design3

Texture
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Figure 3.5. Geometric and freeform shapes
The other main category of shape is organic or freeform. Freeform shapes are more abstract than
geometric shapes, and consist of non geometric curves, random angles, and irregular lines, as can
be seen in Figure 3.5. Freeform shapes have a free-flowing nature that conveys a sense of informality
and spontaneity. They can represent the outline of a product, human gestures, or an organic doodle.
Figure 3.6 represents the gradual transformation of a geometric shape into a freeform shape.
Figure 3.6. Transforming a geometric shape into an organic one
When it comes to website design, many people seem to forget that freeform shapes exist. In Chapter 1,
I explained how the anatomy of a website consists of a bunch of blocks. No matter how you arrange
them on the page, these blocks are inherently geometric. Unlike print design, which gives us the
freedom to draw whichever layout shapes we like, the Web limits us to rectangles. However, although
the containing blocks may be rectangular, that doesn’t mean they have to look rectangular. One of
the most common methods we can use to hide the underlying form of an HTML element is to give
it a background image.