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Design: Abstract vs Symbolic

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Abstract design expresses ideas or feelings that tend to differ from what's normally found in physical form. Symbolic design communicates an idea or feeling with designs that may be realistic, decorative or abstract.

Abstract

Abstract design visualizes and creates things that may not exist in the physical world using cognitive processes such as imagination, logic or emotion. This typically results in radical designs. People tend to associate abstract design with minimalism but it can take any form and is often decorative.

Symbolic

Symbolic design is about communicating an idea, entity or emotion. Symbols such as company logos may be designed to be easy to interpret and recognize. In some cases, symbolic design is intended to be difficult to read out of a sense of secrecy, mystery or danger. Either way, symbolic designs often rely on analogy.
Abstract vs Symbolic
Abstract
Symbolic
Definition
Designs that expressing thoughts and emotions without reference to the physical world.
Designs that communicate visually often using analogy.

Design

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Adaptability
Aesthetics
Architecture
Balance
Charrette
Color Harmony
Color Temperature
Commercial Art
Complexity
Composition
Concept Design
Context Of Use
Crafts
Critical Design
Customization
Defensive Design
Design
Design Abstraction
Design Business
Design Concept
Design Constraints
Design Culture
Design Debt
Design Failure
Design Fiction
Design Flaw
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Design Innovation
Design Management
Design Objectives
Design Philosophy
Design Principles
Design Process
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Design Requirements
Design Research
Design Skills
Design Strategy
Design Styles
Design Testing
Design Theory
Design Thinking
Design To Value
Digital Design
Dominance
Edge Case
Elegance
Emergent Design
Emotional Design
Feature Fatigue
Fit For Purpose
Game Design
Gesamtkunstwerk
Graphic Design
Human Factors
Human Scale
Immersive Design
Industrial Design
Information Design
Input Is Error
Interaction Design
Iterative Design
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Less Is A Bore
Less Is More
Lightness
Marketing Design
Minimalism
Modern Design
More Is Different
Moving Parts
Naive Design
Negative Space
New Complexity
No Design
Overengineering
Persona
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Prototypes
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Service Design
Shape And Form
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Slow Design
Space
Speculative Design
Stability
Structure
Style
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Texture
Transition Design
Unity
Universal Design
Urban Design
Usability
UX
Variety
Visual Design
Worse Is Better
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