André Vladimir Heiz
The fruit of the research project “Didactica”

1. In every sense of creativity
Hailed as the “bible for designers” on the German radio, the “Basics of Creativity” broach all branches of Arts and Crafts. The methods concerning the artistic know-how dwell on the decisive transition to formation, information and transformation. Mind the gap! Practise builds the bridge between imagination and realization, form and function and leads the way to appropriate solutions.

It begins by presenting the decisive perspectives from which processes, projects and products can be confined and analysed. Each volume covers a different point of view :
Volume 1: Processes and programs
Volume 2: Structures and systems
Volume 3: Sign and Context
Volume 4: Identities and Differences
There has never been a standard reference like this one, dealing with all areas of design, close to the trigger moment when making a decision makes the difference and sense bythe way – for designers of all types, architects and artists as well.

2. The harvest of research
“Basics of Creativity” represent a prototype of research through, about and essentially for Design. Experimental adventures, empirical grounded approaches, scientific investigations and good many case studies permitted to build up the topics as a whole. A united research team explored different approaches to bring out an optimal presentation. In response to the research goal for enlightening pictures and tools, designers opened the doors of their archives and studios and contributed insightful examples. Research gave all the time we need to find out innovative entries for perception and production. “Basics of creativity” are a hotbed of ideas in order to break patterns.

3. Love is the thing
What would love be without an outstanding declaration? What would things and signs be without having a remarkable impact? Designers, craftsmen and artists have to show and tell what they mean by developing their traces really and practically. Indeed they have to understand increasingly well how they manage projects and products, within their daily round work as a go-between, carrying the creative process through a convincing solution. Theories of perception and production scout out the possibilities and conditions due to artistic specificities and aims. Whatever it is a matter of developing a font, an urban concept, a logo, public art, product design, communication or research – precise perception defines the way the problem initially is framed.

4. What comes it down to?
Open it, look at it, read and pace up and down the “Wonderland” of the “Basics”. You’ll light upon a salutary example, fall on significant observations and follow the logical demonstration of diagrams. Readers and observers are taken by the hand and guided along gently with a good sense of humour. Each spread is a discovery, couched in the rhythm of knowledge acquisition. Drop in and space out: examples help with orientation. Like glasses or scissors, a pen or necessary software-tools “Basics of Creativity” come in handy. All you have to do is to make a break, close your windows and open one of the volumes of the “Basics”. Here we go, do it straight away!

Books
André-Vladimir Heiz
Les bases de la création,
1408 pages,
ISBN 978-3-7212-0839-9,
Niggli/Sulgen 2013.

André-Vladimir Heiz
Grundlagen der Gestaltung,
1436 Seiten,
ISBN 978-3-7212-0805-4,
Niggli/Sulgen 2012.

Supported by : HES.SO, ECAL, ZHdK, Office fédéral de la Culture, Office fédéral de la formation professionnelle et de la technologie, Fondation Vitra,  Fondation Jan Michalski, Atelier Pfister, Pour cent culturel Migros, Design Center Langenthal and a welcome swarm of designers and artists.

Period
Research : from August 2006 to April 2008.
Realization : from 2008 to 2012.

Funded by the HES-SO (University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland)