark of a diagram is its ability to simplify
acomplex notion into essential elements and
relationships by a process of elim
ination and
reduction.
• The abstract natureof diagramming enables us to
analyze and underst and the essential nature of
design elements, to consider their possible
relationships, andto quickly generate a series of
viablealternatives to a given design problem.
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Digital Diagramming
Adistinct advantage of digital technology is its ability
to accept and process information in a precise and
accurate manner. We should not allow this capacity for
precision to induce premature closure when exploring
ideas with graphics software in the ambiguous, early
stages of the design process.
200
I ARCHITECTURAL GRAPHICS