Friday Funny: Pointless Diagrams

Illustrative diagrams are one of the primary tools used by architects and planners to explain existing conditions and design concepts. An art project that produces frivolous diagrams reveals the heft that well crafted drawings bring.

1 minute read

December 6, 2013, 2:00 PM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"There is nothing architects love more than a sexy drawing with dotted lines, curvy arrows and a few key color accents," writes Web Urbanist. "Josh Lewandowski is a Minnesotan architect who is taking things to the extreme, producing a new diagrammatic sketch daily … with a catch: they do not represent anything and are ends unto themselves. The series is dubbed simply Pointless Diagrams."

"I’m doing it because of my sincere belief that setting aside time to doodle useless stuff is extremely useful," says Lewandowski of his effort to draw "one absurd diagram a day" beginning on September 7, 2013. "The drawings appear meaningful without actually being helpful. Some might seem to reference real things or show some sort of relationship between things, but this is merely accidental. Enjoy."

The results of Lewandowski's efforts are available for purchase from Etsy.


Tuesday, November 26, 2013 in WebUrbanist

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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