本书是美国爱荷华大学荣誉退休教授胡宏述总结从事近40年设计教育的经验编著而成的。数十年来，胡宏述先生沉浸于他的专业之中。他是一位杰出的教师，身兼设计家、画家、雕塑家、建筑师、哲学家、工艺师和制造者。
本书主要构成是从26个设计论点发展出28个习作，通过很多习作，引导学生学习一些基本设计概念，一步一步学习设计方面的最基本问题，从一个新的角度去了解几何上的一些关系。
本书可作为工业设计、建筑学等专业学生的教材，也可供其他专业学生接触艺术教育时参考使用。
- 目录
- Introduction Philosophy of Basic Design
- Issue 1 Design is as Important as Mathematics
- Issue 2 Design with Wisdom, Reason, and Sensibility
- Issue 3 How to Improve Sensibility
- Issue 4 Forcing Oneself to be Different
- Issue 5 Always Right
- Issue 6 Decided by the Truth
- Issue 7 Geometric Instruments vs. Computer Graphics
- Issue 8 Three Basic Forms: Square, Equilateral Triangle, and Circle
- Issue 9 Squares, Equilateral Triangles and Circles are Close Relatives
- Issue 10 Design and Geometry as One
- Issue 11 Organic Geometry-Rationale to Create a Form
- Issue 12 The True Meaning of the Golden Section
- Issue 13 Introducing the Irrational Number
- Issue 14 Music Composed with Rational Time and Performed with Irrational Numbers
- Issue 15 Geometry is the Source of Irrational Numbers
- Issue 16 A Circle within a Circle
- Issue 17 Equilateral Triangle as a Seed
- Issue 18 Sensibility from Our Hearts
- Issue 19 The Three "S" Principles for a Line
- Issue 20 2D＆3D Should be Taught Together
- Issue 21 Design and Craft
- Issue 22 Blueprint is Required
- Issue 23 Three Forbidden Drawing Methods for a Designer
- Issue 24 Learning How to Simplify
- Issue 25 All Assignments are Related
- Issue 26 This is Why
- Part One Adding a Third Dimension to a Square
- Introduction
- Assignment 1 One Surface, One Edge ×12
- Basic Design The Cultivation of Wisdom, Reason and Sensibility
- Assignment 2 Is the Problem Solved?
- Assignment 3 Organic Geometry: a Refined Translation
- Assignment 4 Forms in Progression
- Assignment 5 Making the Best from the Worst
- Assignment 6 Geometric Refinement
- Assignment 7 Finding a Seamless Connection
- Assignment 8 Enlarge and Reduce
- Summary
- Part Two Relationship Between Two
- Introduction
- Assignment 1 Joining Paper to Paper×24
- Assignment 2 The Top Eight
- Assignment 3 Geometry and Plan View Drawing
- Assignment 4 Multi-view Drawing
- Assignment 5 Isometric Drawing
- Assignment 6 Isometric Ambiguity
- Assignment 7 Lines in Space
- Assignment 8 Three-dimensional Ambiguity
- Assignment 9 A Letterform in an Isometric Universe
- Assignment 10 25 More for the Alphabet
- Summary
- Part Three Visual Connection
- Introduction
- Assignment 1 Logotype Design
- Assignment 2 Geometric Refinement
- Assignment 3 Circles: a Side Trip
- Assignment 4 A Set of Two Drawings to Refine a Logo
- Assignment 5 Variations of the Logotype
- Assignment 6 Modular Warm up
- Assignment 7 The Logo Goes Modular
- Assignment 8 Modules into Units
- Assignment 9 Ambiguous Forms as Modules
- Assignment 10 Modules in the Third Dimension
- Summary
- Appendix
- Appendix 1 List of Tools and Materials
- Appendix 2 Basic Geometry
- Appendix 3 Art and Science
- Appendix 4 The New Mission of Design Education
