RERAMIC STUDIO 
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN 
Hugo Froclilicli 
MOST hopeful sign of the times is 
the desire on all sides for a better, 
understanding of the relation of de- 
sign to the object of which it is a 
part. I do not like the expression 
"decorating an object" because that 
implies something added, an after 
thought. An ornament ought to be 
so intimately a part of the object 
that the two cannot be thought of 
separately. In planning his work, the designer ought to 
consider the use of the object, the limitations of the material, 
the structural element. This last condition is often violated, 
viz: the design does not enhance the structural element, but 
often assumes a movement entirely unrelated to it. Sim- 
plicity is another requirement difficult to attain. The desire 
to over-ornament is responsible for more than half of medi- 
ocre work. As soon as an empty space on an object offers 
itself the worker feels the impulse to rush in and cover it with 
some motive for fear that the object will not seem decorated; 
instead of pausing and considering, whether the space left un- 
touched or, at the most, filled in with a flat tone of refined 
color, would not keep simplicity and dignity. These are some 
of the conditions that govern good design and certainly apply 
to the treatment of pottery and porcelain. 
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The Ceramic art is one of the most delightful of profes- 
sions. It is the ceramist's mission to materially influence 
the masses. He becomes an instructor through his work, and 
if he does meritorious work it will be recognized by people of 
culture. They in turn extend this recognition to their circle 
of influence, until gradually a market for fine things will be 
established. Manufacturers will pay no attention to this un- 
til the public demand good work, when they, the manufac- 
turers, will be forced by a spirit of commercialism to give it 
heed. And why may not good designs be multiplied by ma- 
chinery instead of the commonplace ones? It does not cost 
any more. What we need is to create a demand by the masses 
for a better article, and it devolves on the artist and crafts- 
man to educate their taste. In this as you will readily see the 
ceramist has an important share. 
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A more beautiful and useful medium than pottery and 
china hardly exists. It is almost as much a daily companion 
as the garments we wear, and for this very reason ought to 
be beautiful and worthy the artist's consideration. 
We are immensely influenced by our surroundings and 
find reflected in our work the commercialism about us. To 
counteract this influence we need to carefully study that which 
we know to be good art, and to analyze the principles govern- 
ing the same. 
It is with these principles that I shall deal in these papers 
and hope by a consecutive series of problems to give the 
reader a better understanding of what constitutes good design. 
They are purely exercises to impress on the mind certain 
principles, so that we can proceed by a method of reasoning 
in our work and not depend entirely on our emotions. 
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I shall deal in the first exercises with the language of line 
and relation of areas. Every design is an arrangement of 
shapes whose edges come under the consideration of line 
movement. Sometimes the line is frankly expressed as in the 
